By David Ball
PORT ARTHUR — From escaping major damage incurred by Hurricane Ike, to new school construction and academic attainment, the 2008 school year was am eventful one for the Port Arthur Independent School District.
Dr. Mark Porterie, assistant superintendent, said students, faculty and staff successfully started school again three different times thanks to Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.
“PAISD faculty, staff and students demonstrated their perseverance and dedication as they recovered from their own hurricane experiences and shared their good fortune with students in neighboring districts,” he said.
Some of that “good fortune” were check presentations to neighboring districts Sabine Pass and Bridge City who were hit hard by Ike.
Porterie said another major goal the district focused on was to provide positive, safe and respectful learning environments and facilities. PAISD continued with the implementation of the $189 million bond passed in November 2007. Also, the fund balance for the district was increased by $10 million during the year.
The board of trustees toured the new Memorial High School in the spring and also had a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Booker T. Washington Elementary School. The new school will be built on its present site on Texas Avenue and opened next school year.
“Even at that time, the new school was still a vision, but now that the building is torn down, the vision is now on the verge of becoming a reality,” he said. “The building itself came down after almost 50 years of service to the students of the district. However, the hopes and dreams of all those who made the old BTW School a place of learning will become the foundation of the new school.”
Related to new school construction, PAISD Superintendent Dr. Johnny Brown presented the state of the school and his vision for the future in April. Also, the board of trustees supported plans for the Professional Programming/Master Plan Development for the Performing & Visual Arts School to be housed in the former Wilson Middle School on Lakeshore Dr.
Trustees approved, too, the purchase of property for the Career and Technology Education building, CATE, when the wing for the new high school is completed. The land is located directly west of the high school. The CATE building will also house the Naval Junior Reserved Officer Training Corps classes.
Academically, Porterie said Dr. Morcease Beasley, deputy superintendent, and Dr. Emma Gene Rowry, chief academic officer, presented plans to transform middle and high schools from traditional schools to theme schools.
“Small Learning Communities are one method used by many school communities nationally to provide students the opportunity to pursue their academic interest in preparation for post-secondary studies. The theme school, or school-within-a-school concept helps students think about career paths and awakens students to the value of academic curriculum,” he said.
MHS students can also participate in Lamar Co-Enrollment studies at Motiva Academy on Memorial Blvd. They were provided desktop computers by PAISD. The goal of this project it to provide students with access to technology both at school and at home.
Other academic accomplishments the district noted are:
• Teacher of the Year by their peers and the annual Teacher Retirement Ceremony.
• Engagement in the first PAISD Academic Bowl Competition. The District Science Fair was also reinstated.
• Parental involvement continues to be stressed.
• The first town hall meeting was held.
• Special events were held to honor African-Americans, Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans accomplishments.
As to the future of the district, Porterie said a national team of educators will visit in February to assess the progress of PAISD.
“Members of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) will be in the district for four days to determine the status of the district in relation to SACS standards,” he said. “Accreditation by SACS is an indication of a successful school district. While it is impossible to list all of the highlights of this past year, those listed are only an indication of the hard work and dedication of the staff of the Port Arthur Independent School District.
“It seems like only yesterday that we were all thinking about moving into the 21st Century. Now, we are nearing the end of the first decade of that century. The year 2009 offers us all the opportunity to begin again, and we encourage everyone to be part of the PAISD and our goal of providing the best education possible for the boys and girls of our community.”
dball@panews.com
