The Kingsville Independent School District will implement some changes that will impact some programs and personnel with the ultimate goal of academic achievement for all students to guarantee present and future successes.

Every KISD job description has been aligned to meet the schools’ program needs and help students academically, according to KISD officials.

These changes were reported during a presentation of the academic and leadership plan by Jennifer Kent, KISD Chief Academic Officer.

Emilio Castro, KISD superintendent, also clarified of trustees workshop meeting held Tuesday, June 29.

One of the main and most obvious reorganization plans will be decentralizing the Family Involvement Center that has been located at Flato School for many years. Staff members will be assigned to school campuses. This will accommodate parents’ needs more if they have contact at their children’s schools for assistance such as help on homework and tutoring, according to Kent. The decentralization of the Family Involvement Center will offer more resources for parents.

Castro wants many more parents involved with the district. While he credited the parent involvement liaisons for some of their activities, such as helping students with school clothing, he emphasized the need for more parents participating in more meaningful involvement.

“We want parents to be more involved in decision making efforts, such as helping review curriculum, serving on committees to hire staff and other educational opportunities that will help us make a difference,” Castro said.

He believes that moving the four parent involvement liaisons to the different campuses would be more effective because they could concentrate on the students and parents in one school instead of district-wide as the parent involvement liaisons had previously.

“This way they will get to know the parents and children, become more vested, become a family and improve our involvement,” Castro said.

The parent involvement liaisons will also communicate with parents by calling them from the schools and making home visits.

The literacy and GED programs that had also been housed at the Flato Building will continue at two of the KISD schools.

Castro was asked about the future of the Flato Building, and he replied the building would be closed. He later explained the possible future of the building during the superintendent’s report.

“Dr. Tallant is interested in that property,” said Castro, was referring to Dr. Steven Tallant, Texas A&M University Kingsville president.

“We plan to meet July 19 to further discuss that partnership. It is no secret that TAMUK has purchased property near the campus,” he said.

Another major change will be the implementation of an attendance and truancy record keeping system districtwide. This new accountability system will follow a consistent procedure.

“Martha Ramirez will take on the substantial task of coordinating all district wide attendance and truancy,” said Kent. She will be based at H.M. King High School on a parttime basis, according to Kent.

Kent said a systematic and consistent monitoring of attendance filing will be implemented, and then procedures will follow as to what the efforts will be from there.

“We are making sure that we are following the procedures for truancy recovery,” Kent said.

Ramirez will continue her duties as KISD Director of Accelerated Programs and MCEC coordinator.

Some changes have also been made at the H.M. King High School Career and Technical Department. Dr. Shannah Yandell will oversee that department and make sure CTE coordinates with the high school program, according to Kent. Gil Alaniz will teach three CTE classes and continue with his textbook responsibilities. Yandell will continue as Dean of Success at the high school.

Kent explained the high school programs and classes are based on the career interests of the students. She added the CTE program at the high school was way ahead of the state level.

Another KISD change will be a philosophy shift in the special education department. The special education department is revamping the current program. The new special education plan will designate specific roles that principals, teachers, and general education teachers will have when working with these students.

“The special education department has done a very good job on the compliance of the law and following it to a T,” Castro said, “however, our special education student achievement has never been as high as it can be.”

More emphasis will be placed on monitoring and mentoring each student on an individual basis to make sure the student is learning and the teachers are following their specific lessons. Teachers are expected to follow each of the special education student’s instruction, known as I.E.P., the individualized educational plan, that modifies and meets the student’s learning abilities. Following the I.E.P. lessons is the responsibility of the teachers. The campus principals, as instructional leaders, are also responsible that teachers follow the I.E.P for special education students.

“The special education director and the diagnosticians will have additional duties that require them to spend significant time on the campuses in the classrooms,” Kent said.

Other special education staff will now be assigned a certain number of special education student caseloads. Kent, Castro, and other administrators will also be assigned special education students to monitor and mentor. Norma Alvarez, special education director, has been working on the new special education plan.

Alvarez said Thursday KISD has about 440 special education students with a staff of 70 that include both professionals and paraprofessionals. Of that staff number, 27 are teachers.

The Title 1 counselor will be relocated from the KISD Administration Building to a campus. Elizabeth Cremar will be reassigned to an elementary campus.

During the presentation Kent also read the list of the KISD principals. A new high school principal is expected to be hired this summer. The former high school principal, Roel Gonzalez, accepted another administrator’s position in a nearby district.