The Levelland ISD school board will purchase 450 Chromebooks from Dell for $175,365.
These Chromebooks will be utilized by the fourth and ninth grade students. Incoming freshman will receive a Chromebook and will have the same Chromebook until graduation. Graduating students are able to purchase the Chromebooks from the school and continue to use it after High School.
A financial report was approved by the school board. The athletic financial summary showed at this time last year $447,519 had been spent. This year, $485,857 has been spent on athletics.
The school board approved innovative courses including: Sports Medicine one, two and three; General Employability skills; Methodology for Academic and Personal Success; Community Transportation; and Making Connections one, two, three and four.
The school board approved the Levelland ISD summer school schedule May 30 through June 22 for the extended year program, STAAR preparation and remediation for kindergarten through fifth grade.
Levelland middle and high school will host summer school for extended year program and STAAR and EOC preparation and remediation May 30 through June 22. Bilingual grades pre-k and kindergarten will also host summer school May 30 through June 22.
The migrant program will host summer school May 30 through June 15.
The school board approved the HeadStart contractual partnership agreement which establishes an agreement between South Plains Community Action Association and Levelland ISD to provide HeadStart services to age and income eligible pre-k children per the guidelines established by the Department of Health and Human Services and Texas Education Agency.
The school board approved the joint election agreement and election services contract which authorizes the superintendent and the chief financial officer to execute the contract agreement with the City of Levelland, Hockley County, South Plains College and Levelland ISD on May 6, 2023.
The school board approved the action to cancel the general election for district five and at large trustee positions. The board declared Matt Buxkemper, DeEtte Edens and Carrie Ellis elected to the position and to be sworn in May 11, 2023.
The school board then heard the middle school, high school and athletic reports. The middle school Destination Imagination team advanced to the state level. Darren “Bubba-D” Wilson broke the eighth-grade boys high jump school record with a jump of 5’6. Eric Eugenis informed the school board with tears in his eyes that seventh grader Rylee Rackler received an electric scooter from The First United Methodist Church Ministry in Artesia, New Mexico on random acts of kindness day. Rackler has Friedreich’s Ataxia which can make moving around more difficult.
Eighth graders Keira Rodriguez and Alan Martinez received eighth grade student of the month. Abigail Splawn and Danny Wilson received teachers of the month. Alan Simmons and Leandra Cruz received the August award for the month of February. The school board heard the athletic report. The Loboettes were basketball district champions with a nine-win, zero-loss record. The Loboettes won bi-district and area champions.
The Levelland Lobos basketball team placed third in district with a six-and-four district record. The Lobos also won bidistrict champions.
The men’s golf team placed third at the Sweetwater tournament, third at the Snyder tournament and first at the Levelland tournament. Max Vergara placed first at the Levelland, Snyder and Sweetwater tournament.
The baseball team started district play yesterday and had an overall record of eightand- six as of March 22.
The softball team started district play March 21 and were ranked seventh in the state as of March 22 with a record of 16-andthree.
The JV tennis team had four top three finishes at the Big Springs tournament.
Saydee Vargas places first in girl singles, Emmina Collins and Paloma Escamilla placed second in girls doubles and Hayden Ewings and Eban Castillo placed third in boys’ doubles.
The varsity tennis team had three top three finished at the Sweetwater tournament.
Jasmin Mendoza and Nadia Perez placed second place in girls’ doubles, Nathan Ellis and Evalyn Jasso placed third in mixed doubles and Zoe Lara placed second in girls singles.
Texas state law requires districts to maintain an average student-teacher ratio at most 22to-one in kindergarten through fourth grade.
Capitol elementary school has one third-grade math class with a student-teacher ratio of 23to-one.
The campus principal is providing additional support in the form of a teacher’s aide to ensure this does not impact students.
Superintendent Becky McCutchen gave a report consisting of end of year activities, board self-assessment action plan update, election of ESC 17 board of directors and balance scorecard update and formative evaluation.
The report focused on a campus listening tour which requires board members to visit each campus one day yearly.
They will also take this time to be available to staff throughout the day and ask a predetermined list of questions.
The listening tour will aid the school board members in understanding the staffs needs.
The school board meeting concluded with the board report before the board entered an executive session.
The board report highlighted six retirements. Mary Cardona, migrant paraprofessional; Manuela Bautista, KG teaching assistant; Mylinda Graves, KG teacher; DeRonga Hewitt, KG teacher and Jane Matlock, art teacher retirement will be effective May 24, 2023. Heidi Blair, director of curriculum and instruction retirement will be effective June 30, 2023.