The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

The Board of Trustees of the West Orange Cove Consolidated Independent School District had a full calendar on Tuesday, February 16. At 4:30 p.m. the board met in closed executive session to conduct legal, business, and personnel items. The board came into the meeting room and reconvened in open session, adjourned, and then opened a regular called meeting at 6:05 p.m.

The first item on the agenda of the regular meeting was the superintendent’s report. Interim Superintendent Dr. Sylvia Martinez stated she only had one item on her report and that was recognition of the football team. Coach Cornel Thompson introduced each of the team members present who were then individually congratulated by each member of the board. The record this year was 13-2, not including the playoff game. It was the fifth time the football team from WOS had been to the state playoffs.

An action item for the next meeting regarding a needed increase in the budget to cover unexpected items that have surfaced; including some legal fees. Other items concerned General Operating Funds, the Student Nutrition Fund and tax collection.

An item presented for consideration is to make a change in the school calendar to move a teacher workday to August from the current Memorial Day. This change would allow teachers to have a holiday with their families. Other calendar changes would be to change some weather days and school holidays.

Board Vice President Bryan Muhammad was on the agenda to ask the board to consider the placement of a sign and dedication of the playing field at Dan Hooks Stadium in honor of former coach Leroy D. Breedlove. This item had been previously discussed, but all of the issues the board needs to resolve before the sign placement and dedication of the field can be done have not been discussed and acted on by the board.

The board then went into a two hour closed session and discussed business and personnel items. They also conducted another round of interviews with what appears to be the final two candidates for the position of Superintendent of Schools.

There is a possibility the board will announce the finalists in the very near future.

Pictured is school board VP Bryan "Chop" Thomas Muhammad voting on a budget issue.