TYLER (TYLER MORNING TELEGRAPH) - People will have the opportunity to weigh in on the possible sale of the old Jones Elementary School at a Tyler ISD board meeting today.
The district will offer 30 minutes for public participation and community comments about the possible sale of the property at 2521 W. Front St.
Board members decided earlier this month to move forward with the sale of the old Jones, but must finalize the decision at an upcoming board meeting.
Board President Michelle Carr has said the district wanted to seek community input about the issue.
The district stopped using the campus in 2010 after opening a new school at 3450 Chandler Highway as part of the 2008 bond package.
The land and building at the old site are valued at more than $1 million, according to the Smith County Appraisal District website.
In other business, the board is scheduled to vote on the approval of 24 maximum class-size waivers.
Administrators are asking that 24 kindergarten through fourth-grade classrooms at 11 elementary schools be approved to exceed the limit.
The state sets the class-size limit at 22 students to one teacher for kindergarten through fourth grade.
However, districts with classes that exceed this size must submit a waiver request to the state.
TISD elected to staff 24 classes at 24 students to one teacher to maximize its funding for teaching positions, according to the district.
Chief Financial Officer Tosha Bjork wrote in an email that by doing this, TISD avoids having to hire 14 additional teachers, thereby saving $630,000.
The waiver requests were down significantly from last year when TISD had 81.
Ms. Bjork wrote that the decline in waiver requests is a result of a better class balance this year.
The district evaluated campus enrollment in the spring and predicted what it would be this school year.
TISD used this information, to assign teachers to classrooms, Ms. Bjork wrote.
In addition, TISD saw a slight enrollment decrease at several campuses, which led to fewer waiver requests, Ms. Bjork said.
Trustees also will consider and possibly approve changes to the district's medical benefit plan. The district is proposing to keep premiums the same, but change the benefits.
The board also will hear reports about several programs including bilingual/English as a second language, career and technical education and Gospel Village.
