By JOHN SPARKS

Meeting in regular session Monday, March 5 the Hawkins Independent School District Board of Trustees asked the administration to pursue a replacement for the sign at the main entrance to the school complex from FM-14. Following recommendations of the principals and the administration, trustees extended the contracts of teachers in the elementary school, the middle school and the high school. The board also heard a report from the teacher and students representing Hawkins High School as a team at the Academic Decathlon competition in San Antonio.

With the construction and renovation currently underway on all three campuses of the school, trustees are seeking also to replace the marquee sign that has stood at the entrance to the school for nearly 35 years. The new sign would be a computer controlled electronic model. The current sign is labor intensive and static, requiring a bucket truck to lift an individual to replace the message with individual letters and numbers. Robby Fair, business manager, indicated an approximate cost of $43,000 for the electronic sign.
 

Following an executive session during which the recommendations of the school’s three principals and the administration on those teachers comprising their professional staffs. The contracts of 69 teachers were extended for 2007-2008. Three teachers are resigning effective at the end of the school year. They are Brad Akins, DeLana Myers and Maria Williams. Williams will return to the computer lab as an aide in 2007-2008.
 

Judy Humphries and two students of the team representing Hawkins High School in San Antonio for the state academic decathlon reported on their participation in the statewide event. Hawkins finished in 13th place. There were 54 schools with delegations at the event. Tabitha Dill was a medalist in art appreciation at the competition. Latavious Taylor also reported on the competition in which she participated.
 

The board accepted a credit of $83,580 related to revisions necessary for the electrical service network (conduit and wiring) for the new facilities. The school campus is served by AEP-Swepco and by Wood County Electric Co-Operative. Trustees said the credit from the funds budgeted for the $15-million in new construction and renovation could be used in part to cover costs of a new sign at the entrance.
 

With the start of the second semester, enrollment figures are up by 32 students over the comparable figure one year ago, an increase of 4.8 percent. The elementary has 398 students this year compared with 374 last year. Middle School is up five, from 151 to 156, and the High School recorded an increase of six, up from 192 last year to 198 this year.
 

Rose also reported tax collections standing at 93 percent through the end of January 2007. The collections through January totaled $7,119,869.61.
In other action, the trustees renewed the contract with Rutherford & Taylor & Company, PC for auditing services. Cost is estimated at $12,700 compared with $12,000 this past year. The board also approved the submission of applications for waivers to the state for staff training in math and science for the 2007-2008 school year as well as four instructional days that would be less than seven hours in length to accommodate staff training. Trustees also adopted TASB recommended policy changes to accommodate change is state laws and regulations regarding education.
 

Through Friday, March 09, 2007, five candidates have filed for election to the board. Three positions are to be filled in the election. Two current trustees have filed for re-election: Edwin Simmons and Ed Tunnell, while three newcomers, John Dunn, Bill Holmes and Andrew Stradley are vying for election to the board for the first time. There could be additional candidates as the filing period continued through 5 p.m. Monday, March 12.
 

Trustees are next scheduled to meet in regular session Monday, April 2 at 7 p.m. A special meeting of the board can be called with 72-hours notice.