Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
During their Jan. 22 meeting, Kerens ISD trustees receive gifts in recognition of January’s School Board Recognition Month, which is being marked across Texas under proclamation by Gov. Greg Abbott. Trustees include Tyrone Bailey (from left), Anne Beckman, Janie Solis, Board President Teresa Jennings, Tyrone Martin, Board Secretary Matt Lynch and Board Vice President Randy Bancroft.

KERENS–Kerens ISD (KISD) trustees heard the district’s 2022-23 Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR) during their Jan. 22 meeting.
The TAPR report pulls together a wide range of information on the performance of students in each school and district in Texas every year, according to the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) website. Performance is shown disaggregated by student groups, including ethnicity and socioeconomic status, TEA says. The reports also provide extensive information on school and district staff, programs and student demographics, TEA states.
The 2022-23 report is available on TEA’s website. KISD Superintendent Martin Brumit told the school board that this report doesn’t include the state’s 2023 A-F academic accountability rating, which TEA says on its website is currently pending in its final 2023 rule format and subject to change based on judicial rulings (school districts have sued TEA over the accountability ratings) or decisions from the 88th Texas Legislature during a special called session.
Brumit said he expects the accountability portion of the ratings to be in the mid-80s when released, similar to the last-issued rating. As for TAPR, Brumit said the report includes measurements such as State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) results. The KISD superintendent also believes the report “says our kids and teachers are doing a good job.” Added the superintendent, “I’m pretty happy with where we are on that.”
In other business, the board:
• Called a May general election to fill the two seats currently held by Teresa Jennings and Anne Beckman, which are three-year terms.
• Approved paying UMB Bank $288,000 and $235,000 for 2018 and 2021 series bonds.
• Approved paying BOK Financial $357,450 for 2017 series bonds.
• Heard the district’s quarterly investment report from Oct. 1-Dec. 31, 2023, which showed about $2.7 million in the school’s general fund.
• Learned the district scored perfect on the Texas Education Agency and Region 12’s Intruder Audit, which showed that every door on the campus which was supposed to be locked was secured, according to Brumit.
• Approved a budget amendment recognizing $45,000 in excess revenue to budget for the salary of the district’s new head football coach and athletic director, Brent Watkins, who was hired that night under a two-year contract.