Harmony ISD Trustees
Elementary: “Exemplary;”
District: “Recognized”
By JOHN SPARKS

 

Meeting in regular session, Monday, November 26, the board of trustees of the Harmony Independent School District received results of the independent audit; heard a report of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) ratings earned by each campus for the 2006-2007 school year, and heard a report by the Intermediate School principal.

Hannah Patton, fifth grade and Victoria Perez, fourth grade were recognized as the students of the month and led the pledges to the American and Texas Flags. Trustees Rodney Lindsey and Kelly Stretcher were absent.
 

Moore & Caver, independent auditors from Atlanta, Texas presented the results of their audit of HISD’s financial records and accounts to trustees. Preston Caver, who presented the audit, was very complimentary of the business manager and superintendent for their record keeping and cooperation. He said the “clean audit” resulted in an “unqualified” opinion. Caver commented “We were very pleasantly surprised at the professionalism of the Harmony staff. With a new assignment at a smaller school district such as this we might expect to find problems. But that was not the case with Harmony.”
 

Additional good news came with the release of the TEA ratings earned by the district’s four campuses for the 2006-2007 school year. The Elementary School once again earned the “Exemplary” designation, the highest rank possible. As a whole, the district earned a “Recognized” rating with the Intermediate School at “Recognized;” Junior High at “Recognized,” and the High School at “Acceptable.”
 

Ginger Cargal, Principal of the Irons-Smith Intermediate School, provided trustees with a brief report of her campus. Cargal said her campus was populated by 78 fourth-grade students and 79 fifth-graders. Nineteen of the students are mainstreamed special education students. Each grade level has four teachers, while four aides also serve the students. In addition to their on-going teaching responsibilities, each teacher is available for tutorials for students from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Cargal said self-motivation is lacking in some of these 9-and-10 year-old kids, but there are very few discipline problems. She reported a team of 60 students would represent the district at this years UIL competition.
 

In other business, trustees:
- Heard a report that two new transportation vehicles had been ordered, a Bluebird 72-passenger bus at a cost of $79,866, and a special use 20-passenger vehicle for events, activities and sports at a cost of $48,799.
- Heard a report that a four-wheeler vehicle had been purchased for the maintenance department’s on-campus needs. The vehicle cost $5,700 and has a versatile, expandable bed.
- Voted to cast the district’s 52 votes for Al Harris as a director on the Wood County Appraisal District Board of Directors, thus joining Hawkins Independent School District and the City of Hawkins in support of Harris.
- Voted to cast the district’s 287 votes for David Clay as a director on the Upshur County Appraisal District Board of Directors, thus joining Union Hill and New Diana in supporting Clay.
- Adopted a resolution changing board of trustees terms and election dates to conform to new state law. (Harmony will elect trustees in November 2008 instead of May).
- Adopted a resolution for the sale of property foreclosed for delinquent taxes (3/4 acre lot).
 

The next regular meeting of the Harmony Board of Trustees will be Monday, December 17. A special meeting of the board can be called with 72-hours notice.