By DIANTÉ MARIGNY
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com
Point Isabel ISD trustees are revisiting the district’s process for naming school facilities, including a policy that has not been updated in more than a decade.
The Board of Trustees discussed the issue during a special meeting Aug. 18 as it began forming a Facilities Naming Committee and considered possible revisions to the district’s existing policy.
District officials explained that the current policy calls for facilities to be named by the board based on recommendations from a Facilities Naming Committee. The policy dates back to at least 2013, and officials acknowledged that the committee has not been operating on the three-year cycle outlined in the policy.
Under the existing structure, the committee includes the board president and two other trustees appointed by the president. Four additional community residents are selected by the remaining board members, while the superintendent serves as a non-voting member and chair. Two central office administrators selected by the superintendent also serve on the committee.
Once established, the committee can consider nominations submitted by students, employees and community residents for existing or future district facilities.
Under the current policy, nominees must be individuals, living or deceased, who have made significant contributions to the education of district children and improved the quality of life in the community.
During discussion, trustees questioned whether portions of the policy should be modernized before the district moves further into the naming process. Among the provisions discussed were the three-year nomination cycle and timing requirements that could delay when a facility is named.
Because the policy is local to PIISD, district officials said it can be revised. Any proposed changes would first go through the district’s policy committee before returning to the full board for consideration.
Trustees agreed that revisiting the policy should move forward while the district simultaneously begins establishing the Facilities Naming Committee.
During the meeting, the board president appointed trustees to serve on the committee, and the board unanimously approved the appointments.
Trustees also began the process of selecting community representatives. One community nomination was accepted during the meeting, while the remaining nominations were tabled to give other trustees additional time to select residents willing to serve.
Those remaining nominations are expected to return for consideration at a special board meeting Sept. 1.
The board also moved to send the district’s facility naming policy, CW(Local), to the policy committee for further review and discussion of potential revisions.
The process could ultimately open the door for students, employees and residents to submit names of individuals they believe should be considered for recognition on future or existing PIISD facilities.