Burnet school board votes to close Shady Grove Elementary
JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF
BURNET — After Burnet Consolidated Independent School District Board of Trustee Martin Riley seconded the motion to close Shady Grove Elementary School, he hung his head for a second.
Though board members attended numerous public forums and workshops, had face-to-face conversations with BCISD Superintendent Keith McBurnett, heard from teachers at Shady Grove Elementary School and grappled with the decision for more than 30 minutes during the regular board meeting Feb. 18, they voted with heavy hearts to go with the campus-consolidation plan.
Trustee Jeff Hullum cast the lone “nay” vote.
“I know we’ve talked about this for several months, but it seems like there’s a ton of work,” Hullum said. “I’m just worried we’re moving too fast. It takes me six months to decide to buy a car.”
Hullum was referring to the fact campuses still need renovations. And McBurnett agreed new roofs are needed at Burnet Elementary and Shady Grove.
But the superintendent emphasized the reasons he recommended campus consolidation:
• BCISD is facing a decrease in enrollment, which means less state funding.
• And, the district can accomplish its education goals with two in-town elementary campuses.
Riley reminded the board that closing Shady Grove doesn’t mean the campus’ staff would lose their jobs for the 2013-2014 academic year.
With Shady Grove closing at the end of the current academic year, there’s a potential savings of $486,723 to the district.
The superintendent believes the district will incur further savings from natural attrition.
Trustee Robby Robertson said Shady Grove has been a flagship in testing.
“Shady Grove being closed down is not new talk,” he said. “We knew three years ago, it’s coming. … It’s my hope the success at Shady Grove will go on throughout the school and be shared.”
Director of Human Resources Contessa Huffman presented two early resignation notification incentives that board members approved.
If professional staff members resign before March 1, the district will pay them an extra $1,000, and, if general employees resign before March 1, they each will receive $500.
The board also:
• heard the new schedule for the high school starting in 2013-2014. The campus will still use a modified block schedule that mixes 50-minute and 90-minute classes each day. All students will have the same lunch time, but the first 20 minutes will be designated as tutorials.
• learned the district will purchase enough phones to put one in every classroom, something that’s currently not done. The cost for 192 phones is $24,570.24. The new system also allows teachers to get voice-mail messages emailed to them.
jfierro@thepicayune.com