Veribest ISD administrators report 266 students enrolled, tech upgrades underway and fall sports kickoff

Veribest ISD administrators provided back‑to‑school updates during the Aug. 18 Board of Trustees meeting. Principal Amber Palmer said the district opened on Aug. 13 with 266 students enrolled — 147 in high school and 119 in elementary — and that 33 new students, including Pre‑K, have joined the district. "We are SO excited to be back," Palmer wrote in her report.

Athletic Director Justin Morris reported fall sports are underway. He said "Currently we have 17 kids that are out for football" and that he is working on eligibility for two transfers. Volleyball practices reported strong summer gains in strength conditioning; Morris listed 21 high‑school girls participating (12 varsity, 9 JV) and noted early scrimmage wins.

Technology Director Lahne Burns told trustees the district replaced bulky donated all‑in‑one machines in the computer lab with mini‑PCs and is creating a system image for the lab computers. Burns also said new servers are up and running and that he will begin Windows 11 upgrades before Windows 10 reaches end of life in October. "The new servers work GREAT!!" Burns wrote in his report.

Superintendent Mandy (Amanda) Traylor summarized summer construction and maintenance: locker rooms in the new gym are nearing completion, rotted visitor bleacher wood was removed and painted, and landscaping and roads are nearly finished. She also noted a calendar conflict — the State Track Meet overlaps graduation — and said staff are working on solutions.