School Board Hears Tatom Update
    By Danielle Pardue, Staff Writer ~~ The Monahans News, January 22, 2009

Tatom Elementary School is ready for use, the school's architect said Jan. 21 at this month's regular meeting of the Monahans-Wickett-Pyote Independent School District.

Campbell Associates Architect Monte Hunter said the school's interior is substantially complete.  He gave construction updates throughout the district.  Technology wiring for the campus is still being worked on.  Also, the cooler and electrical work for the Monahans High School campus has been put on rush order to get food service relocated in the process of tearing down the old art building.

According to Hunter, the middle school is in the planning stage in developing blue prints.  Most of the construction will involve installation of air conditioning and fire alarms.  Hunter told the board the blue prints are halfway completed for the middle school.

Under the construction item, the board approved proposals to go out for bids on four additional classrooms to Sudderth Elementary.

With January being school board recognition month, MWPISD Superintendent Keith Richardson recognized each member with a certificate of recognition and a gift.  Board members also received gift baskets from Monahans school principals and the administration staff.

Local schools "adopted" board members, who have visited the school campuses.

"We very much appreciate what they do and allow the district to do the last several years," said Richardson.

Board President Bo Rose, who presided over the meeting, introduced High School Band Director Jeff Whitaker, who announced the names of those band members advancing to Area and State band.  Those members include:  Leah Baeza, Area on clarinet; Mathew Santiago, second alternate Area on trombone, John Witucki, first alternate State on coronet; Riley Barmore, second alternate State on bassoon; Ruben Briones, first alternate State on tuba; Bobby Fabian, State on bass clarinet; Jeremy Durr, State on percussion; Loren Miller, State on trombone and Tad Bowman, State on percussion.

"We had a really successful year and appreciate the support you (board) has given us," said Whitaker.  The Region band concert was Jan. 24 at Midland High School.

The board also heard a report that student enrollment in the district is 1,983, up 38 from this time last year, and remaining the same as last month's report.  According to Richardson, Pre-Kindergarten, first and sixth grades are over the 22 to 1 ratio, and the district is looking to hire new teachers.

In a report on principal goals, Edwards/Tatom Elementary Principal Doug Doege said the school has finished middle of the year testing and is concentrating on math.  The school has set a campus goal among themselves to get an 80 percent passing in math as opposed to its current 73 percent.  Doege said the main areas of concentrating in math for the school are measurement, place value and problem solving.

High School Principal Kellye Riley told the board this past year, the high school was rated "academically acceptable" and has increased in all areas of the Academic Excellence Indicator System from 2006-2007.  Significant gains were science scores went up 10 percent age points, math and Hispanic subgroup went up 9 percentage points and science and white subgroup went up 14 percentage points and science and economically disadvantaged subgroup went up 11 percentage points.

According to Riley, areas of concern for the school are ninth-grade math and 10th grade science. She mentioned TAKS review classes for ninth grade math have been added this semester. Those students not mastering or close to not mastering benchmark tests are placed in a TAKS review class.

TAKS review classes are also available for seniors who have not mastered the TAKS test, but according to Riley, the school is in better shape this year than last with only six seniors needing to master math and science.

The high school also offers "Opportunity Success Tutoring" for those students needing extra help. English is tutored on Monday night, math on Tuesday, science on Wednesday and social studies on Thursday.

Classes are also available at the high school for students to take.  Concurrent classes also are offered for both high school and college credit for the class. Those courses offered are English, U.S. history, speech, Introduction to computers, statistics math, trigonometry and calculus.

"With these concurrent classes, a student could very easily leave high school and start as a sophomore in college," said Riley.

At the meeting, the board also approved an annual financial audit of district records for the 2007-2008 year audit from Rocky Rives of Smith and Rives Accounting Firm.

The board approved a bid of $100 by Veronica Rangel for property at 807 E. 2nd St.  Rangel plans to tear down the house on the property and put up a trailer.  The board also approved $300 bid by Calixto Porras for property at 305 S. Doris.  Porras plans to add on to his home.

In other business, the board approved financial reports and disbursements and two sets of minutes from previous meetings.

The board convened in a close session to consider renewal of one-year contracts for the 2009-2010 school year for Glenna Applewhite - assistant superintendent; Linda Schulz, business manager; Principals Kellye Riley, Monahans High School; Daryl Skinner, Monahans Education Center; Jeff Jones, Walker Jr. High; Bonnie Richardson, Sudderth Elementary; Doug Doege, Edwards/Tatom Elementary and Chad Smith, Cullender Kindergarten.

Director contracts up for discussion include Mickey Owens, athletic director, Kim Gilliam, special education director and Jeff Whitaker, band director.

Present at the meeting were Trustees Bobby Almanza, Kay Rankin, Raymond Reyes, Bo Rose, Denny Latham, Donna Garcia, Bill Clayton and Superintendent Keith Richardson.

Keyed by Harlon Carter, Senior '09