ROCKWALL, TX (May 16, 2022) — The following is a Rockwall ISD press release summarizing Monday night’s (5/16/2022) RISD Board of Trustees Special Session.
Recognitions
The Board of Trustees recognized outstanding students and student groups for the following accomplishments:
- State Swim Medalists
- State Wrestling Medalists
- Rockwall High School State Track Medalists
- Rockwall High School Lady Jackets Soccer Team for 2nd Place Finish in State Soccer Championship
- Rockwall High School Boys Gymnastics State Champions for the 2nd Year in a Row
- Rockwall High School Girls Gymnastics Team for 3rd Place Finish in the State Championships
- Burton Academy State Champions Representing Various Career & Technical Education Programs:
- Texas Association of Future Educators state winner and national qualifier,
- DECA Marketing, Finance and Entrepreneurship Team – 12 state winners with nine qualifying for international competition and two earning international finalists accolades,
- Business Professionals of America Competition Team – 15 state qualifiers with five winning state and three advancing to nationals with a
first place, second place and fourth place finish, - Culinary Art Team 2nd place finish at state with one individual winning 1st place in the salsa competition
- 205 Pitmasters BBQ Team 1st place Brisket, 6th Place Ribs and 4th Place Overall,
- Law & Order Team earning five 1st place state championships plus five second-place finishes and one third-place finish,
- Architectural Design Competition Team earned “Superior Blue Ribbon Rating” for their portfolios, models and drafting designs constructed for their competition, along with four 1st place awards, two 2nd place awards, and one 3rd place finish at state, and
- HOSA Future Health Professionals EMT Team earned the highest award in the state with two students earning 1st place individual medical technician awards. They will compete in international competition in June.
- Rockwall High School Walk the Line and Rockwall-Heath Infiniti Choirs competed in the International Championship for High School A Cappella Finals Competition. RHS finished in 2nd place in the competition. RHS student Gaby White won the Best Choreography Award and RHHS student Landon Bradford won the Outstanding Soloist award.
- District Finance Department earns Certificate of Excellence in Financial reporter by the Association of School Business Officials International. The ASBO Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting has been awarded to Rockwall ISD each year since 2016, reflecting continuing excellence in financial reporting and transparency,
- District Technology Department Budget and Planning Manager, Amy Mitchell, earns Registered Texas School Business Administrator Certification presented by the Texas Association of School Business Officials.
- District Communications Department staff, Steven Offield and Chris Curtis, won three gold awards and one silver award from the Texas School Public Relations Association Star Awards program. Lisa Trammell won a gold award for sports photography.
Board Recognizes Jon Bailey for Years of School Board Service
Mr. Jon Bailey, Board of Trustees Place 4, is retiring from the Board of Trustees after nine years of service as Trustee of the District. Mr. Bailey served three terms, beginning May 2013 through May 2022. During his service as a Trustee, Mr. Bailey was Board Vice President and Board President. As a member of the Board of Trustees, Mr. Bailey managed the District’s commitment to student academic achievement, managing the District’s fast enrollment growth, completing the 2015 bond program, successful passage of the 2021 bond, and the construction of six new facilities during the last nine years while being fiscally conservative achieving the lowest tax rate in Rockwall ISD history. Mr. Bailey’s noted accomplishments as a Rockwall ISD Trustee team member include:
● Leading during a time of higher student enrollment growth from 14,547 students in 2013 to 18,061 students in 2022;
● Successful bond programs completed under budget that built six new campuses, including the first college and career academy in the District in the District serving approximately 3,000 students;
● Lowered tax rate from $1.46 in 2013 to $1.27 in 2022;
● Approximately 660 students or 54% of the entire 5th-grade cohort participate in
advanced academic math pathways,
● Two-time state accountability District ‘A’ Rating;
● Top Five Honor Board in the State of Texas for governance, fiscal responsibility, and academic/extracurricular achievement out of more than 1,200 school districts in the state;
● One of the highest graduation rates in the region averaging 99%;
● Shook hands with almost 10,000 high school students as they graduated to higher education, military, technical school, and workforce opportunities.
Date, Time and Location for 2022-2023 Budget and Proposed Tax Rate Hearing Approved
The Board of Trustees set the date, time and location for the 2022-2023 budget and proposed tax rate hearing for Monday, June 20, 2022, 6:00 pm, in the Rockwall ISD Administration Building Room 600, 1050 Williams Street, Rockwall, Texas.
Approval of RHS Retaining Wall Project Completion
The Board approved the RHS retaining wall project completion.
Approval of Bond Related Projects
The Board approved the following bond related projects:
o Linda Lyon Classroom Addition Approved – District reviewed several options to offer long-term relief. Lyon expects to have 850 students for the 2022-2023 school year, approximately 90 students above its stated building capacity. Additionally, the Lyon attendance zone is projected to continue rapid growth over the next several years. The addition, scheduled to open in January 2024, provides a permanent increase to the building capacity, represents a long-term capital investment for the District instead of leasing portables, and provides a more conducive learning environment.
o Middle School #4 Site Approved – Approximately 49.5 acres owned by the District in the Williamsburg development in Fate, Texas, proved to be the most cost effective location for the construction of middle school #4.
o RHHS Multi-Purpose Tennis Facility – The consultant services and project delivery contract award method were approved.
o RHHS Multi-Purpose Practice Field – The consultant services and project delivery contract award method were approved.
o Linda Lyon Classroom Addition Delivery Method – The consultant services and project delivery contract award method were approved.
o Middle School #4 Delivery Method – The consultant services and project delivery contract award method were approved.
o New Rochell Elementary School – The consultant services and project delivery contract award method were approved.
o Cain and Williams MS Addition Projects – The consultant services and project delivery contract award method were approved.
o CMAR for Lyon Addition – Approved contract award for Construction Manager At-Risk for the Linda Lyon Elementary School Classroom Addition Project.
o CMAR for Middle School #4 – Approved contract award for Construction Manager At-Risk for the Middle School #4 construction project.
o CMAR for New Rochell Elementary School – Approved contract award for Construction Manager At-Risk for the new Rochell Elementary School
construction project.
o CMAR for Cain and Williams MS Addition Projects – Approved contract award for Construction Manager At-Risk for the Cain and Williams MS construction projects.
Approval of Contract Award for Document Management Solution
The Board approved a contract award to JEH-EAS, Inc. dba Stars Information Solutions for $106,931 for the cloud solution for Document Management.
Approval of Texas Education Agency Low Attendance Day Waiver
The Board approved the TEA Low Attendance Day Waiver for Cain Middle School. On April 26, 2022, a water main break resulted in a lack of water service at Cain Middle School. The water main break resulted in an 11 % attendance rate for the school day. The 2020-2021 yearly average attendance rate was 97.4%.
Submitted press release, Rockwall ISD, edited for publication in Blue Ribbon News. Courtesy photos.
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