Wylie Today

On Monday night, May 19th, 2008, the Wylie ISD Board of Trustees elected officers for the next year, voting unanimously to keep Susan Shuler as President and Ralph E. James as Vice-President. Sam Satterwhite was elected Secretary. The evening began with newly elected Trustee Lance Goff taking his oath of office along with Ronni Fetzer and Ralph E. James.

I’m still amazed at the results of the Fetzer/Goss race. Five votes. Wow. The people still have faith in Ronni Fetzer. And the people believe that Barbara Goss is the right type of person needed on the School Board. Maybe the time will come where everyone can be happy and support both Ronni Fetzer and Barbara Goss. Personally, I have no doubt that they will both put our children’s education as the top priority in each decision they make.

After the election, Ronni Fetzer said, “My sincere thanks to all the voters who made an effort to have their voice heard on the Wylie ISD elections, and to those who supported me during the campaign. Thanks also to Barbara Goss and all the candidates who put their hats into the ring to serve the students and families of Wylie ISD. We are in an important time for our district, and the dedication and commitment of many people is vital to our success. Please stay involved with your local schools.”

I also think it’s real funny (sorry, Sam) that they elected Sam Satterwhite as Secretary, even after Ronni Fetzer told everyone he said he didn’t want to be. It’s too bad Mr. Satterwhite was doing his job as WEDC Executive Director in Las Vegas today and wasn’t there to nominate someone else as Secretary. You know, Stacie Gooch, or someone like that.

Voters residing within the Wylie ISD opted not to change too much at once in the 2008 elections. Two incumbents, Ralph James and Ronni Fetzer, will remain as Trustees for another three years, pending official results. Mr. James will be serving his fourth term and Mrs. Fetzer will be serving her third.

Lance Goff was elected to unseat incumbent D. Baron Cook, who was appointed to the seat last year to replace the departed Eric Lindsey. This particular seat is a one year term, so Mr. Goff will have to run for election again next year.

I don’t know that I have seen a race as close as the Fetzer/Goss race since I have been here (or ever). Ronni Fetzer gained 701 votes while challenger Barbara Goss received 695. Also voting for ‘blank’ were 105 people. Goss was ahead by a handful of votes after early voting results were released.

Ronni Fetzer is a WISD School Board Trustee and running for re-election. She has served on the board for the past 6 years. She took out some time to answer some questions for everyone.

1) What is the key unique asset that you provide as a WISD Trustee?

I’m positive, open to new ideas, and often benchmark WISD against other districts and our own past track record.

2) What is the most challenging aspect of this position?

Moving targets. First we had TAAS (Texas Assessment of Academic Skills), then we had TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills). Now we are moving towards End of Course exams. One year we have to focus on physical education, the next year we are testing our students for diabetes. We have new mandates from Austin every session that take more time away from the classroom.

3) You are head of the Parent Think Tank sub-committee. What is the objective of this sub-committee?

The initial objective of the think tank was to gather an interested group of parents and provide an open forum to explore different concepts in education which may eventually result in political action. However, with the parent forums planned for the multiple high school scenarios, it was decided to hold off on a think tank and move more into a parent communication mode after the forums. Once the parent forums were completed, we set up a schedule and visited various school organizations and activities to cover important district issues, and answer questions. We are currently reviewing communication methods used by other districts to leverage for our district web site.

4) What is your main focus as a WISD Trustee?

My main focus is what’s best for the student’s education without unnecessarily burdening the taxpayer.

5) How do you feel about state involvement in Independent School Districts?

State involvement is reactionary and slooooooow to change unless you’re in a crisis. The state government considers students as expenses instead of investments in our future. It imposes mandates on schools to provide proper health and nutrition for students in addition to an education. With half of Texas’s students qualifying for a free and reduced lunch, we can expect to see more mandates coming down the pike, with no funding to implement them.

6) What would you like to accomplish if elected to another term?

I’d like to get salaries on par with neighboring districts so we can continue to attract and retain excellent staff. Lower student/teacher ratios to improve classroom learning and retention. Provide a smooth transition into 2 high schools. Expand after school activities.

7) Now that Wylie has plans for two 9-12 high schools, do you support building a new stadium like Pirate Stadium for the Raiders?

Not at this time. It was not in the plan, and not what we told the neighbors we would do. We owe it to our taxpayers to maximize the use of the two existing stadiums we have.

8 ) What are your thoughts on WISD funded after school programs?

After school programs…. yes…. funded mostly by the participants. We also have some shared opportunities coming up soon with the recreational facilities coming down the pike with the new City and commercial developments.

9) There is chatter in the community that the WISD School Board has a less than stellar success rate when it comes to planning. Do you feel this talk is justified?

I’m not sure what aspect of planning you’re referring to. We have consistently planned the building of our new schools to be “just-in-time” schools, which means we don’t build them till we need them. The good news about this is the fact that we delay increasing our bond indebtedness, which keeps our tax rates lower longer. The bad news is, a few children may have to go to a different school if a certain grade level is maxed out before the new school is completed.

Likewise, the planning of Wylie East High School was based on the same principle to complete it in phases, as needed. Our growth has dropped from 11% last year to 6% this year.

With regard to course offerings, we can offer just about everything Wylie High School offers except for Culinary Arts. Currently the staff is looking at additional course offerings in Health/Science, Arts, A/V Technology and Communications, Hospitality and Tourism. Although these are not yet cast in stone, visits are underway by high school staff to nearby districts known for these courses. As the second phase expansion of Wylie East has not yet occurred, any special structural requirements for additional courses can be addressed at that time. Current projections indicate the expansion of Wylie East could take place in 2010, which affords ample time to incorporate special structural requirements.

In terms of locations of schools, we don’t have complete control over that, since we are limited by the availability of property, and the price we are willing to pay. As new schools are built, new boundaries must be redrawn. The boundaries will continue to change in the new growth areas until the growth stops. We currently have almost 11,000 students in Wylie ISD. Build-out is projected to be 20,000 to 25,000 students. So, we still have a way to go.

So, now to answer your question, I believe we are right on track in planning for future growth without burdening our taxpayers before we need to.

10) Do you believe that WISD staff and teachers are adequately compensated compared to surrounding districts?

No. Our salaries are lower than most of our neighboring districts. However, many teachers come to Wylie ISD for other reasons, our reputation, technology, grants, to name a few. We are surrounded by some of the richest districts in Texas. In order to attract and retain excellent staff, we have to offer competitive salaries.

11) What is currently being done to lower the drop-out rate?

Drop out rates are on the rise throughout Texas due to recent State requirements to pass exit level tests in order to graduate. Wylie’s annual dropout rate for all students has been less than 1% since 2000. But we are seeing a rise too. Currently our Choice School has been very successful in catching students at risk of dropping out. By providing flexible, self paced courses, they have an achievable path to graduation. All schools offer tutorial times, varying between before and after school, as well as some evenings.

12) Do you have any ideas for additional programs to keep kids in school?

You mentioned after school programs. I think that could be a big area, ranging from math and science activities, chess clubs, jazz clubs, other fine arts, recreation. Internships with local businesses, continuing the distinguished lecture series, computer graphics/web design/technology programs. I’d like to see an orchestra, more dual credit courses, auto mechanics and Drivers Ed programs, but imagine aomw of those are pretty pricey. As the Wylie Education Foundation grants continue to grow, we will see some creative ideas from the teachers.

13) What is your opinion of TAKS?

What gets measured gets done. I believe we need some benchmarks to measure progress. We must make sure we are effectively covering the material our students need to be “college ready” or “business ready”. I don’t believe you should have a test that covers material beyond one year. Tenth graders should be measured on 10th grade material only.

14) Do you like the currently proposed attendance zones for WHS/WEHS?

For now, they seem reasonable, given the current concentrations of our population. I like the split by school boundaries. I wish my crystal ball was a little clearer on when our growth will necessitate a 3rd high school.

15) There is talk of an increased WISD tax rate next year. Why is there a short fall and is raising taxes a good thing?

We traditionally build our budget on a conservative growth rate. That way, if we get more new students than we budgeted for, we will receive more State money, and have some wiggle room for unexpected items or add to our fund balance. This year, we gained about 600 students instead of the typical 1,000+/- students we’ve seen in the past 5 years. So, we haven’t seen a surplus this year. Next year we are budgeting for about 600 more students. Just from the number of seniors exiting (514) and the number of Kindergarteners coming (1,100 +/-), we can see a jump of almost 600 students.

With regard to increasing the tax rate, it’s difficult to find ways to get our staff up to competitve salaries any other way. Salaries comprise approximately 80% of our current budget. WISD’s current tax rate is in the lowest quartile among school districts in Collin County. You ask if raising taxes is a good thing. I ask you, is educating our children an expense or an investment in our future? And… you will get to answer that question, because we can’t raise the WISD tax rate without a vote.

James R. Griffin has filed as a candidate for WISD Trustee Place 2 in the May 2008 election. He will run his campaign against incumbent Ralph E. James. Mr. Griffin, who filed his paperwork yesterday, currently serves on the Library Board. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to speak with him last night about his vision or plan. I’m sure I’ll get that information emailed to me soon, though.

The deadline to file was yesterday, March 10th. There will be no uncontested races in the WISD election this year. Place 1 features Barbara Goss and incumbent Ronni Fetzer to round out the General Election. Candidate Lance Goff will run against Baron Cook in the Special Election for Place 4.

Barbara Goss officially filed to run for WISD Trustee Place 1 this morning. She has filed for the seat currently occupied by Ronni Fetzer, who has held the seat since being elected in 2002. Mrs. Fetzer has stated the she intends to run for re-election this year.

Earlier today, Mrs. Goss had the following to say. “Wylie ISD is growing, and with that growth brings change. I want the opportunity to represent the families in this community as we plan for this growth, and work through the school transitions. Wylie is moving to the Multi-high school format, and currently there are no concrete plans in place for this transition. We need to be proactive and decide what programs to put in place for Wylie East and communicate with the community throughout the transition process.”

“My family is one of the many families that have moved to Wylie in the last 10 years. My son is a student at Harrison Intermediate, and my daughter will begin kindergarten in the fall. I have the skills necessary to assist in this process and provide a voice to the community. In my professional career I have experience in Special Projects, Human Resources, Benefits Administration, and most recently Account Management. “

The WISD School Board of Trustees voted 3-2 on Tuesday in favor of planning for the current 2007-2008 8th grade class to be the first graduating class of Wylie East High School. Ralph James made the motion and Baron Cook seconded. Sam Satterwhite voted for the motion while Susan Shuler and Stacie Gooch voted against. Trustees Sue Nicklas and Ronni Fetzer were not present.

Before voting occurred, Mr. James questioned if more information has become available since the workshop meeting about the financial impact of making the switch for the upcoming school year. Superintendent Dr. John Fuller replied that outside of building and furniture expenses, the costs would be incremental. Mr. James then asked about the impact of a proposed bond failing to pass. Dr. Fuller answered that there would be a difference in campuses. After joining in on the cost discussion, Mr. Cook stated, “I believe the public is looking for us to take the lead on this. They are ready to get going.”

All current 800-plus Freshman class will attend Wylie High School in the 2008-2009 school year. Dr. Fuller said there was not enough time to plan for the current freshman class. After applying for an ROTC unit, it could take 1 to 3 years to get approval and get the program implemented at WEHS.

The WISD Board of Trustees met for a special session on Monday night, February 11th to discuss the transition to a multiple high school system. The primary focus at the session was to determine what year the first graduating class of Wylie East High School would enroll as freshman. Dr. Fuller presented a worksheet to the board members with scenarios for graduating classes of 2012, 2013 and 2014. Several board members thought it would be best to start the transition as soon as possible, though Trustee Ralph James, not necessarily opposed to a quick transition, questioned if the district would be prepared for the financial impact of a transition beginning with the 2008/2009 school year. Dr. Fuller informed the board that a Bond would need to be issued unless the need involved expansion of just a few classes at Wylie East, in which case the district could draw from the existing fund balance.

Trustee Baron Cook questioned the cost impact of expanding Wylie East to accommodate 2000 students. Dr. Fuller replied that the cost is uncertain at this time due to questions surrounding specific classroom types needed based on the specialty and career programs offered, but to finish out the shell of Wylie East to hold 2000 students a bond would certainly need to be issued. Trustee Sam Satterwhite and Board President Susan Shuler both mentioned the need to reach equitable levels in terms of specialty and career programs offered at both campuses. However, Mr. Satterwhite was eager to start the transition as soon as possible while Mrs. Shuler was more reserved, citing the need to ensure the people, programs and teachers could be put in place in time. She stated, “I want to have the programs in place. I don’t want to half-way do this. We need to already have in mind what we are doing. That is my reservation with starting with the current 8th grade class.”

They recapped their visit with Frisco ISD administration to remind themselves that they should aim for equity not equality. Meaning that the specialized and career programs at each school should not be duplicates, but should be of equal value.

Trustee Ronni Fetzer mentioned her surprise at the amount of freshman students and parents that wanted to stay at Wylie East next year. She felt this was a sign that the community is ready and anxious to know the plan and execute the change. Trustee Stacie Gooch felt that some parents and students of current freshman were in a state of confusion, wondering what school they would attend in the 2008/2009 school year. While they acknowledged the confusion, the board mentioned that they always stated this year’s freshman would all attend Wylie High School next school year. There is no option for current freshman to graduate as Raiders.

In a brief moment of comedy during this discussion, Trustee Sue Nicklas reminded everyone, “Freshman are nothing. You all remember what it was like to be a Freshman.” Stacie Gooch quickly replied, “I was a Pirate!”

The Trustees also briefly discussed the boundary lines for each school. While nothing has been decided, they did essentially rule out 78 as the dividing line for the schools. An option that was discussed was using Westgate as the dividing line for schools, but there was also concern that students would be going to a school that was further away from their home than the other. Athletic Director Mark Ball was on hand and stated his belief that parents would try to position themselves to attend one school over the other with a longer delay. Citing athletic reasons, he also stated it would be better to begin the transition with the current 8th grade class or the current 6th grade class. Dr. Fuller mentioned that all varsity athletic students would be allowed to transfer to Wylie High School in Wylie East’s inaugural year. He said, “They are all still representing Wylie High School as it pertains to sports.”

At the end of the lively discussion, it was clear that the Trustees still had a lot of decisions and information to uncover as they proceed with the plan for transition. It was also clear that the citizens of Wylie can expect a WISD bond election in November 2008 or May 2009 to make the transition a reality.

Ronni Fetzer, a WISD School Board Trustee since 2002, has declared that she will seek re-election in May, 2008. This month, she will join the leadership committee of the North Texas School Board Association, representing Wylie ISD. Mrs. Fetzer states, “I’m looking forward to meeting the challenges and promoting the opportunities ahead as we continue to grow.”

Mrs. Fetzer’s major focus as a Trustee is “Provide a challenging environment for all students and educators to have greater success each year. Be financially responsible with taxpayers’ money while addressing the needs of a rapidly growing school district.”

During the recent hot issue vote, Mrs. Fetzer, along with 4 other Trustees, voted in favor of a multiple high school configuration.

After at least a year of discussion, special meetings and public forums, the Wylie ISD Board of Trustees on Monday voted 5-2 in favor of a multiple 9th-12th grade high school configuration. 91% of the public that contributed input during the public forums desired this configuration.

Stacie Gooch, Susan Shuler, Ronni Fetzer, Baron Cook and Ralph James voted for the multiple 9-12 high school configuration while Sam Satterwhite and Sue Nicklas dissented.

Now that the decision has been made in regards to the configuration, Trustees must quickly decide the best way to implement the transition. WISD Superintendent Dr. John Fuller stated that he will provide suggestions and more information regarding boundary lines and transition times once he has had time to discuss these issues with key personnel.

The next scheduled WISD Board Meeting is January 21, 2008.