ActionLine...Your Board Meeting Update June 11, 2014 Trustees approve salary increases for all employees: Aldine ISD budget includes salary increases, allows for lower tax rate Rising student enrollment and property values in Aldine made it possible for the Board of Education to adopt a 2014-2015 budget that increases pay for all employees. The budget will allow for a lower property tax rate, which is expected to be adopted in August when the district receives the certified roll from the Harris County Appraisal District. Once adopted in August, the tax rate will be $1.28588 per $100 valuation, a twocent decrease from the 2013-14 tax rate. Also during the June 10 Board meeting, Trustees approved the budget for the 2014-15 school year. The general operating budget will be $598,736,416 which is an increase of $66,739,073 over the 2013-14 adopted budget. This represents an overall increase of 12.5 percent. The budget provides funding for all programs and activities designed to improve student academic achievement while preparing future graduates for college and the workforce. Earlier this year, Trustees voted to increasing first-year teacher pay to $50,000 to help Aldine recruit top teaching candidates. The budget adopted at the School Board s June 10 meeting included a comprehensive salary adjustment for all teachers and other staff members. Teacher raises will range from $2,500 to $3,500 per year, with the largest raises going to more veteran teachers, nurses, information literacy specialists (librarians), speech pathologists and other campus-based personnel. Employees in this group will receive at least a 4.72 percent increase. Additionally, Trustees approved a 5 percent base salary increase for auxiliary and para-professional employees. Trustees also approved a 4.5 percent salary increase for principals and assistant principals. A 3.5 percent increase was approved for all administrators in the district, including counselors, with some equity adjustments or additional salary increases for employees who are making less than the market average in the area. The salary increases will be in place for the 2014-2015 school year. Increasing property values in Aldine make it possible for the district to lower the tax rate for the second consecutive year. Last year trustees voted to lower the portion of the property tax rate that is used to pay off construction debt. This year, the board lowered the portion of the tax rate that is used to pay for the day-to-day operation of schools.
Staff assignments approved Aldine ISD Trustees approved a number of staff assignments during its June 10 Board meeting. Mable Holt was named area superintendent at the Resource Center after serving as principal at Shotwell Middle School. Holt received her bachelor s degree in education and speech in 1977 from Sam Houston State University and her master s degree in administration from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1984. She is mid-management certified. She began her teaching career in 1977 with the Marlin Independent School District where she served as a physical education teacher, a speech teacher and coach. In 1980, she moved to Splendora ISD and served as a physical education teacher and coach. In 1987, she left education to pursue employment in the private sector. In 1990, she returned to education and began her career with Aldine ISD as a science teacher and coach at Hoffman Middle School. In 1993, she became an assistant principal at that same school. In 2002, she was named principal of Wilson Intermediate School and in 2010 she assumed her current position as principal of Shotwell Middle School. Holt has 34 years of experience in the field of education and she has spent 24 of those years with Aldine ISD. Tonya Landry was named principal of Nimitz Ninth Grade School after serving as an assistant principal at Aldine High School. Landry received her bachelor s degree in humanities in 1995 from Midwestern State University. She received her master s degree in behavioral science from Cameron University in 1998. She is certified as a principal. She began her teaching career in 1997 with Lawton Public Schools in Oklahoma. In 1999, she moved to North Forest ISD to teach French. She transferred to Aldine ISD in 2001 to teach English and served as the department chair at Aldine High School. She was named an assistant principal at Aldine Ninth Grade School in 2005 and moved into her current position as an assistant principal at Aldine High School in 2006. Landry has 18 years of experience in the field of education and she has spent 13 of those years with Aldine ISD. Andrea Cain was named principal of Plummer Middle School after serving as an assistant principal at that same school. Cain received her bachelor s degree in business in 1988 from the University of Houston. In 1997, she received her master s degree in business administration from LeTourneau University. She is currently working on a Ph.D. in Urban Education at Texas A&M University. She is certified as a principal. She began her teaching career in 1988 at Eisenhower High School as an ESL teacher. She transferred to MacArthur High School in 2004 to assume the same role before moving to Grantham Academy to teach ESL in 2006. In 2009, she was promoted to her current position as an assistant principal at Plummer Middle School. Cain has spent all 16 of her years in education with Aldine ISD. Alvin Ardley was named an assistant principal at Davis High School after serving as a math teacher at Wilson Intermediate School. Ardley received his bachelor s degree in public administration and education in 1986 from Florida A&M University. He earned his master s degree in education from Texas Southern University in 2007. He is certified
as a principal. He began his teaching career with Houston ISD in 2005. In 2008, he participated in HISD s principal internship program for one year. He moved to Houston Gardens Elementary in 2009 to assume the role of assistant principal. He moved to Aldine ISD in 2013 as a sixth-grade math teacher. Ardley has five years of experience in the field of education and he has spent one year with Aldine ISD. John Bathke was named assistant principal at Davis High School after serving as a RTI teacher at Reed Academy. Bathke received his bachelor s degree in elementary education with a specialization in early childhood from Baylor University in 2003. He earned his master s degree in educational leadership in 2013 from the University of Houston. He meets district requirements for this position. He began his teaching career in 2003 with Spring ISD where he served as a teacher at Reynolds Elementary School. In 2010, he moved to Spring Branch ISD to teach fifth-grade before moving to his current position as RTI teacher at Reed Academy in 2013. Bathke has 11 years of experience in the field of education and he has spent one year with Aldine ISD. Lindsey Schoppe was named an assistant principal at Teague Middle School after serving as a math skills specialist at Parker Intermediate School. Schoppe received her bachelor s degree in interdisciplinary studies with a specialization in math and science in 2007 from Texas A&M University. She earned her master s degree in curriculum and instruction from that same university in 2008. She is certified as a principal. She began her teaching career in 2007 as a math teacher at Stephen F. Austin Middle School in Bryan ISD. She moved to Aldine ISD in 2008 to teach math at Stovall Middle School. In 2013, she moved to her current position as a math skills specialist at Parker Intermediate School. Schoppe has seven years of experience in the field of education and she has spent six of those years with Aldine ISD. Joseph Lucario was named an assistant principal at Teague Middle School after serving as a history teacher at Davis Ninth Grade School. Lucario received his associate s degree in teaching in 2009 from Lone Star College. In 2010, he received his bachelor s degree in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Houston-Downtown. In 2013, he earned his master s degree in educational administration from Prairie View A&M University. He is certified as a principal. He began his teaching career in 2010 as a history teacher at Aldine Middle School. He moved to his current position as a history teacher at Davis Ninth Grade School in 2013. Lucario has spent all six of his years in education with Aldine ISD. Machelle Brown was named an assistant principal at Lewis Middle School after serving as an English language arts skills specialist at Aldine Middle School. Brown received her bachelor s degree in political science with a minor in Spanish in 1988 from Prairie View A&M University. In 2013, she received her master s degree in administration from Sam Houston State University. She is certified as a principal. She began her teaching career in 1997 with North Forest ISD as a Spanish teacher. In 2000, she moved to Houston ISD to become a language arts lead teacher for grades six through eight. She moved to her current position as language arts chair at Aldine Middle School in 2004. Brown has 17 years of experience in the field of education and she has spent 10 of those years with Aldine ISD. Lawrence Singleton was named an assistant principal at Caraway Intermediate School after serving as a Dyslexia specialist at that same school. Singleton received his bachelor s degree in business administration in 2002 from Texas Southern University. In
2008, he earned his master s degree in education from Sam Houston State University. He is certified as a principal. He began his teaching career in 2004 as a language arts teacher at Drew Academy. In 2013, he transferred to Caraway Intermediate School to serve as the Dyslexia Specialist. Singleton has spent all 10 of his years in education with Aldine ISD. Marlene Blandon was named an assistant principal at Parker Intermediate School after serving as the RTI coordinator at Plummer Middle School. Blandon received her bachelor s degree in English from Georgia State University in 2006. In 2011, she earned her master s degree in administration from Texas Southern University. She is currently working on her Ph.D. in educational administration and supervision at Texas Southern University. She is certified as a principal. She began her teaching career with Aldine ISD in 2007 as an English language arts teacher at Plummer Middle School. In 2009, she taught regular reading at Plummer and moved into her current position as the RTI coordinator in 2013. Blandon has spent all seven of her years in education with Aldine ISD. Employee honored Emitte Roque, executive director of buildings and properties, awarded the May Building of the Month Award to the Donaldson Annex. On hand to accept the award were head custodian Hilda Gonzales and Patrick Mouton, executive director of facilities planning and construction. Hilda was unable to attend the May Board meeting due to illness. Grant announced During the June 10 Trustee s meeting, Stacey Smith, program director of resource development, announced one grant. Priscilla Ridgway, executive director of curriculum and instruction, and Deborah Johnson, program director of secondary social studies, secured a $64,000 Goldman Sachs Discover a Bright Future Fund & Acellus grant. The money will be used to fund an on-line finance course at eight Aldine ISD high schools during the 2014-15 school year. Students will have the opportunity to earn an academic credit, while learning about financial choices that can affect the rest of their lives. The class will prepare students not only for college, but also for their adult lives by helping them make informed choices about finances.
Program presented Cindy Bingman, executive director of technology services, presented the program during the June 10 Board meeting. She presented a Power Point presentation about how her department meets the technology needs of students and staff in the district.