Six candidates to fill a vacancy on the Houston school board will be interviewed June 30 in a panel format.
Board members at last Tuesday’s monthly meeting elected to bring each citizen – Jennifer Scheets, Bethany Wells, Darren Ice, Todd Haley, Tadd McCloud and Carl W. “Chip” Lange – to the 6 p.m. meeting. The process will be held in open session.
The vacancy became available after Sharon Horbyk, a 17-year member of the board, resigned in May.
Also at last week’s meeting, school board members:
- Hired Shayna Adams (high school administrative assistant), Gerald McGownd (assistant high school boys’ basketball coach), John Coussons (elementary focus room and middle school boys’ basketball coach), Jodie Tottingham (high school assistant volleyball coach) and Steven Campbell (part-time IT tech for the 2015 summer).
- Named Tanya Bathon the new executive board secretary. She replaces Janice Maxwell, who resigned in closed session and is retiring.
- Were updated related to the current building project from Dill, who showed interior and exterior photos of the structure connecting the current high school and middle school buildings.
- Heard a sprinkler system has been installed and is fully functional at the football field. Bermuda grass seed has been sewn. Also, maintenance staff is stripping the Big Red Building to be repainted. An emblem of the school logo will be manufactured and screwed onto the front of the facility.
- Reviewed plans for a new building trades house presented by T.J. Hinkle. The board requested additional time to review the plans and make comments.
- Approved an increase in substitute pay from $60 to $70 per day. Retired teachers from the Houston R-1 School District will receive $80 per day.
- Approved an increase in the tuition rate to $4,750 per year. The previous rate of $4,500 was established in 2009. There are currently 36 Raymondville students and 25 Success students enrolled in the district.
- Amended a policy that will reward retiring teachers for making their intentions known at earlier dates. Those retiring in January will be paid 80 percent of the current daily rate for a general substitute teacher and declarations in February will be paid at 70 percent. Any retirement letters tendered after February will be paid at 50 percent. The maximum for all three is 90 days.
- Accepted bids for the 2015-’16 school year for propane (Ferrell Gas), paper (Sam’s Club), pest control (Stallcup Exterminating), dairy (Top Gun), bread (Earthgrains) and photography (Joe Ward Photography).
- Received a preliminary budget report from Dill for the 2015-’16 school year. Dill said it appears the current school year will finish “slightly in the black.”