MFISD adjusts wording for proposed DOI amendments
Yarda Leflet, executive director of Instructional Services at Marble Falls Independent School District, presented adjusted wording in three of six proposed District of Innovation plan amendments to school board members during a Feb. 22 meeting. Screen capture from MFISD YouTube
The wording of several proposed amendments to the Marble Falls Independent School District’s current District of Innovation plan was changed and presented during the school board’s regular meeting Tuesday, Feb. 22. Amendments to the current plan, which is effective until the end of the 2022-23 school year, cover topics such as rules surrounding expulsion of students and removal of unwanted visitors. New wording for three of the six proposed amendments is available online.
Marble Falls ISD is one of 907 Districts of Innovation in Texas. The designation is given by the Texas Education Agency to school districts meeting a number of specific performance requirements.
Amendments to the plan are written and proposed by the district’s DOI committee. After a public meeting on the amendments during a Jan. 18 school board meeting and community feedback received both individually and via an online survey, the committee clarified some ambiguous verbiage in several of the proposed amendments, explained Yarda Leflet, the district’s executive director of Instructional Services.
Revised wording on proposed amendments includes:
Removal of Unwanted Visitors
An amendment giving authority to designated staff members to remove parents or visitors whose behavior is deemed inappropriate without warning or written notice was adjusted to clarify the behavior as “extreme behavior which creates an unsafe environment or perceived threat to the safety of students and staff.”
Suspension of Students Below Grade 3
Wording to an amendment allowing MFISD administrators to place students of any grade in out-of-school suspension was adjusted to outlined factors considered before suspending a student, which include “a review of interventions provided, identified disabilities, Child Find history, previous incidents, and severity of classroom disruption.”
It also states that a re-entry plan will be developed for the suspended student.
Expulsion from DAEP for Persistent Misconduct
In addition to removing some confusing information from a proposed amendment allowing principals to work with administration to expel a student enrolled in a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program for persistent misconduct, wording was adjusted to clarify that “a student who is expelled from the DAEP would continue to receive services, in an alternative setting, from Marble Falls ISD.”
The school board is expected to vote on the adjusted proposed amendments during a March meeting. Amendments will be effective immediately upon approval.
Also during the meeting, board members approved spending allocated funds from the 2018 bond package toward the following campus improvements:
- $111,322 to replace flooring in some Marble Falls Elementary School hallways, cafeterias, and restrooms with new vinyl composition tile
- $945,657 to replace flooring in some Marble Falls High School classrooms, hallways, and restrooms with new vinyl composition tile
- $197,440 to replace carpeting in library and office areas at both Marble Falls Middle School and Marble Falls Elementary School
- $477,980 to refresh 500 work laptops for district staff
Costs for each improvement came in under budget when compared to the funding allotted for each.