H.M. King High School Principal Jerrod Barton assists senior Megan De La Paz, left, and sophomore Tiffany Salinas during the first week of school. (Photo by Erika Hernandez). The motto “It’s a great day to be a Brahma at HMK,” echoed throughout the halls of the high school during the first week of school.

H.M. King High School students got off to a great school year, according to Kingsville Independent School District officials.

Jerrod Barton, the new H.M. King High School principal, was highly visible and greeted the students with a handshake and smile throughout the week. Several of the students expressed their comments about the new young principal. “I like him,” he’s cool,” seemed to be the most repeated students’ compliments for Barton.

“The first week of school has been very fast and fun,” said Barton, “We are working on our new policies and procedures and rolling along.”

On Monday Aug. 23, 1,054 students attended the first day of class at H.M. King High School. For those students who were absent, a team of KISD staff members called their homes and went door to door to check on them, according to Barton.

KISD plans to curb the student absentee problem they encountered during the last school year. About 83 students on the average were absent each day. These absences also caused the students to miss out on getting an education and the district also lost thousands of dollars in state funding. This year KISD will implement an accountability system that will monitor students’ absences with follow up procedures to get them back in school.

“We are in the process of developing an attendance committee to establish the procedures on how we are going to promote attendance,” he explained.

The total staff at the high school include 115 members. Of the 115 staff number, 75 are teachers .

Barton, who was hired last month, served as principal at Sealy High School in Sealy that is located near Houston. He said he was looking forward to working in a 4A school district with a diversified school population. He said he believes in treating every student individually and prepare them to be successful after high school.

“My leadership stays the course, no matter what my assignment; I am a servant leader and do what is in the best interest of the students,” Barton said. “We have an outstanding group of students and it is my pleasure to get to work with them every day.”

KISD officials were also pleased that more H.M. King High School students enrolled in advanced classes.

“Students at H.M. King High School got off to a great school year this past week with more students than ever in advanced and college classes,” said Jennifer Kent, KISD Academic Officer.

“The entire staff at HMK is committed to doing whatever it takes to become the best high school in the United States” Kent said. “Mr. Jerrod Barton personally met with each of the four classes and welcomed them back to a new and exciting school year. We all feel certain this will be the best year at HMK yet!”

A new high school is in the works after voters approved a $40 million bond in May for a new KISD high school contingent on state assistance from the Texas Education Agency through the Instructional Facility Allotment or other state or federal funding. HMK is nearing 50 years old, and the building has numerous deficiencies.

KISD received good news last month when TEA awarded the district with $15 million IFA funding that will make possible for a new high school facility. The construction of a new facility is anticipated to become a reality in two years.

Construction will begin on a fine arts facility with a cost of about $3 million that is projected to begin in November. KISD has $8 million from a previous bond election. The building of the new Harvey Elementary School will be completed by the end of this year.