WFISD School Board to discuss high schools' construction, redistricting, innovation plan
Trish Choate
Wichita Falls ISD School Board members are slated to discuss the two new high schools' construction during a 6 p.m. meeting Monday at the Education Center.
In addition, trustees might take action on political boundaries and on a plan for exemptions from measures such as a requirement to first issue a warning before ejecting parents and others from campuses and school events.
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In addition, a public hearing regarding redrawing the boundaries for trustees' single-member districts will be at 5:30 p.m. Monday ahead of the meeting.
UPDATE: The School Board approved a new map for single-member districts during the May 16 meeting. The new map of trustees' districts can be viewed online at wfisd.net.
As far as building the new schools, nothing other than "Construction Discussion on WF Legacy HS and WF Memorial HS" were listed on Monday's agenda.
WFISD is building Wichita Falls Memorial High School at 6422 Seymour Highway and Wichita Falls Legacy High School at Windthorst Road and Henry S. Grace Freeway.
During a May 10 special session, trustees received a construction update on the high schools, expected to open in fall 2024, from David Potter of BYSP Architects.
In light of information from the 2020 census, WFISD and other public entities must re-evaluate their political boundaries.
The law firm of Allison, Bass & Magee will provide information during the public hearing about redistricting WFISD's single-member districts for trustees.
WFISD has five single-member districts and two at-large trustees.
Redistricting is supposed to follow the guiding principle of one person-one vote so that not only can each qualified person vote but each person's vote has the same weight.
The hearing has a portion set aside for public comments on redrawing the political boundaries.
More:WFISD committee approves new District of Innovation plan
During the following meeting, trustees are scheduled to consider and possibly take action on an order adopting the redistricting of the single-member districts.
The proposed renewal of the District of Innovation Plan for 2022-2027 is on the consent agenda for the meeting. The proposal includes exemptions from the Texas Education Code.
WFISD's innovation plan must be renewed every five years. And if approved by the School Board, this will be the first renewal.
The DOI program allows traditional school districts such as WFISD to have the flexibility available to the state's open-enrollment charter schools.
The plan approved by WFISD's District Advisory Committee May 5 in a public meeting has exemptions for the school calendar, teacher certification, minimum attendance for credit, campus behavior coordinators, suspension for homeless students and ejecting a parent or community member.
Trustees heard about the plan from Associate Superintendent Peter Griffiths at the May 10 meeting.
School Board members are also scheduled to go into a closed session to discuss personnel matters related to individual district employees.
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Trish Choate, enterprise watchdog reporter for the Times Record News, covers education, courts, breaking news, politics and more. Contact Trish with news tips at tchoate@gannett.com. Her Twitter handle is @Trishapedia.