February 25, 2008 SAISD Board Meeting updated March 7, 2008
Several of the "Keep Travis Open" Community Group (KTOCG) arrived at Fox Tech High School around 4:30pm in order to sign up to address the board. We drove there in cars that had "Keep Travis Open" written in shoe polish on rear view windows and filled with signs we had made for our rally and this meeting. The media was already there lining the curb area right in front of the auditorium where this meeting was set to take place. I saw Univision, Channels 5 and 12, & KABB to name just a few.
According to tv reports there were approximately 300 people in attendance for this meeting. It looked like every news outlet had a reporter and camera lined up against the sides of the auditorium to catch every single word that would be spoken. Turns out that 69 people signed up to speak. That's 69 people at three minutes apiece! We knew it would be a long nite and settled in as comfortably as we could on those hard wooden auditorium seats.
note: the text below was created before the feb. 25 meeting
This meeting is scheduled to be held at Fox Tech High School 637 N. Main Ave. @ 5:30pm.
These board meetings are open to the public AND the public can speak at these meetings as well, but you have to be there to sign up at 4:30pm. We anticipate that many people will want to speak so show up early. Please be aware that you may be limited to only a minute and a half to address the board, plan accordingly.
We want, and need, a large group of citizens to show up to this board meeting.
We need parents and concerned citizens to picket on the sidewalk prior to the meeting. We need to show this board that we won't let them close our schools without our voices being heard nor without a fight.
Let us clarify how this process is to work, as we understand it:
The SAISD Board will make the proposal to close 6 schools in the SAISD, at the end of this school year. The schools that will be proposed for closure are:
Cooper Middle School
Mann Middle School
Bowie Elementary
Travis Elementary
Carroll Academy
Pfeiffer Academy
The vote then goes to the Board of Trustees. In the SAISD we have 7 trustees, one for each of the 7 districts. These trustees (at least 4) must be swayed to vote NO to closing our schools. View our Board of Trustees page to find out how you can contact them and let them know to "Keep Travis Open!"
Check out www.saisd.net for more information on meetings, personnel, schools, etc.
Read the minutes of previous board mettings
here.