Board recognized for dedication to community

Bearcats of Character recognized for the trait of kindness at the Jan 20 Aledo ISD board meeting were Piper Lode, Eliana Frias, Ledger Pennington, Hudson Hatfield, Ellie Kerr, Liberty “Birdie” Ruse, Emery Simicek, Marley Rose, Savannah Lanphier, Brielle DePauw, Orson Henry, Harper Holloway, in front of AISD School Board and Superintendent Susan Bohn. Not pictured: Julian Cancino

Mary Taggart/The Community News

The pictures highlighted the name of each board member with a corresponding message or theme. 

Across Texas, trustees are honored for their dedication and service to the communities they serve. Board members are elected by their peers and receive “no compensation for the hours they spend attending meetings, making decisions and shaping districts.”  

In her remarks, Superintended Dr. Susan Bohn said commitment and dedication to the students, teachers, and Aledo ISD community has directly led to the success of the district.

“This group of people is directly tied to [that],” she said. 

Additionally, she read remarks from each member who shared why they serve and how their public-school experience influenced the people they are today. 

Along with the student-drawn pictures, videos and other notes have been shared on the AISD website. 

Also at the meeting, the board heard from AISD Vice President David Lear, who shared that he has received several questions regarding the impact of the Texas voucher bill, known as the Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program, that allows families to use public funds for private school tuition and educational expenses. 

With applications being accepted beginning Feb. 4 for awards for the 2026-27 school year, Lear shared information about overall public school versus private school students in the state and said it was too early to know what the impact to AISD might be, if any. 

He added that there were only eight private schools entering the program that were located west of Fort Worth, while saying that the application timelines may need to be adjusted by the state in the future due to when private schools make their decisions for enrollment well before parents will be notified if they are eligible for funds. 

Trustees also heard from Cathy Williams, the AISD Social Studies Coordinator, about changes coming to the framework after it being approved by the State Board of Education (SBOE). 

She said the Social Study TEKS was being rewritten this semester by the SBOE for review and implementation.

Additionally, the board:

• Approved upgrades to the Wide Area Repeater System (WARS) at a cost of approximately $93,000 for hardware and installation. 
• Approved the 2026-27 instructional calendar based on the draft presented to the board at its December meeting. 
• Called for the May 2 election for places 6 & 7, if needed. A conditional contract was then entered into with both the Fort Worth and Parker County Elections Administration for that election. If there are no races that are contested, the contract and the election will be canceled. 

The board meets next on Feb. 16.