TRINITY — Students in the Trinity district will work with new materials for the coming school year after the Board of Regents approved the transition to Bluebonnet Learning Instructional Materials.
The regents OK’d the change at the April 28 meeting.
Superintendent Dr. John Kaufman said the materials are for math in grades Kindergarten through eighth; Algebra 1 students; and for reading in grades Kindergarten through fifth.
Kaufman said the move to Bluebonnet was considered after teachers and administrators reviewed the curriculum and found it to be a great program.
“The Texas Education Agency is really pushing these materials,” he said. “They are very scripted and are geared toward STAAR testing. They are very good for new teachers to use the developed lesson plans.”
Since the district’s goal is to get the students where need to be; the regents feel this would be a good step, Kaufman said.
In other business, the regents:
- discussed the board members receiving all the required continuing education credits;
- discussed the school’s latest TEA ratings from the 2022-23 school year. Kaufman said the ratings are from 2 years ago, and while the district didn’t do as well as could, plans are in place to address the areas needing improvement;
- approved the 2025-2026 school calendar as recommended by staff and community members, with new teachers reporting July 31 and school starting Aug. 11;
- gave Kaufman approval to hire teachers during peak time without board approval;
- renewed a contract with a food service management company
- approved adjusting the 2025 summer school certified teacher pay from $25 to $40 dollars an hour using Title I budget; and
- approved contracts, including for Natalie Barrett. Additionally, the board approved the hire of Special Education Director Jodi Card from New Waverly; hired Danielle McCabe, former Shepherd High School principal, for Trinity High School principal, and current principal Brittaney Cassidy will assume the role of Director of Instruction and Curriculum full time.
