December 2024

At the December meeting, the Angleton ISD Board of Trustees addressed several key district initiatives and celebrated the achievements of students and staff.

The board approved the final attendance zones that will go into effect in the 2025-2026 school year to accommodate growth and balance enrollment across campuses, including the addition of the two new schools opening in 2025. Maps and important information have been updated on the AISD website at www.angletonisd.net/Rezoning.

AISD Superintendent Phil Edwards says the rezoning process has been extensive, and the district has worked hard to provide a rezoning plan to meet the needs of all AISD students.

“We started this process several months back and built in points to collect input from our community, including parents, staff and students,” he said. “We also understand the importance of getting the information out to parents as quickly as possible so they have time to prepare for any changes next year.”

Edwards says the district has built a communications plan that will make sure they communicate the rezoning decisions with parents in multiple communication platforms to make sure parents know the changes and how they affect their children.

“After we return from the holiday break, we will send letters home to parents of every child in the district, making sure they understand where they will be zoned next year, and these letters will be sent through mail, email and other means,” he said. “The letters will be specific to each child and will give parents information on how to ask questions, get clarification, and request a transfer if desired.”

In financial updates, the board approved the district’s annual audit conducted by KM&L. The district received a clean opinion with no findings, and the audit highlighted the district’s strong financial standing with a $14 million increase in the district’s net position and a surplus budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

“We had a successful audit process this year,” AISD Director of Finance Connie Cox said. “The entire process takes several months each year with the district working with the auditors (KM&L) to provide thorough financial documentation and to answer any questions they have. The audit shows that the board and the district continue to be good stewards of the taxpayers’ money, and the district’s financial standing also shows that the district is in good shape to handle future district budgetary needs, including needs associated with any projected growth, without creating a significant burden for the district.”

Edwards also presented the final report from the Bond Facility Steering Committee, which included their recommendations. The committee, composed of 15 community members, met three times. Helping to guide future facility planning decisions, the report focused on facility needs across the district, with an emphasis on academic spaces and schools, specifically the oldest school buildings in the district – Northside Elementary, Southside Elementary, and Angleton Junior High.

“The goal of this committee was to help us decide how we press forward with our facilities, looking at areas of need for current facilities as well as needs for future facilities,” Edwards said. “The committee spent a great deal of time reviewing studies, considering options for the district, and asking great questions. In the end, their collective recommendation was to move forward with developing a larger Citizens Advisory Committee to determine how the district will proceed even further and to look at a potential bond to meet our needs.”

The board also approved the 2025-2026 Course Selection Guides for Angleton Junior High, Heritage Junior High, and Angleton High School, providing updated academic and elective options for students.

“I am really proud of the course selection guide we are building because I believe that it is more robust and provides more options for our students to choose from and, ultimately, find success,” Director of Secondary Education Director Tyler Press said.

Additionally, the board approved funding for new roofs for the Angleton Operations Services (AOS) building and Rancho Isabella Elementary to ensure the facilities remain safe and functional. The cost for the reroofing at the AOS building comes to $703,780 with an additional cost of $11,900 for a 20-year warranty. The cost of the reroof at Rancho Isabella is $577,800 with an additional cost of $9,840 for a 20-year warranty. Both projects will be completed by Jaco Roofing.

The board also continued its ongoing review of policies with recommendations from the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) to align district policies with current best practices and state requirements. The board decided to table TASB Policy recommendations, holding discussion and action related to policy changes for a later date.

Finally, Rancho Elementary 5th grader Toki Villon was recognized as the winner of the district’s 2024 Holiday Card Art Contest as were the students who placed 2nd and 3rd. Toki’s winning design is featured as the district’s holiday mailer. Angleton Junior High was also celebrated as a “Texas School to Watch" for its excellence in academic performance and student achievement.

In other business, the board approved the following:

• A Resolution for Early Notice Incentive and Voluntary Early Exit Notice Incentive

• New hires

• Purchase of presentation station cart furniture from Global Industrial for Heartland Elementary and Heritage Junior High

• Purchase of classroom TVs from Prime Systems for Heartland Elementary and Heritage Junior High

• Contract for out-of-district services with Avondale House

• Proposed agreement with Friendswood and Sierra schools

• HVAC equipment replacement for Wildcat Stadium concession building

• HVAC equipment replacement for Angleton Junior High

• Damage repairs to the support services building