Trustees tackle grievance hearings, preliminary student test scores

Submitted by Willspoint1 on

By David Kapitan

Staff Writer

 

The Wills Point ISD doubled up on meetings this week, holding a special meeting to hear grievances from the second and third-ranked members of the Class of 2015 before clocking in another 2.5 hours for their regular monthly meeting on June 15.

The special meeting, which began one hour prior to the start of the regular monthly meeting, became the latest chapter in what has become an ongoing debate about the district’s policy regarding the minimum residency requirements necessary in order to qualify for the title of class valedictorian.

Stephen Magee, who finished second overall in the final class rankings, and Austin Roberts, the third ranking graduate for this year’s class, were at one time considered the valedictorian and salutatorian for the Class of 2015.

Those rankings changed earlier when another student that was once home schooled before enrolling in his junior year argued for and won for his right to be eligible for consideration for the position of valedictorian at a special called board meeting on April 16.

Following the board’s decision in April, both Magee and Roberts filed grievances with the board in hopes that the ruling would be overturned. Trustees heard both cases in a special called meeting on May 12, unanimously voting to uphold their previous decision.

Magee and Roberts each filed separate grievances following the board’s most recent decision, requesting another hearing with the hopes of getting trustees to come to a different outcome.

After a lengthy stretch in executive session, board members reconvened into open session and unanimously voted to deny both Magee’s and Roberts’ grievances before adjourning the special meeting.

Board members took a brief break before convening the regular June meeting, but discussion switched back to grievance hearing almost instantly during public comment when attendee Connie Peden questioned board president C.W. Wilson and trustees regarding their methodology in arriving at their decisions.

 

To read the full article, subscribe to the Wills Point Chronicle or pick up a copy from one of our vendors.