DISTRICT ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT
This chapter reviews the Water Valley Independent School District's (WVISD) district organization and management and includes the following sections:
- A. Governance
- B. District and School Management
- C. Personnel
- D. Community Involvement
D. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
A high level of community involvement can be reached when the district actively asks for the input of the community and responds quickly to their suggestions and ideas. An effective school district community relations program can be established through regular communication with the media, parents, business and community leaders, students and employees.
Community involvement usually includes activities that enable parents, business leaders and others with an interest in public education to have a voice in a school district's management. In smaller districts the superintendent and principals usually coordinate these activities.
FINDING
WVISD recently combined its Academic Booster Club with its Athletic Booster Club and the club has been renamed the Water Valley Booster Club. WVISD merged the two clubs to keep them from competing with one another and to allow the participants to work together for a common goal. The Booster Club sponsors both the elementary and high school. There are 30 active members and the club meets once a month. The Booster Club performs a variety of services for the schools, such as the Fall Festival, accelerated reader store, junior high award banquet, high school award banquet, high school athletic banquet, elementary Little Olympians and TAAS lock-in. At the TAAS lock-in, all students who passed the TAAS and their parents are invited to celebrate a job well done.
WVISD also has two other organizations, the Water Valley Volunteer Program and the Grandmother Volunteer Program. The Water Valley Volunteer Program has approximately eight volunteers who are mostly non-parent community members. The volunteers assist in the accelerated reader store, shelving back library books, performing clerical duties, and they also assist special education students who need one-on-one attention.
The Grandmother Volunteer Program has approximately seven volunteers who assist at the library in the elementary school. The district recognized them at an end of the school year award ceremony and presented them with an award in gratitude for their services.
The district also has an active alumni association that created and maintains a website for keeping former students informed of school and district activities.
COMMENDATION
WVISD provides a host of opportunities for involving parents and the community in the schools.
FINDING
The district does not have an education foundation or a tracking mechanism for determining what donations the district receives from organizations, so a determination of the value of the donations is not available.
While contributions to the student activity funds are received from a variety of sources, the district is not aggressively seeking donations at the district level. The district's superintendent has solicited and received computers from Goodfellow Air Force Base and computer equipment and furniture from Texas A&M University. The high school principal sent a letter to HEB asking the company to participate in an "Adopt-a-School" program.
The district received donations for student activities such as the TAAS lock-in celebration in 2001 from many businesses, including Wal-mart, Target, Kmart, Fishers Food Mart and Conch Butane. WVISD also receives monetary donations regularly from the Concho Butane Company, where a board member works.
Few businesses exist in WVISD, but the proximity to San Angelo provides opportunities for business partnerships. Some small school districts near larger communities tap businesses in those communities to form partnerships. The district is at a disadvantage in obtaining business support from San Angelo businesses since there are five other school districts in Tom Green County that are also competing for donations from the same businesses.
To combat this problem, WVISD's neighboring district, Grape Creek ISD, created the Grape Creek Education Foundation which has secured thousands of dollars in donations from large corporations and local businesses as well as individuals. The purpose of the foundation is to secure grants, endowments and donations for the enhancements of educational opportunities for anyone in the district. Funds are dispersed to meet physical or professional development needs, extracurricular programs or special project sponsorships. This includes the purchase of equipment, books, technology, curriculum, furniture and facilities as well as support for programs by supplying stipends, money instructional substitutes/aides, and expenses for field trips and training.
Recommendation 8:
Develop a WVISD Education Foundation and track all contributions received by the district.
Creating an education foundation similar to the Grape Creek Education Foundation will help WVISD increase the amount of donations they receive. WVISD should actively solicit donations by asking parents if their employer would be interested in becoming a partner with the district. The district could also request the WVISD Booster Club assist in identifying businesses that might help. WVISD would benefit from business relationships either monetarily through donations and sponsorships or through mentoring programs by employees of these businesses. In return, WVISD could provide free advertising in the district newsletter or Web page.
WVISD should appoint a district employee or employees to coordinate community involvement activities and keep a record of donations made to the district. The WVISD community involvement coordinator should also be appointed to develop the education foundation.
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND TIMELINE
1. The superintendent appoints an employee or employees to coordinate community involvement activities. October 2001 2. The community involvement coordinator writes an article in the WVISD newsletter requesting parent and community assistance. October 2001 3. The community involvement coordinator contacts Grape Creek ISD to gather more information about its education foundation. October 2001 4. The community involvement coordinator meets with the WVISD Booster Club members and other community members to solicit their assistance in developing the education foundation and identifying businesses who could form partnerships with the district. November 2001 5. The community involvement coordinator, with the assistance of other community members, develops the WVISD Education Foundation. November 2001 to January 2002 6. The community involvement coordinator, with the assistance of other community members, contacts the organizations identified, pursue business partnerships and determine what the business will provide for the school. November 2001 through May 2002 7. The community involvement coordinator tracks all contributions received by the district. Ongoing FISCAL IMPACT
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
FINDING
The district newsletter has received criticism from the Water Valley community. The superintendent's office publishes The WildCat Scream newsletter for parents and the community. Contents of the newsletter include community news as well as articles pertaining to school events, awards, sports, bond elections and school taxes. This newsletter and the district's Web site are the primary means through which the district communicates with citizens of Water Valley.
Several members of the community expressed concerns about the tone of several newsletter articles and comments, stating that the newsletter often goes beyond presenting facts and presents opinions not necessarily shared by community members. This issue was the most cited contributing factor to negative responses received in a TSPR survey of parents. Approximately 35 percent of the parents surveyed disagreed with the statement that "The district regularly communicates with parents."
Some districts assign the high school journalism teacher and class to assist in writing the district newsletters. An editorial process is put in place to filter the articles that are in the newsletter to ensure that the contents are factual and appropriate for the newsletter.
Recommendation 9:
Upgrade the district newsletter and use the high school journalism teacher to produce it.
The district should ensure that the newsletter does not contain offensive comments to promote a positive relationship with all members of the community. The district should turn the newsletter over to the journalism teacher and implement an editorial process to ensure that information is properly presented to the public.
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND TIMELINE
1. The superintendent puts the journalism teacher in charge of the newsletter. September 2001 2. The journalism teacher begins to write and edit the district newsletter. October 2001 and Ongoing 3. The superintendent reviews all district newsletters before distribution. October 2001 and Ongoing FISCAL IMPACT
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.