Marble Falls Independent School District

By Lew K. Cohn, Managing Editor

The Highlander

Marble Falls Independent School District (MFISD) trustees have approved a balanced budget of more than $39.5 million for the 2016-17 fiscal year which will include salary increases for all district employees as well as allow the district to hire additional pre-K and secondary teachers to accommodate district population growth.

The board voted to approve the proposed $39,521,100 budget, after holding a public hearing at the regular meeting June 20. The new budget represents a five percent increase above the $37,893,138 budget for the 2015-16 fiscal year, said District Finance Director Lisa LeMon.

By Lew K. Cohn, Managing Editor

The Highlander

Two members submitted resignations Monday, June 20, to the Marble Falls Independent School District Board of Trustees, which appointed a familiar face to fill one of the vacancies.

The board accepted the resignations of Dr. Kelly Fox and Larry “Coach” Berkman following a 78-minute executive session in which the board met with its attorney behind closed doors. The board then appointed former Trustee Mike Savage to serve in Berkman's stead for the next 11 months.

GLYNIS CRAWFORD SMITH/THE HIGHLANDER

Colt Elementary School Garden Club students celebrated Arbor Day on April 29 by planting trees on their campus at the end of Manzano Mile in Marble Falls.

They planted three new trees with the help of Home Depot. One was dedicated to Principal Keith Powell who will retire from the Marble Falls Independent School District this year.

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula

Not too often do fifth-graders shoulder titles like assistant director, camera operator and prop designer, but it’s just in a days work for Colt Elementary music class students. 

All fifth-graders are in Esther Jones’s music class, but music just isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. However, add to the mix a project like making a music video and kids ambivalent about music class came alive as they worked on productions based on their favorite songs.

“It almost gave me chills watching them,” Orts said. “Kids who normally aren’t excited about music class became really engaged, leading brainstorming sessions and showing interest in finding creative camera angles.”

Marble Falls High School audio-visual (A/V) students already have started editing some footage, with more to come. They’ll weave students’ clips into music videos to post on YouTube, making it a cross-campus collaboration.

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula

It’s no secret that kids need entertainment, parents need an occasional breather, and the two demands often don’t coincide. That’s where Friday Nite Live!, a parents’ night out program, comes in.

The grand opening for the community event will be April 22 at Marble Falls Middle School, from 7-10:30 p.m. Friday Nite Live! is a partnership between the nonprofit organization Planet Kidz (and its company Communites for Kidz) and Marble Falls Independent School District (MFISD).

All school-aged children (kindergarten through 5th grades) can enjoy the night of activities for the $12 admission fee, even if not an MFISD student.

“I think it’ll be pretty neat. We love to give back and share,” said Tommy Schultz of Epic Fun, LLC, which partners with Planet Kidz. “It will be a huge and unique benefit to the community.”

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula

Eight Marble Falls High School students affected by a computer glitch while taking the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) test on March 29 will not have to re-take the high stakes test, a Marble Falls Independent School District (MFISD) official confirmed on Thursday, April 7.

“Ultimately, all the answers were recovered,” said Wes Cunningham, Ph.D., assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction.

District officials maintained a “cautious optimism” since the problem happened after Texas Education Administration (TEA) officials said it was possible answers were stored on either TEA or Educational Testing Service (ETS) computer servers, Cunningham said on March 31.

ETS is the vendor that administers the tests.

The MFISD students at different grade levels were taking the computer-based

The deadline, Friday, April 15, is nearing for folks to nominate Marble Falls Independent School District (MFISD) graduates for the Legacy Outstanding Graduate Award.

Anyone can nominate a graduate from 2006 or earlier for the honor.

The award is designed to recognize individuals who have achieved excellence or distinguished success since graduation from Marble Falls High School.

Nominees Must:

• Have graduated from Marble Falls High School at least 10 years ago
• Be actively involved in their community and/or
• Achieved extraordinary career status within their field and/or
• Made notable contributions on a local, regional, state or national level

The Legacy Outstanding Graduate will be honored at the annual Legacy Honors’ Banquet on May 20.

Marble Falls Independent School District (MFISD) will be holding its Board Trustee Elections from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on Saturday, May 7.

Voters in Marble Falls, Granite Shoals, Highland Haven, Spicewood and Smithwick will be casting their votes for Place 1 and Place 2 on the board. In Place 1, Jim Coursey, Gary Boshears and Lenwood Nelson are vying for the Place 1 position. In Place 2, Karl Westerman, current trustee, is running unopposed.

Early voting is from April 25-May 3, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. each day. Polling locations will be located at the Courthouse Annex at 810 Steve Hawkins in Marble Falls and the Burnet County Courthouse at 220 S. Pierce in Burnet.

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula

Eight Marble Falls Independent School District (MFISD) students, and an unknown number of Burnet Consolidated Independent School District (BCISD) students, joined hundreds of others across the state when they encountered a computer glitch while taking the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) test on Tuesday, March 29, said MFISD officials on March 31.

The MFISD students at different grade levels were taking the computer-based

STAAR A (or “accommodated” version) test in several different subjects when their answers on the online tests stopped appearing.

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula

While out and about in Marble Falls during the 10th annual Paint the Town celebration this weekend folks will see artists young and old at their easels, perfecting plein air techniques and showing their passion.

The Highland Lakes Creative Arts (HLCA), the nonprofit that is organizing Paint the Town, are ready to promote the arts in the region during a three-day celebration and competition in downtown Marble Falls from Thursday, March 31-Saturday, April 2.

Students from Marble Falls Middle School and Marble Falls High School have been preparing for weeks to show their skills to community members.