January is School Board Recognition Month and Birdville ISD is joining districts across the state to thank local leaders for their dedication and willingness to serve as advocates for our children and public schools.

Board members serving Birdville ISD are: Cary D. Hancock, president; Jack McCarty, vice president; Dolores Webb, secretary; Joe Tolbert, Brad Greene, C. Richard Davis, and Ralph Kunkel.

“Even though we are making a special effort in January to show appreciation to our board members, we realize their many contributions reflect a year-round commitment. Trustees generously give of themselves to ensure that decisions directly affecting our schools are made by representatives of this community, people who are close to our schools and know our teachers, parents, and students,” said Dr. Darrell Brown, BISD superintendent. “As elected officials, they are the voice of this community, serving first and foremost in the best interest of our students.

“Trustees shoulder critical responsibilities and often make difficult decisions. Their ultimate goal is always focused on the future success of the children in BISD,” Brown said. “It’s more important than ever before that our community supports public education so that today’s students are prepared to be productive citizens and the leaders of tomorrow. Our board members provide vision and leadership in their roles as advocates, and they will continue to stand up for public education and guard against anything that takes away from our children or undermines our public schools.”

[tweetthis url=”http://tinyurl.com/nbvpa7r”]“[Trustees] ultimate goal is always focused on the future success of BISD children,” Brown said.[/tweetthis]

Great additions for the 2014–15 school year are:

• Increased student access to online learning and remediation programs for middle and high school students;
• Provided graphing calculators for middle school STAAR Math testing;
• Provided math manipulatives in response to full implementation of new math TEKS in 2014–15;
• Added 13.25 new regular education teaching positions in response to enrollment growth and changing demographics; and,
• Added four new special education teaching positions to provide appropriate remediation and intervention for special needs students.

Highlights from 2013–14 include:

• BISD was recognized with the Texas Comptroller Leadership Circle Platinum Award for our financial transparency.
• BISD was recognized by Education Resource Group as one of the Top Ten Large school districts in Texas for achieving high academic performance while maintaining efficient operations.
• BISD test scores exceeded the state average in every area of the STAAR grades 3–8, with the exception of one area.
• Third-grade students exceeded the state average on the STAAR math test by seven percentage points and six percentage points on the reading test.
• Fourth-grade students exceeded the state average on the STAAR math and reading test by four percentage points and three percentage points on the writing test.
• Fifth-grade students scored four percentage points above the state average on the math test and seven percentage points above the state average on the reading and science tests.
• Sixth- and seventh-grade students exceeded or equaled the state in all areas, except in sixth-grade reading, where they were one percentage point below.
• Students taking the eighth-grade math test exceeded the state average on the STAAR math test by 10 percentage points.

BISD benefits from the tireless work and countless hours contributed by these dedicated individuals who volunteer and work without pay. Serving as a crucial link between the community and classroom, this Board is responsible for an annual budget of $229.95 million, 24,367 students, 3,512 employees, and 33 campuses. Birdville ISD students and staff appreciate the Board of Trustees for their efforts to make a difference and their unfailing commitment to the continued success of our students now and in the future.

Our school board is leading students to success

Thank a school board member today!

Texans benefit every day from the tireless work and countless hours dedicated by a group of more than 7,300 men and women in communities across the state. These public servants are elected to serve by local constituents and receive no compensation for their efforts. These men and women are the school board members of Texas.

January is School Board Appreciation Month and Birdville ISD wants to take this opportunity to thank these local leaders for devoting time to support public education and serve our schools.

“It’s more important than ever before that the public shows support for public education. Board members face critical challenges in their roles as advocates, and they will continue to stand strong and guard against anything that takes away from our children and undermines our public schools,” said Darrell G. Brown, Birdville ISD superintendent.

“Even though we are making a special effort in January to show appreciation to our board members, we realize their many contributions reflect a year-round commitment. They generously give of themselves to ensure that decisions directly affecting our local schools are made by representatives of this community, people who are close to our schools and know our teachers, parents, and students. In these challenging times, they face difficult choices and shoulder critical responsibilities. Their ultimate goal is always focused on the future success of the children in our district,” Brown said.

The board members serving Birdville ISD are: Ralph Kunkel, businessman, is the 2012-13 board president. He was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2002. He is a 1978 graduate of Haltom High School. Brad Greene, businessman, is the 2012-13 board vice president. He was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2009. He graduated from Haltom High School in 1986. Cary Hancock, businessman, is the 2012-13 board secretary. He was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2009. He is a 1980 graduate of Richland High School. Joe Tolbert, attorney, was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2006. Dolores Webb, businesswoman, was elected to the Board of Trustees in 1990. She is a graduate of Richland High School. Richard Davis, businessman, was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2006. He is a 1974 graduate of Richland High School. Jack McCarty, CPA, was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2011. He is a 1980 graduate of Richland High School.

“Our district benefits from the contributions of the dedicated efforts of these individuals who truly care about our children. Serving as a crucial link between the community and classroom, this board is responsible for an annual budget of more than $200 million, 24,155 students, 2,978 employees, and 33 campuses. We applaud their willingness to serve as advocates for our children and the voice of public education,” Brown said.