Paris ISD “State of the District” February 2019
Paris ISD continues to be an innovative, forward-thinking district that makes every decision with students in mind. In order to do this, we have a vision that is shaped by the following goals.
Paris ISD
District Goals
- Will have a learning environment that challenges and provides opportunity for all students to succeed.
- Recruit and retain the most effective people by rewarding excellence and providing opportunities for continual growth.
- Remain an academically high performing, leading and innovative school district that produces college and career-ready graduates capable of critical thinking and achievement.
- Maintain a safe and secure environment for our students, staff and community.
- Continue to be fiscally responsible and financially stable.
- Be a leader in education by providing outstanding facilities while remaining good stewards of our finances and resources.
- Will continue to grow through competitive compensation to attract top educators and results-oriented employees who strive to increase student achievement.
- Continue building positive relationships with our community, media and families of the district.
- Actively engage and partner with parents in the educational experience.
- Enhance educational excellence and workforce development through collaboration with community partners.
- Promote awareness and support of PISD’s vision to be a premier school district.
The members that make up our Board of Trustees have stayed committed to these goals, and they consistently represent their districts by taking active roles in our community. Under their governance, Paris ISD continues to be the premier district of Lamar County and Northeast Texas. They are able to successfully represent their constituents, while at the same time work with the other Trustees in a cohesive professional manner that ensures success for our district.
For the second year in a row, student enrollment is above 3,800. The last time enrollment was this high was 10 years ago. This is an increase of over 150 students from two years ago. Our student growth over the last few years is far in excess of the growth of Paris and Lamar County. We can attribute this significant increase in students to the efforts of our teachers, who provide world class instruction each day.
Students and teachers involved in our Career and Technical Education program are settling in nicely to the new state of the art CTE building that was recently completed on the Paris High School campus. Community members have stated how proud they are that Lamar County’s future workforce is being trained in such a nice facility, which was funded without asking taxpayers for more. Students participating in our CTE program are being noticed for their accomplishments through competition in activities such as Skills USA, the Fort Worth Stock Show, etc.
There is no disputing the fact that PISD remains in the “elite” column when it comes to academic performance. We are 1 of 61 districts in the state of Texas that earned district distinction, and Paris High School earned 7 of 7 possible distinctions. SAT and ACT scores continue to be higher than average, and the number of our students taking these tests is increasing. We are committed to fostering academic excellence in many ways. We continue to pay tuition for students involved in our dual credit program. We support academic competition, with an internationally acclaimed Future Problem Solving program, and our UIL program is gaining momentum each year, as our middle school team has won the district competition 2 years in a row. Many students who might otherwise choose not to complete their public school education have turned to Travis High School of Choice, where 155 students have graduated since the doors were opened in 2015. We understand and live by the motto that “students don’t care what you know unless they know that you care”. With this in mind, we are still committed to the principles applied in the Capturing Kid’s Hearts program.
Our fine arts program in PISD is increasing both in participation and student success. Our Blue Blazes Band recently advanced to UIL State Marching Competition for the 2nd consecutive time. We are looking forward to watching our One Act Play students as they build off of last year’s success, where they advanced further than at any time in our school’s history. Our high school chorale has also placed a student in the All State Choir this year.
The Paris ISD athletic program continues to be a source of pride. For many students, athletic programs are a catalyst for their success in school, and we have some very talented athletes and coaches. The football team had a very successful season that took them to the 3rd round of playoff competition, where we lost a close game to the eventual state champions. The volleyball team also qualified for the playoffs this year. Our girls’ basketball team is entering the playoffs under the direction of Coach Jeff Chapman, who also serves as our district’s girls’ coordinator. The boys’ basketball team once again has earned the title of District Champions, and many sports are left to be played as we enter spring.
We are committed to and have a vision to truly make a difference for our students and their families. Through our Student Nutrition services, we are able to provide free breakfast and lunch to every PISD student. We also provide summer feeding, as well as a summer reading program through our “Cats on the Prowl” mobile library.
PISD knows that schools can’t operate at their maximum potential unless students, parents, and teachers feel safe, thus we are constantly researching and growing in this area. We continue to expand our safety and security programs. Without a doubt, the most crucial piece to earning trust is through communication. We have a district police department made of veteran officers who have dedicated their lives and careers to serving the public. They have adapted well to the campus environment, and each of them has become a vital member of our learning community.
Financially, PISD is continuing to succeed. A strong effort is placed on spending money only when it directly benefits students. This mindset has allowed us to fund the CTE building, purchase new buses, maintain our football field and track, construct a new baseball field, replace a roof at Aikin, and make significant repairs and renovations at other campuses. All of this has been done without raising taxes or placing further burdens on our taxpayers. We are currently working with PSI, as they prepare to help us replace inefficient HVAC units and light fixtures, which are guaranteed to be funded through energy savings. We have a strong fund balance, and we received the highest (superior) rating on our annual audit.
It’s easy to understand why PISD is the premier district. We are blessed to have strong campus principals, who hire great teachers, who are passionate about teaching their students. While future challenges are certain to arise, and while the future of public education issues in Texas will likely change, PISD is in a great position. We are financially sound, we have great facilities, we have a dedicated staff, and we have strong partnerships with families and local employers. All of these things work together to provide optimal opportunity for our students.
Go Cats!
Paul Jones Gary Preston Althea Dixon
Additional settings for Safari Browser.
