Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Debra Wilson, who will become the principal of Malakoff ISD’s newest campus, Malakoff Intermediate School, officially starts July 1. Wilson has been with MISD since 2002 and most recently taught eighth grade U.S. History. The intermediate school will be where the middle school was previously, with the middle school moving into the former high school, which itself moves across the road into a new facility.

MALAKOFF–Malakoff ISD (MISD) trustees voted June 17 to seek a low-attendance waiver from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) because a quarter of its students were absent the day of the total solar eclipse, which was April 8.
Districts or campuses can request a waiver to excuse any instructional days from Average Daily Attendance and Foundation School Program funding calculations that have attendance at least 10 percentage points below the last school year’s overall average attendance, for the district or applicable campus due to inclement weather, health or safety-related issues, TEA says online.
MISD Curriculum Director Dr. Trudy Watson told the school board that Malakoff’s attendance that day was 75%. The board also approved seeking a TEA waiver about staff development time (that the district would not exceed 2,100 minutes, she explained), which Watson said is submitted annually.
The board also approved an order of election for trustees in the Nov. 5 election. The two-year terms of Peggy Dewberry, Bryan Young and Keith Massingill are expiring; packets to apply for a place on the ballot will be available starting July 22 (because the state-mandated date of July 20 falls on a Saturday) through Aug. 19.
Related to the election, the board approved contracting with the Henderson County elections office to conduct early and day-of voting, which trustees were told costs $500.
The board also was informed by Superintendent Don Layton that the district has started “early legwork” on renovations to the Leo Orr Sr. campus gymnasium, which includes getting architectural plans drawn up. Layton also announced the ribbon cutting for the new high school is scheduled Sept. 3, and in the meantime, the district will focus on finishing summer school and then getting all the campuses shifted because of construction.
In addition, a motion to approve a contract for Kontraband Interdiction Detection Services (also known as a drug dog) failed 3-1, announced Board President Jason Dalrymple after the voting. There were four of seven trustees attending the meeting. Dewberry voted against the proposal, which allows for a minimum of 12 half-day visits to points within the district at $260 per visit, according to MISD Business Manager Kim Spencer.
The board also heard the district’s quarterly investment report, which Spencer said shows the district’s general fund balance falling from $17 million to $14,575,668, and that MISD has $40,074,147 worth of investments.
In other business, the board:
• Approved updating signature cards for all bank accounts for the district’s new chief financial officer, Shannon Freeman, who will take over when Spencer retires in January.
• Approved opening an activity account for the district’s newest campus, Malakoff Intermediate School.
• Approved updating the Malakoff Junior High School activity account to reflect that campus’ secretary moving to the intermediate school, and the latter campus’ new secretary hire.
• Heard Layton’s first reading of the Texas Association of School Boards Localized Policy Manual Update 123.