MFISD board may cancel May 6 election

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

Marble Falls Independent School District may be canceling its May 6 called election tonight, March 21, during their regular school board meeting, but they still will likely have a vacancy to fill on the Board of Trustees.

The board is also expected to hear the details regarding a contract with H-E-B to provide parking for store employees on 75,000 square feet of property at corner of Pony Drive and Bluebonnet Drive at Marble Falls Middle School and another contract with the City of Marble Falls regarding use of school facilities.

One item on the agenda for tonight's meeting is to accept the resignation submitted by a board member. The board is then slated to go into executive session to discuss what to do about filling the new vacancy as well as the selection of new board officers.

The school board also is expected to accept an order canceling the election and certifying the following candidates to the Board of Trustees:

* Lee Ann Johnson (incumbent), Place 3.

* Coach Larry Berkman, Place 4.

* Kevin Virdell (incumbent), Place 7.

Berkman formerly served on the school board until last year, when he resigned so Marble Falls ISD could hire his son, John, to be the new girls' head basketball coach, due to state nepotism laws outlined in Chapter 573 of the Texas Government Code.

Larry Berkman then was required to wait a minimum of six months before he could become eligible to serve as a school board trustee again. Mike Savage, a former board member appointed to replace Berkman, did not seek election to Place 4.

State law allows school districts and cities to cancel elections and certify their election results ahead of the election date when there are no contested races.

H-E-B employee parking

After Bealls moves out of its old store and across FM 1431 into its new location next month, work is slated to begin on a new, larger H-E-B Plus store that will eventually replace the current H-E-B. During the 18 months of construction, H-E-B employees will need an alternate location to park, so the district has been working with the store on an agreement to allow parking in the empty portion of the school lot at the intersection of Pony Drive and Bluebonnet Drive.

H-E-B will be responsible for a number of considerations, including construction of an eight-foot-high chain link fence around the property with access gate, self-monitoring of security and beautification of the property after its use has ended. The store will be required to pay $23,600 to the school district for use of the property.

City use of fields

The district will also look at a memorandum of understanding with the City of Marble Falls regarding use of school district soccer, baseball and softball fields for community recreation and sporting events. As its part of the agreemetn, the city would conduct regular grounds and irrigation system maintenance and would provide utility services to the property. The city would be responsible for scheduling any use of the fields outside of normal school hours or district activities, which would take precedence.