Bosqueville
11-12-2015, 09:58 PM
TEA: La Marque ISD to be closed, annexed by another district
THIS POST WILL BE UPDATED AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION
By T.J. AULDS
i45now
LA MARQUE -- A top official with the Texas Education Agency on Thursday confirmed that the troubled La Marque school district will be closed and annexed by another school district.
TEA spokesman Gene Acuna said Education Commissioner Michael Williams informed the La Marque school board late Thursday afternoon.
The commissioner did not announce which school district would absorb La Marque ISD, Acuna said.
In his letter Williams informed school board President Nakisha Paul and Superintendent Terri Watkins that a conservator would be assigned to the district.
Neither Paul or Watkins could be reached. Word of the commissioner's announcement came just before the La Marque football team was to play in its first playoff game of the season.
Williams said the district would lose its accreditation and close on July 1, 2016. Williams said instead of assigning a board of managers to manage the district he would assign a conservator to oversee the district's operations until the closure next summer.
Doris Delaney, who is the Deputy Director of the Region IV Education Center, will serve as the conservator, Williams wrote.
As conservator, Delaney will oversee the financial management and governance of the district and will oversee all closure activities of the district, Williams said.
She will also attend all board meetings, "including executive sessions," and direct the school board as necessary.
The school board remains intact until the district is closed, Williams said.
The board will still be responsible for making sure the district stays in compliance "with all applicable statutes and rules."
Texas Education Agency staff will attend the next school board meeting to introduce Delaney and review the commissioner's decision.
Should the board resist the decision, Williams warned he could "implement all available interventions and sanctions" allowed by the Texas Education Code.
The question now is, which district would take on the La Marque students?
The most likley district to take over would be the Texas City school district, which already has a tentative plan in place.
Should Texas City take over, the district's tentative plans call for the distruct to keep operating the La Marque campuses, including the high school.
The plan is based on the concept that removing students from their community would not be good for the students.
THIS POST WILL BE UPDATED AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION
By T.J. AULDS
i45now
LA MARQUE -- A top official with the Texas Education Agency on Thursday confirmed that the troubled La Marque school district will be closed and annexed by another school district.
TEA spokesman Gene Acuna said Education Commissioner Michael Williams informed the La Marque school board late Thursday afternoon.
The commissioner did not announce which school district would absorb La Marque ISD, Acuna said.
In his letter Williams informed school board President Nakisha Paul and Superintendent Terri Watkins that a conservator would be assigned to the district.
Neither Paul or Watkins could be reached. Word of the commissioner's announcement came just before the La Marque football team was to play in its first playoff game of the season.
Williams said the district would lose its accreditation and close on July 1, 2016. Williams said instead of assigning a board of managers to manage the district he would assign a conservator to oversee the district's operations until the closure next summer.
Doris Delaney, who is the Deputy Director of the Region IV Education Center, will serve as the conservator, Williams wrote.
As conservator, Delaney will oversee the financial management and governance of the district and will oversee all closure activities of the district, Williams said.
She will also attend all board meetings, "including executive sessions," and direct the school board as necessary.
The school board remains intact until the district is closed, Williams said.
The board will still be responsible for making sure the district stays in compliance "with all applicable statutes and rules."
Texas Education Agency staff will attend the next school board meeting to introduce Delaney and review the commissioner's decision.
Should the board resist the decision, Williams warned he could "implement all available interventions and sanctions" allowed by the Texas Education Code.
The question now is, which district would take on the La Marque students?
The most likley district to take over would be the Texas City school district, which already has a tentative plan in place.
Should Texas City take over, the district's tentative plans call for the distruct to keep operating the La Marque campuses, including the high school.
The plan is based on the concept that removing students from their community would not be good for the students.