The Levelland ISD Board of Trustees met for their regular meeting on Sept. 26 to hear reports, approve several consent items and hear a presentation from the booster club.
The meeting was called to order by the board president, Carrie Ellis, with Mike Stafford, Treva Potter, Matt Buxkemper, Brooke Obenhaus and Garry Bridges in attendance.
Trustees went into an executive session, before getting the regular meeting underway, where the minutes for the Aug. 14 special meeting and Aug. 20 regular meeting were approved.
Concerning a property tax deed for trust property in the City of Levelland, the board approved and submitted their signature page to the Lubbock Communities Group in Lubbock. The property is Lot 5, Block 1, Williams Addition, City of Levelland in Hockley County. The winning bidder for Parcel R19419 was Richard and Tammy Reyes for $1,000. Upon issuance of the deed, the new owners are expected to bring the property up to code within six months.
In other business, the board approved the current financial report, investment report and quarterly report as presented by Teresa Montemeyer.
The Hockley County Appraisal District board of directors is seeking nominations from each taxing entity to fill two vacancies. According to the Texas property tax code, each unit shall nominate and submit by resolution the name of its nominee and submit it to the chief appraiser within 45 days of notification of a vacancy. The school board approved submitting nominees.
As required by school board policy, the board approved amending the current Authorized Representative Resolution to remove Rebecca McCutchen as the representative and add Dr. Don Heseman as the authorized representative to ensure that only specific individuals may transact business on behalf of LISD with TexPool/TexPool Prime.
Trustees approved making updates to the existing LISD Compensation Plan, which is comprised of various components, including the teacher pay schedule, administrative and professional pay plan, clerical and paraprofessional pay plan and auxiliary play plan.
In other action, the board approved improvement plans for each LISD campus, according to Education Code. The plan includes a comprehensive needs assessment for reviewing and revising activities designed by a campus advisory committee and principal three times a year and identifies specific objectives.
Assistant superintendent Rodney Caddell gave an update on the past school year and summer teacher turnover with comparisons to previous years. During the 2024-25 school year LISD lost 49 teachers, and by campus, LABC had six teachers leave, one retired and five resigned; South lost five teachers, with five resigning; Capitol had four teachers resign; Levelland Middle School lost 19 teachers, with four retiring and 15 resigning; and Levelland High School, 15 teachers left, with three retiring and 12 resigning. Of the 41 teachers who resigned, seven were initiated by the district in an effort to absorb personnel.
The board heard a report on the LISD Survey Action Plan for 2025-26. The survey was based on results from 2024-2025 surveys of students, staff, parents and community members. Each action plan was based on strengths, opportunities for improvement and following a plan to improve each campus.
In a report by Terri White, LISD had 39 teachers earn a combined incentive allotment of $756,367. Of the 39 teachers, four teachers left the school district and that money will remain at the campus. Of the money left, 90 percent will remain at the campus of the designation and be used as compensation to student-facing instructional teachers and paraprofessionals. The other 10 percent will be used to pay for the Aug. 29 banquet and balance split among administrators. The breakdown includes (minus 10%): LABC retaining all teachers designation; LHS split between 52 teachers/paras at $122.54; Capitol, 16 teachers at $1,49.13 payout; South, 21 teachers/paras at $1,173.34 payout; and LMS, 54 teachers/paras at $123.33 payout. Of the 10 percent remaining sum, $1,300 will pay for the TIA banquet.
Trustees were given enrollment reports from each LISD campus. LABC had a total of 477; Capitol, 267; South Elementary, 227; Levelland Middle School, 670; LHS, 792.
LISD Superintendent Dr. Donald Heseman presented his entry plan for Phase 1 checklist which included meeting with all board members, reviewing office and investment procedures, observing teachers and student, greeting parents and students at campuses, meeting with community , athletics and tech leaders as well as establishing media relationships.
Rodney Caddel presented the recommendations to the board and a list of resignations, auxilry new hires, and change of assignments that were accepted by LISD administration.
The LHS athletics department updated the board on current sports. The volleyball team is 8-17, 1-3 thus far this season; football, 2-2 with a big homecoming win against Brownfield, 500; and the cross-country teams are performing well and have improved their times by one to two minutes. The senior class reached a milestone with 1,000 combined wins and currently holds an 8-6 record.
Fundraising activities, as reported by the campus principal and superintendent, includes the LMS band students selling apparel and merchandise from Adrenaline Fundraising from Sept. 23 through Oct. 7 to raise money for trips and equipment; and the Levelland Opportunity Center students selling holiday and seasonal shirts throughout the 202526 school year for an LOC students business practices teaching lesson.