The Italy School Board of Trustees approved the hiring of two men as high school and elementary principals at their monthly meeting Monday night.

Upon recommendation of newly hired superintendent Barry Bassett, the board approved the hiring of Lee Joffre, assistant principal at James Coble Middle School in Mansfield, and Jason Miller, assistant principal at Frank Moates Elementary School in DeSoto, as high school and elementary principals, respectively.

Joffre, father of four, earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at El Paso and a master’s degree from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Miller, father of three daughters, earned his bachelor’s degree from Texas Southern in Houston and did his graduate work at the University of North Texas in Dallas.

Miller is the only administrator within the Desoto ISD to earn both the Teacher of the Year Award and Employee of the Year Award.

The board also approved the hiring of Erica Scott as assistant band director.

They tabled the naming of a junior high/high school counselor until the next meeting.

In other business, Tanya Snook, curriculum director, presented the board with preliminary TAKS scores. She said the scores do not reflect the students who enrolled after the “snapshot was removed.”

She stressed the fact that these are preliminary scores and totals are subject to change:

• Third grade – Reading 94%, Math 88%;

• Fourth grade — Reading 87%, Math 87%, Writing 87%;

• Fifth grade — Reading 96%, Math 89%, Science 83%;

• Sixth grade – Reading 100%, Math 97%;

• Seventh grade — Reading 80%, Math 82%, Writing 98%;

• Eighth grade — Reading 94%, Math 67%, Social Studies 100%, Science 70%;

• Ninth grade — Reading 93%, Math 71%;

• Tenth grade — English/Language Arts 94%, Math 70%, Social Studies 81%, Science 46%; and

• Eleventh grade — English/Language Arts 98%, Math 91%, Social Studies 97%, Science 94%.

Larry Eubank, board president, commended Kristie Holley, Debra Prowell, sixth grade reading and math teachers, Casey Holden, eighth grade math, and Jeff Richters, eighth grade social studies teacher.

Snook said the district will begin using a structured curriculum called C Scope, an all-in-one comprehensive and customizable curriculum management system.

During the consent agenda, Tammi Gillespie said the district will lose $290,000 in federal stimulus money that currently pays the utilities.

Revenue for the district is at 84.54% with expenditures at 77.05 %.

She said the killer is the loss of students.

Bassett said last year’s average daily attendance at the end of the school year was 592. This year, that total dropped to 563.

Mark Stiles, newly elected board member, asked why the district lost this many students in a year.

Bassett said the district must do a better job of tracking students, to find out why the drop has been so dramatic. He said he also wants to track students that graduate and see how they fare in college/trade school.

Each school board member that attended the Summer Leadership Conference in Fort Worth talked about the programs that impacted them the most.

Cheryl Owen said she attended a session entitled “Not Worth Dying For.”

Young people have been playing this “choking game” for years, she said. The choking game is a dangerous activity in which children starve their brain of oxygen to achieve a natural high.

She said children are dying from this game. The parents of a 17-year-old young girl who died while playing this game led the session she attended.

Jon Mathers said “No Excuses University” got his attention. He said this program prepares every student for college as soon as they start elementary school.

Every No Excuses University has a well-defined process for identifying and creating the following systems: Culture of universal achievement, collaboration, standards alignment, assessment, data analysis and interventions.

In addition, every No Excuses University campus exposes students to powerful college symbolism with college flags and banners hung on every door.

Paul Cockerham said Camp ISD is a program that gets students involved. He said diverse groups of students serve on an advisory committee that meets monthly with the school superintendent.
Stiles said most school districts are succeeding with community involvement.

He said he attended a career and technology program that can give students a head start toward technical training.

Stiles said schools should encourage students to go do college but said, at the same time, not all students go this route. He said there is no reason the district cannot provide technical education that will enable them to make a good salary while continuing to live in the community.

Eubank said he was impressed with “From Good to Great” presented by the Clarksville ISD.

Eubank said the Clarksville school district was about to be taken over by the state. He said board members went to Austin and managed to keep control of the district. They are now a Recognized campus and are still reaching for higher goals. He said they accomplished this goal through community involvement.