KISD survey provoking changes
By LESTER MURRAY news2@kilgorenewsherald.com

Jody Clements, superintendent for Kilgore Independent School District, said a recent survey conducted by KISD was designed to find out what was wrong with the district and make changes.

Based on that statement, Clements has already started the ball rolling. "Not everyone is going to like the changes," said Clements. "But what we are doing is to make things firm, fair and friendly for our district."

Clements said he has already met with administrators from each campus about the survey. "We looked at what we felt were the most important issues for each campus and directed them at individual campus administration," said Clements. "I then requested each principal to write a report on what they feel needs to be done to correct these issues."

Clements said these reports should start coming across his desk in the next couple of weeks, but some issues have already been implemented. "We have decided on a new drop-off procedure for the Kilgore Heights campus which will be implemented for the start the next school year," said Clements. "The new drop off point will be on South St. with an exit on Hill St."

This will alleviate a lot of traffic flow in front of the school and will give traffic two exit points off of Hill St. onto Broadway said Clements.

Clements said it is also time to re-evaluate the schools discipline procedures and how each student is disciplined for the same offense. "We want to ensure each student is being treated fairly," said Clements. "If more policies need to be implemented then that can be done also."

There will be no more pizza delivery to KISD campuses also starting the next school year, said Clements. "Allowing this has turned our staff into a delivery staff and it takes away from them doing the work they are paid to do," said Clements. "Parents can still bring pizzas to school for their children, but they have to take the pizzas to the child themselves."

Another issue Clements said he was concerned about, which will no longer take place at KISD, is parents choosing their child's teacher. "This procedure has gone on for many years and is just not fair to the students or the teachers," said Clements. "This new policy applies to all parents, even if the student is a child of a KISD employee."

Clements said he has been to every campus looking at facilities, which includes food and cleanliness. "We are going to increase the number of times bathrooms are serviced at each campus and we are going to look at ways to improve the taste of the food and still meet state requirements as far as nutritional guidelines," said Clements.

With facilities changing, policies changing, also comes staff changes for a number of reasons said Clements. "We are now conducting a search to replace Bobby Wheeley as Kilgore High School principal which we hope to have accomplished by the first of June," said Clements. "As of yesterday, Cheryl Halla, principal at Kilgore Intermediate School, announced her retirement effective immediately."

Andy Adams, assistant principal at KIS, has been named interim principal for the remainder of the school year said Clements. "We are going to do a search (to replace Halla) the same as for Wheeley's position, but this won't take place until after the high school position has been filed," said Clements. "We will use staff from Maude Laird Middle School and Chandler Elementary School to help Adams if needed until school is out."

Another issue Clements said should't be an issue is teachers not having classroom materials throughout the year. "We have sufficient money for those materials, above what each teacher is budgeted for their classroom," said Clements. "All teachers have to do is ask their principals for additional money for needed materials. There is no reason that money should be coming out of a teacher's pocket."

Clements said many issues were brought out in the recent survey - some good and some bad - but that was the purpose of the survey. "We will be establishing timelines, some could take two to five years," said Clements. "But the whole point is to make things better, especially academically for KISD."

Clements acknowledges some of the changes that bring about negative responses will be directed at the teachers and staff. "If any staff member on any campus is challenged by someone over a new policy, all they have to do is send that person to see me."