January 27, 2020

The community welcomed two new head football coaches last week. Brett Sniffin, currently head coach at Ridge Point High School in Missouri City, TX, will lead the Belton High School Tigers, and current Belton High School Offensive Coordinator Brian Cope will be the first head football coach for the Lake Belton High School Broncos.

Message from the School Board President: Dear ,  The new year is off to an exciting start here in our Big Red Community as we welcomed a new head football coach for Belton High School, Coach Brett Sniffin, and congratulated Coach Brian Cope as he takes the reins for our Lake Belton High School Broncos. Thank you to all the students and families who came out to meet these skilled professionals who are committed to preparing student athletes for the competition they face on the field and in life after graduation. Our community benefits tremendously from all the work our employees do each day to take care of our kids. With continued growth in the district and the opening of two secondary campuses in August 2020, Belton ISD is taking proactive steps to ensure we are recruiting the very best teachers. Moreover, as we continue to see a reduction of available teachers within our area, it is our hope that these incentives help us both in attracting new and retaining experienced teachers.   Teachers hired prior to May 1, 2020, will receive $2,500, along with additional targeted incentives to both hire and retain experienced teachers at campuses in the district with over 80% economically disadvantaged students.    Great teachers make a difference in the lives of our kids. That’s why recruiting and retaining outstanding teachers is a priority for our school board and the community we serve. These incentives help address growth but also demonstrate continued commitment to our Southwest and Miller Heights families. As a board, we are proud of the proactive and fiscally sound way that the administration is working to ensure our district can recruit and retain the best certified teachers for our classrooms. It is thanks to the hard work and determination of our advanced placement teachers from Belton High School and Belton New Tech High School @ Waskow that Belton ISD was recently honored by the College Board with a place on their 10 th Annual AP District Honor Roll. This is a first for our district and it reflects not only tremendous individual successes achieved by students and teachers, but the powerful work that has gone into addressing how our district has prioritized challenging all students, including top performers, to push themselves academically. Belton ISD is one of only 18 school districts in Texas to be included on the AP District Honor Roll and it is something our entire community can be proud of. Thank you for your support of our students, our teachers and our schools. The more we grow, the more opportunities our students have to excel, and the more we have to celebrate! Sincerely, Suzanne M. McDonald President, Board of Trustees

Belton ISD is one of 18 school districts in Texas being honored by the College Board with placement on their 10th Annual AP District Honor Roll. Advanced placement teachers from Belton High School and Belton New Tech High School @ Waskow were celebrated at a special lunch event and also recognized by the Board of Trustees on January 20. To read more about this achievement, visit www.bisd.net/news .

BOARD COMMITTEE REPORTS Policy: The policy committee met on January 13 for final review of the Texas Association of School Boards' Policy Update 114 and the Board's Standard Operating Procedures. The committee also took a look at the Student Code of Conduct, expulsion/JJAEP assignments and safety and security procedures. The committee's next meeting will be February 3. Facilities: The facilities committee met on January 15 to continue discussion regarding developer land requests and to receive an update on the capital improvements list. The committee also discussed elementary school attendance boundaries, and strategic planning for facilities and land. Lastly, the group enjoyed a tour of the ag barn facility and property where they were greeted by students and their animals! The committee's next meeting will be February 19.

A special meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for 5:00 pm today, January 27, 2020, at the Pittenger Fine Arts Center. For more information on the Belton ISD Superintendent Search Process timeline, visit the district website.

It was an honor to celebrate our Board of Trustees at their January meeting for School Board Recognition Month, with this year's theme of "Launching the Next Generation." Together Belton ISD's trustees provide an invaluable volunteer service to this community and our schools. Check out this video below that South Belton Middle School students made to explain the roles and responsibilities of a school board!

THE 2018-2019 TAPR REPORT The Texas Academic Performance Report or TAPR, was released in November 2019. It is the district’s report card for the preceding year. Overall, Belton ISD’s rating was a B.  Special Education met all requirements and this is no small feat. BISD elementary schools exceeded state and regional averages in all categories.  Secondary campuses fell below the state in several areas and we need to continue to address gaps in instruction for struggling students. Student attendance was 95.6. This is important academically and financially to the district. Belton ISD has a very low drop rate of .1% with a graduation rate of 96.6%. BISD’s College, Career and Military Readiness rate is lower than the State and this is being addressed. Ethnic distribution to Belton ISD is African American 6.7, Hispanic 33.6, White 52.5 and Economically Disadvantaged percentage of 45.5%. BISD students are retained at a lower rate than the state or region. Since Belton ISD is a rapidly growing district, class sizes exceed state averages. The teacher turnover rate is 15.9%. Teachers want to stay in Belton. Overall, Belton should be very proud of its schools.

Construction on the athletic facilities at Lake Belton High School has progressed significantly with many of the finishing features still to come. Above is a rendering of the football field for Lake Belton High School and below is the LBHS gym. Go Broncos!

Calling all golfers ...come play FORE the kids of Belton ISD! The Belton Educational Enrichment Foundation is excited to announce the 2020 Annual Golf Tournament to be held at 1:00 pm on Monday, March 23 at Wildflower Country Club. Register your team at the link below or select one of their Sponsor Level Packages. Thank you for supporting the kids of Belton ISD! Tournament Registration

Superintendent Snippets : We are thankful for the Board's approval of new hiring and retention incentives for certified classroom teachers as we prepare to fill 200 teaching positions for the next school year. It was a pleasure to meet and greet the two new head football coaches for both high schools. We look forward to watching them grow their teams! We hosted the second Leadership Lunch on January 8 as Bell County Judge David Blackburn presented information on the Census and Central Counties Services lead the discussion on homelessness in our area. The next meeting is scheduled for February 12 to continue discussion on the 2020 Census and talk about community mental health needs in our area.. Watch for new offerings at the Belton Swim Center and extended hours of operation to begin in February. Parent/tot and pre-K age swim lessons will be added to the programs offered and public swim lessons will run the following three seasons: fall, summer, and spring. Belton ISD has strong programs, committed staff and collaborative parents. This is the formula for success. Thank you for all you do in supporting our district, Robin Battershell, Ed.D. Interim Superintendent, Belton ISD

Don't miss our upcoming musical! The Belton High School Fine Arts Department will present "Into the Woods" on Friday, February 7 and Saturday, February 8 at 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, February 9 at 2:00 p.m. at the BHS Performing Arts Center. More information and tickets are available now at the Theatre Department's web page .

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