More impervious paving being added to the ICISD campus on April 17, 2023, against my advice back on November 28, 2022 that paving this location would increase the flooding of our streets, my home, my neighbors' homes and the football stadium.
Here is the audio of the April 17 2023 Irion County ISD school board meeting.
Here is the agenda for this meeting.
Commentary:
April 19 update: What's to dislike about saying pledges to the State of Texas and United States flags? In the first 15 seconds of this audio what jumps out at me is the Board's failure to honor our flags. I'm not one who drives around town with flags flying from the back of my truck, don't get me wrong. But government leadership is about honoring our state and country. Recognizing our flags at the beginning of board meetings is symbolism for the board's appreciation and acknowledgement of what our democracy stands for. It also symbolizes our leaders' willingness to follow our laws. Texas law requires students to say the pledges (Texas Education Code 25.082), so why would a school board not lead by example?
The Irion County ISD school board is the only board I have ever known that does not say our pledges. There is no law that mandates it, but the absence of the pledges speaks volumes.
Solution: the Board should begin inviting student group leaders, as well as Boy and Girl Scout members, to the meetings and lead the pledges. This might be a good reminder of what Abe Lincoln said, "The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next."
Related: can students protest saying the pledge? Here's an article about a recent settlement in which TASB paid $90,000 in a settlement. (If behind a paywall, search for Mari Oliver v. Klein Oak ISD.)