John P. Kelly

This column continues on last week’s subject, a collection of issues facing the Boerne Independent School District.

We receive more questions about the coming high schools than probably any other topic. Don Tillis (director of facilities), Stan Leech (athletic director) and I are giving informational talks this semester before each PTO in the district about this. We've already spoken to the Kendall, Fair Oaks Ranch and Cibolo Creek schools and will be speaking at the others soon. At these meetings, parents hear about school choice, future attendance boundaries, UIL rules affecting the high school, construction plans for both campuses, etc.

The Texas Department of Transportation committed (a year ago) to funding a traffic signal at the opening to the Champion campus on Highway 46 and funding a traffic signal and road improvements for the existing Boerne High School campus. We've just been told that TxDOT has lost some federal funding and must re-prioritize their projects. Our two projects are in jeopardy. We are working through channels to establish the absolute necessity for a signal at the new high school site by August 2008 - and at the existing high school by August 2009 (when it re-opens).

Construction of the new Boerne – Samuel V. Champion High School should be completed by April 2007.  This gives us several months to get the equipment, furniture, landscaping, etc. to that school before it opens in August 2008.  Probably the more critical timeline involves closing down Boerne High School on the last day of instruction in May 2008 – with a mere 14 months to get that school ready for its re-opening in August 2009.

In other news: Our high school and middle school staff were recently asked to share their science instruction best practices with the other 50 districts in Region XX. This is both an honor and a bit ironic. Although our scores are considerably higher than other schools, our district's rating of "Acceptable" rather than "Recognized" is also due to those same scores. TAKS science scores in 2007 essentially sent almost every high performing district of any size in Texas to a lowered rating. We are working to meet the ever-higher standards prior to the spring 2008 testing cycle. It is especially critical to work with economically disadvantaged students in science, reading, and math.

At an upcoming board meeting, we will be recognizing all of the high school College Board Advanced Placement teachers whose classes exceeded both state and national averages for attaining college credit in 2007. Teachers in the following areas will be recognized: Physics, Economics, English Language, English Literature, Environmental Science, Government, Human Geography, Psychology, U.S. History, and World

History. Although I have not confirmed this, one of our 2007 graduates apparently earned more than 40 college credit hours applicable toward her Ivy League school – quite an accomplishment.