November 13, 2017
Trustees Approve Design for Lake Belton High School
 
During this month's Belton ISD school board meeting, trustees approved the design development for the new Lake Belton High School. The campus, which will be located near FM 317 and FM2483 in the City of Temple, is scheduled to open in the fall of 2020 and will have capacity for 2,500 students.
 
In addition to proposed building materials on display, O'Connell Robertson, the District's architectural firm, facilitated board members taking virtual tours of the major exterior and interior design features of the new campus. This included shared spaces to foster collaboration among both students and teachers, specialized spaces for comprehensive fine arts and athletic programs, as well as shops and labs to support a full complement of career and technical education courses. 
2017 TISCA Lifetime Achievement Award - Coach Patrick Henry

The Texas Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association selected Coach Patrick Henry to receive the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honor the association awards to coaches.
 
In his 4th year as Belton Swim Coordinator & Coach, Henry has been coaching for a total of 35 years.
 
During his coaching career, Henry has been recognized 20 times as the District Coach of the Year, 8 times as the Regional Coach of the Year and twice as a State Coach of the Year. In addition, in 2003 he was recognized by Fox Southwest Sports as one of their "Coaches Who Make a Difference." Henry has coached over 360 All State Swimmers, 62 All American Swimmers and of those, 8 swimmers have qualified for Olympic Trials.
Update on Belton ISD's District of Innovation Digital Learning Initiatives

Prior to reviewing the updated designs for Lake Belton High School's "flexible and interactive learning environments," the Board heard from several current Belton High School students that are benefiting from expanded digital learning opportunities that are a part of Belton ISD's current District of Innovation Plan.
 
Approved by the Board in February 2017, Belton ISD's District of Innovation Plan included new online dual credit courses scheduled during the school day and a new, locally developed blended learning course in a core content area. Blended learning is a combination of face-to-face and online learning, offering students the flexibility to complete a portion of their coursework from home.
 
Belton High School students are enrolled in one or more of seven different online courses offered through the University of Texas of the Permian Basin this fall semester. Three students participating in the new, innovative Government and Economics blended learning course briefed the Board on their experiences. 
Big Red Community Partner - The Military Order of the Purple Heart

The Military Order of the Purple Heart is an important partner to many military families and veterans. Within the Belton ISD community this organization, and its local members, have gone above and beyond to support our students and campuses in their efforts to serve others. 
 
In December 2015, Belton New Tech High School @ Waskow was named the first Purple Heart High School in the United States to honor the school's dedication to community service. At that time, the school was chosen for its support to active duty service members and veterans. In the years since, having the honor of being the only high school in the area that is identified or dedicated as a Purple Heart school continues to inspire the campus in its service to our community. Preparations are currently underway for Belton New Tech High School @ Waskow's Annual Purple Heart Servant Leadership Day on December 13.
 
The Military Order of the Purple Heart is active in supporting how Belton ISD honors our veterans and serves our community and for that they are being honored as this month's Big Red Community Partner. On hand to accept the award, was Texas Military Order of the Purple Heart State Commander Earl Williams, Auxiliary Commander Doris Williams and Chief of Staff for Region V John Footman.
Trustees Discuss Name for New Elementary School

During the meeting, trustees also had initial discussions on possible names under consideration for Belton ISD's 11th Elementary School. To address student enrollment growth, the 11th elementary school campus was included, along with the construction of Lake Belton High School and smaller projects at two existing facilities, in the $149.7 million bond program approved by voters in May 2017.
 
With an increase of 195 students at the elementary level, enrollment in elementary schools across the district has grown 3.7% this school year alone. Construction on Elementary School #11 will begin in the spring of 2018 and is expected to be complete in time for the 2019-2020 school year.
 
Based on historical and environmental features of the property, potential names discussed included: Carriage House Elementary, Charter Oak Elementary, Poison Oak Elementary, Live Oak Elementary, Oak Ridge Elementary and River Ridge Elementary.
 
A final decision on the name for Elementary School #11 is expected during December's Board Meeting.
Architectural Rendering of New Elementary School
Superintendent's Report

Enrollment & Demographic Update
October 27 was the official Texas Education Agency snapshot date. Our official student count was  11,535. That's an increase of 419 students over last year and represents a 3.8% increase in total enrollment. Our growth has been the greatest at the high school level where we currently have 3,370 students. 
 
Leon Heights Elementary Fire
There was a small fire on the roof at Leon Heights Elementary on the evening of Thursday, October 26.  While the damage was minimal, we moved classes to the Administration Building, BECS and the Wall Street Auditorium for Friday, October 27.

We were very proud of our teachers and staff for their work that day. Their priority was taking care of our children, and they did it well. Students were engaged in meaningful learning and seemed to enjoy being at the Administration Building. And we loved having them here. 

We also remain grateful to the Leon Heights community, as well as the Belton Fire Department and Belton Police Department. 
More photos of students and staff members recognized at this month's board meeting can be found on Belton ISD's Google+ page.