School board receives demographics report, recognitions
By BRITTANY FHOLER
Cove Leader-Press
During the CCISD board of trustees’ workshop meeting held Monday afternoon, they were presented results from a demographic study conducted by Templeton Demographics for the district. The full presentation can be found in the agenda packet on the district’s website.
For the 2019-2020 school year, the district had a total of 8,473 students enrolled, which is 2.2 percent more than in the previous year. The largest grade this year was 7th grade with 660 students. The second largest grade was 6th grade with 640 students.
As shown in the “District Demographic Snapshot,” the total district population estimate for 2019 was 37,470, up 4.9 percent from 35,730 at the 2010 Census. The total district median household income in 2019 was $56,425, up 0.7 percent from $55,860 in the 2010 Census. The total district population for below age 19 was 9,765 in 2019, down 13.2 percent from 11,255 in the 2010 Census. The total of district households in 2019 was 13,750, up 4 percent from 13,215 in the 2010 census.
Copperas Cove has approximately 375 lots available to build on within the district. CCISD has more than 1,955 planned future lots in various stages of development. Key takeaways from the presentation include that CCISD will continue to experience enrollment growth as new residential developments come online. The district is forecasted to add up to 200 single family homes a year for the next five years. Single family housing growth could reach 300 per year by 2025. CCISD is expected to add more than 800 students in the next five years and more than 1,500 in the next 10 years.
The board formally approved the hiring of two new assistant principals during their regular meeting held Tuesday evening. Two of the new hires included Haley Wheeler and Larry Williams to be new assistant principals at Copperas Cove Junior High School.
Wheeler is a graduate of Texas A&M-Central Texas with a master’s degree in Education Administration. She has her professional certificates as a principal, assistant principal, English as a Second Language, School Administration and Curriculum and Instruction. She has worked as an intermediate and middle school teacher and served as the UIL elementary campus district coordinator and District Gifts and Talented Coordinator and Robotics Coach in Lampasas ISD before joining the CCISD staff. She starts at CCJHS Tuesday, January 21.
Williams began working in CCISD on January 6, 2020. Prior to becoming a schoolteacher, he worked as a minister and obtained a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Bachelor of Arts from Baylor University. He has previously worked as a 6th grade social studies teacher in Gatesville ISD and holds certifications of principal, social students grades 4-8, English as a Second Language and Special Education.
The out-of-state trips approved were for the NAFIS (National Association of Federally Impacted Schools) Spring Conference in Washington, D.C. on March 15-17, for a cost of $13,257.19 from budgeted funds; and for a maintenance department employee to attend the Rational USA SelfCooking Center End User Technical Training in Rolling Meadows, Illinois on March 16-21.
By sending this employee, the district will save money on equipment repairs for the Child Nutrition Services department because the employee will be certified to work on the equipment and will be able to order parts as needed. The employee is currently HVAC certified and works on appliances throughout the district, according to the agenda packet. This trip will cost approximately $3,850 from CNS budgeted funds.
The board also approved the proposed Copperas Cove ISD 2020-2021 School Calendar. The calendar was first presented to the Vision 2021 Strategic Planning Team for consideration on December 9. After being distributed to campuses for feedback and any necessary changes were made, the final draft was presented to the Vision 2021 Strategic Planning Team on January 6 and then sent to the board for approval.
The proposed calendar would have the 2020-2021 school year start on August 18, with graduation on May 28. This calendar also includes one bad weather day on February 15, 2021.
The board also approved the selection of Lott, Vernon & Company, P.C. as the district's outside independent auditors. Lott, Vernon & Company, P.C. has prepared the District's annual fiscal audits for more than 25 years.
During Recognitions, it was the board members who were recognized as January is School Board Recognition Month.
The Coryell County Commissioners’ Court signed a proclamation declaring January 2020 to be School Board Recognition Month during their regular meeting Monday morning.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Copperas Cove Mayor Bradi Diaz read aloud a proclamation from the City of Copperas Cove, signed by her, declaring the same thing.
Students from Martin Walker also presented the board members with a video showing their appreciation.
Board members were also treated to a little surprise when two kiddos dressed as rockets joined Mae Stevens Early Learning Academy Parent and Community Outreach Coordinator Brandy Petty in delivering goody bags to each of the board members. Inside each bag was a rocket hand painted by Pre-K 3 students and local nursing home residents to coincide with this year’s theme of “Launching the Next Generation.”