Starting to take shape

By Tim Seymore
Assistant Superintendent/Chief Financial Officer

Since December, a group of dedicated and thoughtful community members and parents, along with school board members and school personnel, have been working on a plan to address issues identified by a Facility Needs Assessment and Demographic Study.

The facilities study, conducted by the Texas Association of School Boards, identified over 130 areas of concern, including safety and security issues, infrastructure problems at the high school, aging and inefficient mechanical systems, deficiencies based on the Americans with Disabilities Act and Texas Education Agency Standards, as well as the changing needs of education in the 21st century.  Templeton Demographics conducted a demographic study, giving the district impending growth rates over the next ten years. This data shows that Navasota Junior High School and High Point Elementary School will be over capacity in the next two to three years, followed shortly, by Navasota High School. Although John C. Webb Elementary School currently has enough classroom spaces, the parking, parent drop-off areas, and cafeteria are not adequate to accommodate the current number of students, parents, and employees.  

The challenge for the Facility Planning Advisory Committee is to develop a plan that addresses these concerns in the way that is most efficient for the district in the short term, but also ensures that the needs of the district’s students are met for many years to come. After several meetings to determine a priority list, the SHW Group presented options to the committee that address these needs. As is always the case when scenarios are presented, much discussion about the benefits of each scenario took place. Notes taken from those discussions will be used to refine the options and add more detail and clarification. As new people have joined in the process, additional thoughts and ideas are being taken into consideration. Information presented to the Facility Planning Advisory Committee, including the options presented Jan. 23, can be viewed here.

The Facility Planning Advisory Committee will reconvene on Feb. 3, at 6 p.m., in the Board Room at the Administration Building, with the intention of having a proposal for the school board to consider at their February board meeting. The school board and administration would like to thank those that have participated in this process to develop a community-driven plan of action.

Career Technical Education Update

By Michelle Vacante 
NHS Career Technical Education Counselor

The Career and Technical Education Center at Navasota High School has had a very eventful fall semester. This is the first year for the career center and seniors are taking full advantage of what it has to offer. In September, seniors were guided through the process of completing their Apply Texas applications for college. Beginning this process early in a student's senior year can provide advantages in the process; therefore, our students have been receiving acceptance letters from colleges earlier than in years past. To date, more than 65 high school seniors have received college acceptance letters, including Blinn Junior College, Lonestar College, North Texas, Texas State, Sam Houston, Angelino College, Baylor, Texas Tech, University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M, and Arizona State University. Our kids are going places!

Seniors have also been effectively using their lunchtime to come in and fill out scholarship applications, college applications, and search for information regarding their future endeavors. We have also seen an increase in juniors and seniors creating College Board accounts and signing up for the SAT and ACT tests.  We have also had a record number of students use this service earlier in the year as compared to years past.

Freshmen level students have had the opportunity to begin behavior and career interest inventories this year giving them a better understanding of what specific careers may suit their interests and personality. Through the EduSystems (Top Quest) online software, students answer a series of questions used in determining personality types of the student and identify jobs that relate to their personality. The next step for the freshman will be to begin the process of researching colleges, trade schools, and jobs that will help them be successful in the future, based on the information gathered from the initial inventory.  Sophomore level students will be next to complete this inventory and they will have the same opportunity to discover working fields that best suit them.

The Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC) has also had the opportunity to begin working with the WIN Learning program.  Students have begun working with the Strategic Compass program to determine job related skills necessary for a field of choice and better understand where they can go to research and learn about those skills. These career readiness skills commonly referred to as attitudinal and behavioral skills, social skills, job search skills, and 21st Century skills. Through acquiring these skills in engaged learning environments and through personal learning, students will develop these necessary skills to be an effective member of the workforce. At the culmination of their high school career, students will have the opportunity to earn certificates to show prospective employers that they have the skills necessary to work successfully with others on the job.

Lastly, the CTE Center has also sponsored several parent/student workshops over financial aid, the college application process and how to prepare for the college process. These events have had large parental and student turnout and we look to provide more opportunities for our parents and students to prepare for life after graduation. Please be sure to visit the Career and Technical Education Counseling website on the High School webpage and look for scholarship postings and workshop information.

Parent/Community Climate & Facilities Survey

The Navasota ISD community has a voice in the district’s ongoing pursuit of excellence.

For parents who currently have children enrolled in the district, please provide feedback about the individual school your child attends. (If you have children at multiple schools, please take the survey for your oldest child.) The school district wants to hear your thoughts on critical school issues such as academic preparation, student support, parent engagement, diversity, school operations/facilities and accessibility of school leaders.

For community members, please provide feedback on the state of facilities in the district and how you feel about a potential bond election.

This survey will take parents approximately 20-25 minutes to complete. (Community members can expect to complete the survey much more quickly.) All feedback is confidential, with responses anonymous to Navasota staff, so please feel comfortable answering honestly. After the survey closes, we will report the findings publicly. At that time, we will also share what we have learned and what specific changes you may anticipate as a result of your feedback.

Take Survey

Facilities planning update and community input opportunities

By Rory Gesch, Superintendent of Schools

The condition, structure, and design of school facilities greatly impact the quality of education we are able to provide our students as well as their ability to learn. In recent months, Navasota ISD has been assessing the physical condition, security, and capacity of its facilities and how these elements impact learning. Initial steps in the process were taken when the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) completed a facilities study and Templeton Demographics completed a demographics study this past fall. The results of these assessments led the Navasota ISD Board of Trustees and school district to begin a facilities planning process. The school district entered into an agreement with SHW Group to be the design firm working with Navasota ISD through the planning and design process for the direction of the district’s facilities.

Prior to the Christmas break, the district held two public information sessions to review the findings of the TASB independent report. In December, we held our initial meeting of the Facility Planning Action Committee which included an introduction to the process and an explanation of the district’s technology and strategic plans. At the second meeting, Jan. 6, approximately 50 members of the community participated in discussion regarding the district’s facilities. SHW Group presented design concepts it has implemented in other projects, followed by a presentation by the district financial advisor on the bonding capacity of the district. Community members then moved to active discussion to determine priorities in district direction during the planning process. The three major topics that were rated highest priority were Instructional Spaces/Programs, Safety and Security, and Technology.  High need areas that were also identified were the functional infrastructure of the mechanical system. This process is progressing, and the next facility planning action committee is set for Jan. 23.

Navasota ISD is also releasing a climate survey this month to allow for additional input and provide additional information for the planning process. Beginning Thursday, Jan. 16, the window for our annual online climate survey will open and remain available for two weeks. The survey is accessible at www.navasotaisd.org. This way, parents of Navasota ISD students have the opportunity to share their perspectives on various aspects of their students’ educational experiences. For community members who are not parents, this provides an opportunity for them to share their views on aspects of the district as well. We will also be sending out a mailer to ensure that opportunities for input are as wide-spread across the community as possible. Please help out and share your views with us so that we can better reflect the community and its values.

Finally, NISD has posted four academic calendar choices for 2014-2015 on the district website for which community members may cast a vote as the Board of Trustees considers adoption. In the near future we will also add a section to the website entitled, “Your Voice.” This portal will give the community a place to leave questions, comments, and praises for our staff. We encourage you to utilize this portal as your opportunity to help us understand what is most important to you. A clearer understanding of your perspectives and priorities will enable us to better serve the educational needs of all of our students. As each outreach and survey initiative is completed, we will share the findings with the public through “Your Voice” and other district media. We are striving to create an ongoing two way dialog with our community as we work together for the growth, empowerment, and success of our students and community.

Please visit the district at www.navasotaisd.org or www.LearningLeadingSucceeding.com to find information regarding the facilities planning process, the climate survey, “Your Voice”, and areas of interest regarding our schools.