MFISD

Dr. Chris Allen
MFISD Superintendent
Special to The Highlander

After developments in the region and new federal guidance, Marble Falls ISD has decided to suspend normal school operations until at least March 29 and will announce an update regarding school operations by 5 p.m. Thursday, March 26.

From staff reports

Marble Falls school board members approved a new head football coach and boys athletic coordinator, during the April 15 regular school board meeting.

Officials welcomed Brian Herman to start his position this school year.

By Nathan Hendrix
Staff Writer

Marble Falls Independent School District introduced a proposal to provide free breakfast to all students in the district at the monthly school board meeting on Tuesday, March 26.

Kimberlee McLeod had a $1,000 surprise in her Marble Falls High School (MFHS) classroom today, March 6.

Representatives of H-E-B arrived about 10 a.m. to announce the English Language Arts chairman is a finalist for a 2018 H-E-B Excellence in Education Award.

The H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards spotlight teachers among the best educators in Texas. McLeod joins the Marble Falls Independent School District in that spotlight. MFISD is one of only three Small District Finalists for the prestigious 2018 H-E-B Excellence in Education District Award

McLeod was invited with five teachers and two principals from around the state to Houston on May 5-6 to compete on a statewide level for larger cash prizes totaling $430,000.

Grocery giant H-E-B is recognizing Marble Falls ISD as one of the top school districts in Texas, naming MFISD one of only three Small District Finalists for the prestigious 2018 H-E-B Excellence in Education district award.

Winners will be announced at an awards presentation at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Houston on May 6.

By Richard Zowie

The Highlander

The State of Texas has implemented new laws for public schools — including rules on school buses, bullying and graduation requirements — and area schools are working to get them implemented.

Burnet County is home to two public school districts: Marble Falls Independent School District (MFISD) and Burnet Consolidated ISD.

MFISD Superintendent Chris Allen, PhD, provided updates on the different laws implemented:

* New school buses must have shoulder-to-lap seat belts for all riders (SB 693). “We are in the process of gaining approval to purchase four new buses, and they will have the required harnesses,” Allen said.

* With the help of a measure dubbed David’s Law, school officials hope they will have more tools at their disposal to fight cyber bullying (SB 179). The superintendent said they have aligned rules, expectations, documentation, and training to the new requirements.

By Richard Zowie

The Highlander

A new tax rate that Marble Falls High School board approved at an Aug. 21 meeting will be the lowest rate the district has paid in several years.

The trustees also approved renovations to the Mustang baseball field, which should be completed in time for the 2018 baseball season.

2017-2018 tax rate adoption

Lisa LeMon, MFISD executive director of finance, presented to the trustees tax rate approvals for the 2017-2018 school year.

By Richard Zowie

The Highlander

The Texas Education Agency released its preliminary 2016-2017 financial accountability ratings, and Marble Falls Independent School District scored an A.

Created in 2001, the school Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST) encourages public schools to improve how they manage their finances to allow for the best allocation for direct instructional purposes.

MFISD was among the 853 state-wide public school districts that received a superior rating.

One hundred and twenty-one schools received a B “above standard achievement,” while 43 received a C and “met standard.”

Five schools received F grades for “substandard achievement.”

“We also received clean audits form our external auditor as well,” said Dr. Chris Allen, MFISD superintendent.

In the 2017-2018 budget, the district adopted a balanced budget with no projected surplus.

By Richard Zowie

The Highlander

A new trustee took his seat on the Marble Falls Independent School District (MFISD) Board of Trustees on Monday, July 17, while the trustees voted for a student drug-testing plan that will save the district almost $3,000.

A business office employee also received special recognition at the meeting.

Drug-testing program

The trustees approved using Southwest Consortium as Marble Falls ISD’s drug testing provider for both the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 school years. It was one of two companies that submitted bids.

SWC’s cost of $41,840 is almost $3,000 less than the current provider, Forward Edge, which would’ve cost $44,560.

Marble Falls ISD officials contacted officials at Lake Travis ISD and Dripping Springs ISD and (which were not on Southwest Consortium’s reference list) but still received “glowing references.”

By Richard Zowie

The Highlander

The Texas Education Agency recently released State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) for public schools state wide, and Marble Falls Independent School District (MFISD) Superintendent Chris Allen, PhD, believes the results are misleading if taken out of context.

“In some ways we exceeded the state averages, some ways exceeded and some ways finished below,” Allen said. “I don’t let STAAR shape my opinion overall, since I don’t believe it’s accurate.”

Results released for Spring 2017 are for grades three through eight. Reading and mathematics were assessed for grades three through eight, writing for grades four and seven, science for five and eight, then social studies for grade eight.