Belton ISD reports academic gains, bond project progress and hears City of Temple neighborhood plan
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Summary
At the March 30 meeting, the board heard an academic progress report showing gains in early numeracy and Algebra I mastery, a bond/capital update with multiple facility and HVAC projects and expected bond savings, and a City of Temple presentation on the Oak Hills neighborhood plan that includes pedestrian and park proposals near district schools.
Assistant Superintendent Gabby Nino reported benchmark assessment results that the district said show targeted growth and areas for continued work. Nino highlighted a 9% reduction in the number of students scoring at the lowest level in ELA, a 12% gain in fifth-grade writing at the highest level, and a 22% gain in Algebra I mastery for selected cohorts. "We saw a 22% gain in Algebra I mastery in both eighth grade and our high school students in Meets and Masters from the fall to spring," Nino said, and she emphasized calibration, spiraled standards and small-group interventions as district responses.
Nino also reported progress in science and social studies assessments, including a double-digit increase among economically disadvantaged students in a biology standard and gains in eighth-grade social-studies analysis. She reiterated that the district is shifting assessment and instruction practices toward deeper, standards-level work and daily writing and investigative practices in science.
On facilities and capital projects, Dr. Morgan gave an update on work tied to the 2022 bond and maintenance-and-operations capital funds: playground fencing and cloud-based security cameras at specified campuses, roof replacements, replacement of aging switchgear at Belton High School, chiller-valve work, LED classroom lighting phases and storm-damage repairs tied to a 2024 claim. He said the district estimates roughly $4.5 million in bond savings and anticipated using a portion of those funds and M&O capital funds to cover approximately $3.7 million of upcoming projects.
City of Temple planning staff (Dan) previewed the Oak Hills neighborhood plan, noting pedestrian connectors to Chisholm and Charter Oak Elementary, proposed park and regional-park connections, drainage and sidewalk repairs, and corridor-planning potential along State Highway 317. Dan said the plan will move next to the Planning & Zoning Commission and then City Council.
The board praised staff and student work and asked follow-up questions about instructional strategies, vendor timelines for capital projects and coordination with municipal planning teams. No formal action was required on the reports.
Next steps: staff will continue implementation of targeted instructional strategies and return to the board with project-specific procurement and scheduling details for the listed capital projects.
