Latest news with #LISD
CBS News
08-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Lewisville ISD to cut nearly 500 school bus drivers, says there are plans to hire internally
In an effort to cut back on costs, Lewisville ISD has plans to lay off 460 bus drivers by summer break. The school district said it won't be renewing the current contract with a bus driver agency and instead, Lewisville ISD told CBS News it will be hiring internally to cut the costs. The school bus agency is Texas Central School Bus Services. According to Lewisville ISD's website, it has partnered with for at least a year. According to a recent report from the Texas Workforce Commission last month, the agency filed three WARN notices, which shows 460 bus drivers will be laid off come mid-July. WARN stands for Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, which requires businesses to provide 60 days' notice of closures or mass layoffs. According to the WARN notices, this will impact job sites at Purnell and Mill in Lewisville and Cougar Alley in The Colony. As of last week, LISD said it is posting openings to hire drivers, monitors, mechanics and support staff. "Currently, LISD spends about $16 million annually on transportation," the school district said in a statement. "Contracted services would have required a significant budget increase of $3 to $5 million. By bringing services in-house, we believe we can control costs, improve service quality, and offer more competitive pay to our drivers and monitors." LISD also said that while public schools are required to offer transportation for students, funding from the state does not keep up. LISD said it is spending $16 million right now while state funding for transportation is only 3.5 million.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What were the May 2025 Lubbock County elections results? Here's what to know
Several other cities and school districts had items on the May 2025 election ballot from around Lubbock County. Here's how they are doing so far with early voting results in and Election Day results expected soon. Others are reading: Did voters approve or deny $290 million LISD bond? Early returns show favorable results Michael Magallanes — 184 votes. Matt Riley — 136 votes. Scott Bickel — 70 votes. Total ballots cast: 390. Andrew Cox — 535 votes. Carlos Contreras Jr. — 191 votes. Total ballots cast: 726. Trustee for Place 4 Charlotte McDonald — "Unopposed Candidate Declared Elected." Bobby Durham — 116 votes. Brad Proctor — 73 votes. Ben Aubrey — 66 votes. Eddie Ramirez — 92 votes. Total ballots cast: 347. Others are reading: Roosevelt ISD's $58.5M bond package takes large early voting lead in Lubbock County Alicia "Ali" Lucero — 63 votes. Rand McPherson — 65 votes. Scottie Hildebrandt — 62 votes. Angie Fikes — 9 votes. John Hand — 7 votes. Paul Mince — 27 votes. Total ballots cast: 233. Val Meixner — "Unopposed Candidate Declared Elected." Kara Newcomb — 108 votes. Emily Hargrave — 165 votes. Jamie Chancellor — 47 votes. Alexander Tarin — 24 votes. Total ballots cast: 344. Kolby Stewart — 43 votes. Gregory Stout — 74 votes. Jason Fry — 21 votes. Total ballots cast: 138. Karen Worley — 90 votes. Austin Brashier — 51 votes. Total ballots cast: 141. Mateo Rosiles is the Government & Public Policy reporter for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Got a news tip for him? Email him: mrosiles@ This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock County May 2025 Election Day, early voting results
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
What is the 2025 Lubbock ISD bond on the May election ballot? Here's what you need to know
Lubbock residents living inside the Lubbock Independent School District boundaries will see a single proposition on the ballot in May — a $290 million school bond package. The requests come before voters after LISD Trustees agreed to send the bond to voters, which includes several key ticket items including building three new schools for six schools being consolidated next school year. Original Reporting: Lubbock ISD sends $290 million bond to voters in May 2025 election. Here's what to know With questions about how the bond came about, what it entails and if it will impact your tax rates, here's what you need to know before heading to the polls on May 3, 2025 or when early voting starts April 22. LISD Superintendent Kathy Rollo said the projects the bonds would fund come from a facilities assessment the district did, which found over $400 million worth of needs across the district "We also have over 6,000 empty seats in our elementary and middle schools," Rollo said. "We have a declining birth rate in Lubbock ISD, and then 63% of our facilities are over 60 years old." After identifying these key hurdles and issues facing the district, LISD formed a committee comprised of students, teachers and citizens to help narrow down projects and decide which ones need to be prioritized. The committee formalized its recommendations to LISD's Board of Trustees, who unanimously agreed to send the identified recommendations to the public to vote on. Here is a breakdown of what the LISD bond will fund and how much is going to each initiative. Efficiancy: $151 million. Construction of three new elementary schools (Bean-Hodges, McWhorter-Wolffarth and Williams-Stewart elementaries). Kitchen/cafeteria addition at Rush elementary. Science lab addition at Atkins Middle School. Capital Renewal and infrastructure: $75 million. Update roofing, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, locker room renovations, high-priority kitchen updates, parking, paving and drainage improvements at 32 campuses. Academic programming: $47 million. Middle school auditorium and fine arts renovations. Atkins Middle School science lab renovations. Expansion in the Culinary Arts, Health Professions and Advanced Welding programs at the Byron Martin Advanced Technology Center. Safety and security: . Update Security film, door replacements, access control servers, fire alarms, security cameras and fencing improvements at 30 campuses. The short answer is no - at least not the tax rate. Rollo said voters approved the current tax rate of 17.5 cents per $100. Since LISD paid down debt from the 2018 bond, the district is able to take on more debt without raising the tax rate. However, Prop A will include the phrase "THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE" on the ballot. "That came out of the 2019 legislation that that language had to be on there," Rollo said. "The state says that is because anything above (our) M&O — which is set by the state — is a property tax increase." For context, the state set M&O (Maintenance and Operations) tax rate helps fund school districts' general operating budgets. The 17.5 cent tax is the I&S (interests and sinking) tax rate that LISD can levy to fund debt services. Rollo stressed again that the 17.5 cent tax rate will not change with this bond, but that language is required on the ballot. Dig Deeper: Lubbock ISD trustees blame state, funding issues for school closures No. LISD's general operating fund is funded by the M&O tax rate set by state lawmakers. Rollo said this is where teachers' pay comes from, along with helping the district pay for day-to-day operational expenses. According to LISD, money from the M&O tax rate cannot be used for long-term capital projects. It is through the I&S tax rate that school districts are able to fund capital projects. "For the most part, (I&S) can only be used for brick and mortar types of things," Rollo said. "We don't have enough money in our maintenance and operations to fund those kinds of projects." Rollo also said I&S can not be used for district operational expenses or teachers' salaries. "Whatever happens with the legislature doesn't impact this," Rollo said. With six elementary schools set to consolidate into three schools next year, Rollo said the current infrastructure cannot handle that kind of influx long-term. New schools would allow the district to avoid certain costs associated with maintaining six separate schools. Rollo pointed to the district's new Carmona-Harrison Elementary — which combined Jackson, Guadalupe, and Wright elementary schools — as a proven track record of this, having saved the district $1.8 million in the first year it opened. However, the benefits of consolidating the school are far beyond just saving the district money. "When you have five teachers per grade level, you have more people to collaborate with, to plan with, to share those extracurricular duties as assigned," Rollo said. "You have more wraparound services for kids." Rollo said those services include additional Title 1 resources, a full-time counselor and assistant principal — which are often shared between smaller schools — and additional educational support staff for students. Rollo said students and staff will have to continue using the existing buildings, with the district having to spend more on them for maintenance and operations. "That limits our ability to provide raises," Rollo said. "It limits our ability to provide the programming that we offer, we're gonna have to make some hard decisions — we're doing that anyway, but it's it's gonna make that even more challenging." Election day is on Saturday, May 3, 2025 with early voting beginning on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 through Tuesday, April 29, 2025. Visit to see where polling locations are. Mateo Rosiles is the Government & Public Policy reporter for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Got a news tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@ This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: $290 million Lubbock ISD school bond package on May election ballot
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Lubbock school trustees opt to keep book on shelf after parent concern over LGBT image
The Lubbock ISD Board of Trustees voted to keep a book a parent from Roscoe Wilson Elementary deemed to be inappropriate on the shelves. At their regular meeting on Thursday evening, LISD trustees held a level-three grievance hearing to hear from Lloyd Zuniga about why Alice B. McGinty's "Bathe the Cat" should be removed from school libraries. Others are reading: Lubbock ISD trustees blame state, funding issues for school closures Zuniga said his son brings home books from the school's library to read at home with his family. On one occasion, his son brought home "Bathe the Cat," which sparked Zuniga's concern. "I flipped through and seen some pictures," Zuniga said. "One in particular of two males holding hands while holding a baby." Zuniga said the image didn't sit right with him, as the book was about cleaning around the house, and he double-checked with his wife to see if he was making an assumption. She said he wasn't. He said he went to Roscoe Wilson's assistant principal, who pointed out that Zuniga could launch a complaint if he wanted to. Zuniga said he was torn about whether he wanted to, as his son could have picked this book randomly or maybe he had already read the book. "My daughter really kind of tipped the scale," Zuniga said. "My daughter said, 'Oh dad, the librarian read this (book) to us last year to every class.'" Zuniga said there are other books the school can use to teach books how to clean up, like "The Cat in the Hat." "What I don't think is right is that in a public school, this is being taught to our children," Zuniga said. "No. 1, without my consent, and No. 2, without anyone else knowing. It just seems a tad bit like grooming to me." So Zuniga filed a level-one grievance in 2024 against the book. It went before a committee comprised of LISD employees and parents that voted 6-5 in favor of keeping it on the school's library shelves. Zuniga said everyone on that committee who sided with him was an LISD employee. Zuniga then appealed the committee's decision to level two, where it was heard by LISD's director of Student and Parent Resolutions, Brian Ellyson. Ellyson sided with the committee's decision. Ellyson told the trustees that the district's library material is guided by the Texas Education Agency's EFB (Local) procedures along with Texas State Library and Archives Commission and district policies when choosing material for school libraries, noting that books must: All material selected enhances what is being taught in schools, factoring in students' interests, maturity and ability. The books help grow students' knowledge and appreciation for literature. The books encourage reading and higher levels of thinking. Books represent everyone as a whole. Ellyson said that any student, parent or employee can challenge materials; however, there are guiding principles when doing so, with parent and/or guardians' rights only extending to their child. "The district can not restrict student access to the material during the reconsideration process," Ellyson said. "Also, challenged materials can not be removed just because of the ideas of the material, the background of the author or the background of the characters in the book." Ellyson said the final decision on whether to remove the book should be based on the material's appropriateness to the intended audience. Parents have the right to work with school librarians to control what subject matter they want their kids to avoid and provide alternative materials as well, and Ellyson said he encouraged Zuniga to do so when he made his decision. Others are reading: City of Lubbock health officials urge caution, vaccine amid Texas growing measles outbreak "After speaking with the campus administrator and our district superintendent of teaching and learning, and after reviewing the book and reviewing both local and state standards and requirements, I determined that if the book were to be removed, it would violate both the legal and local policies on the basis that the book rises to the level of pervasively vulgar," Ellyson said. "(The book) is educationally suitable for the elementary school library," Ellyson said. "Therefore, I am asking the board to uphold the level two decision and deny Mr. Zuniga's grievance to have the book removed from all Lubbock ISD libraries." Trustee Board Vice President Ryan Curry said he believes LISD administration has followed the policies in place. However, he said the board might need to revisit the policy, expedite the grievance policy, and take some of the burden off the parents to approve which books their child should and shouldn't read. "What it boils down to me is that if I don't think it should be read out loud in a group setting, how then can I be OK with it being in the library," Curry said. Trustee Board President Beth Bridges also said that she has heartburn about the policy, but it's the policy currently in place. "We are structured by our policy," Bridges said. "If we start just throwing it out the window and not adhering to that, then what's the point? Policy is policy." Bridges sided with Curry in saying the board could look at updating the policy at a later date. Trustee John Weddige said there is a potential for the district to better communicate its policy on parents' rights in deciding what their children can or cannot read at the school library. "To my fellow trustees' points, that in this case, policy was followed," Weddige said. "Whether what's in the book is inappropriate or offensive is a matter of opinion." The board voted 4-1 to uphold the district's determination and deny Zuniga's grievance. Trustee Jason Ratliff was in attendance at the meeting, and Trustee Lala Chavez recused herself due to an unsaid conflict of interest. This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: LISD Trustees decline to remove book after parent concern over content
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Caprock Chronicles: Overcoming early Lubbock's shameful treatment of Black residents, Part 2
Editor's Note: Jack Becker is the editor of Caprock Chronicles and is a Librarian Emeritus from Texas Tech Editor's Note: Jack Becker is the editor of Caprock Chronicles and is a Librarian Emeritus from Texas Tech University. He can be reached at Today's article about early Lubbock's treatment of Black residents is the second of a two-part series by frequent contributor Chuck Lanehart, Lubbock attorney and award-winning history writer, and Professor Dwight McDonald, Director of Community Engagement at Texas Tech University School of Law. This series alludes to language that is no-doubt painful for many, but aims to show our community's past and efforts to pursue a better future. More: Caprock Chronicles: Overcoming early Lubbock's shameful treatment of Black residents, Part 1 Following the 1920s, Lubbock continued to mistreat its African American residents until long after the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s did away with Jim Crow segregation laws. Segregation was the norm in Lubbock at the time, even as African Americans began to create their own ecosystem. Dr. Joel P. Oliver, the first African-American physician in Lubbock arrived in the 1930 , but left shortly after his arrival. Dr. Joseph A. Chatman arrived in Lubbock in 1939 and later established a hospital in what is now the Chatman Hill neighborhood, as was explored in a March 25, 2018 Caprock Chronicles article. By the early 1940's, Lubbock had its first African-American dentist, Dr. C.H. Lyons. More: Chatman dedicates life underserved community As Lubbock continued to grow, so did its Black population. By the 1950s, African Americans had physicians, dentists, a hospital, pharmacy, schools and stores, but they were not included in mainstream white society. However, the winds of change were blowing in the Hub City. With the Brown v Board decision of 1954, desegregation/integration became the law of the land, and the Lubbock Independent School District (LISD) 'desegregated' in 1955, but the LISD plan consisted of having students attend their neighborhood schools. This solution did not address the true intent of the Brown decision, because African Americans and the schools they attended were still relegated to one side of town, thus not desegregated at all. School busing was offered as a solution. Beginning in 1971, the white majority waged—and lost—a major federal court battle against school busing. Texas Tech University, which was chartered as Texas Technological College in 1923 for 'white students,' did not admit a Black student until 1961. Lubbock resident T.J. Patterson—among many others—was denied entrance due to his race. In the spring of 1961, Patterson's aunt, Lucille Graves, became the first African-American student admitted to Tech. Eight other African-American students from Dunbar High School were admitted in the Fall of 1961. Black litigants in Lubbock began using the courts to accelerate the integration of Lubbock. In the 1970s, Gene Gaines' wife died, and he wanted to bury her at the front of the Lubbock City Cemetery. At the time, the cemetery was segregated. Gaines was told his wife must be buried in the Black section. He was unsuccessful in his attempt to get the policy changed, but it caused him to look at the larger picture of how the city's decision-makers were elected. He realized no minorities held elected offices in Lubbock. Three years after becoming the first African American to graduate from the Texas Tech University School of Law in 1973, Gaines sued the City of Lubbock to force Lubbock to use single-member district voting instead of the at-large system. The at-large system diluted minority votes, thereby preventing any minority representation in any elected office. The litigation dragged on for years, but in 1982, the City of Lubbock was ordered to establish single-member districts. Shortly thereafter, African-American newspaper publisher T.J. Patterson was elected to the City Council, as was explored in a Feb. 20, 2021 Caprock Chronicles article. More: Caprock Chronicles: The lawsuit that won diversity in Lubbock leadership: Jones vs. the City Part 2 Despite all the obstacles, many distinguished members of Lubbock's Black community have seen great success over the years, including Charles Quinton Brown Jr., the 21st Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the first African American to lead a branch of the United States Armed Forces; McKinley Sheppard, the first African American elected as Justice of the Peace in Lubbock; Terry Cook, internationally renowned opera singer; recording artist/educator Virgil Johnson; Mae Simmons, former Principal at Isles Elementary School; Eric Strong, Director of TTU Upward Bound Program; C.B. 'Stubbs' Stubblefield, culture catalyst/barbeque entrepreneur; and professional athletes Jerry Gray, Dennis Gentry and Jarrett Culver. Alfred and Billie Caviel had the unique distinction of being the first African-American couple to own and operate a pharmacy in the United States when they opened Caviel Pharmacy on the corner of Avenue A and 23rd Street. The pharmacy was opened in 1960 and was family owned until it closed in 2009. Billie Caviel became the first Black person elected to the LISD School Board, as was explored in a July 4, 2020 Caprock Chronicles article. More: From Pharmacy to Canvas: Caviel's Pharmacy becomes a center of cultural heritage and art Today, Lubbock is a far cry from racist editor James Lorenzo Dow's Lubbock. LISD and Texas Tech are happily integrated. African Americans are progressing in the Lubbock community, where they hold leadership positions in city government, universities, boards and committees throughout Lubbock. There are still racial issues that we as a community continue to work through, but we should all be proud of the growth and progress Lubbock has made. We should not become complacent. We should continue to be mindful of the fact there is still work to be done, but we certainly are not what we used to be. This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Caprock Chronicles overcoming Lubbock past treatment of Black people, 2
