Welcome to another school year! I hope your summer was relaxing, and you were able to spend time with family and friends. I am excited to be back for a second year and to continue working with such a great team of educators as we continue to focus on our own professional growth as well as the social and academic growth of our students.
I want to begin by celebrating our success on the Texas Education Agency’s new accountability rating system. Districts are now given a rating based on a letter grade similar to the grade a student receives. Blanco ISD was given a “B” rating, or a score of 88. The new rating system consists of three components: Student Achievement, School Progress, and Closing the Gaps. Campuses will be rated using the new system beginning next year. Currently, all campuses Met Standard and earned distinctions. Blanco High School earned distinctions in Social Studies and Post-Secondary Readiness, while the Middle School earned distinctions in Science, Post-Secondary Readiness and Comparative Closing the Gaps. Blanco Elementary school earned the Post-Secondary Readiness distinction. In addition, BHS was recognized as one of the top high schools in the nation by U.S. News and World Report – for the second year in a row. Congratulations to the staff and students of Blanco ISD!
I hope you have enjoyed the start of school and are settling into the routine of a new year. I always enjoy seeing the excitement that a new school year brings. We welcomed 1008 students into our classrooms on the first day of school, and I know we are up for the task of serving their educational needs! There are currently 1020 students total; 338 at the high school, 263 at BMS and 419 at Blanco Elementary.
We welcomed a new member to our district leadership team this year. Brad Kinney is the new principal at Blanco Middle School. He comes to Blanco with 27 years of experience in education. He has been a teacher, coach and assistant principal during his career. He received his Master of Education in Administration degree in 2014.
On a financial note, the BISD Board of Trustees approved an $11.3 million dollar working budget for the 2018 – 2019 school year. I am happy to report that our tax rate will remain the same at $1.1962 per $100 value. We will continue to strive to ensure that Blanco ISD has a solid financial foundation for many years based on sound fiscal decisions. We know that our taxpayers support our schools, and we take that financial responsibility very seriously.
If you have been around our campuses, you know that the year is in full swing. Students are learning new rules and rigorous content. Our band, athletic teams, cheerleaders, and other groups are preparing for competitions. Many students are already representing the royal blue and gold in various competitions. It’s a great time to be a Blanco Panther!!
As we all settle into the new school year, I want to remind you to Celebrate What is Right! Blanco is a great community to live in and BISD is fortunate to have an awesome staff and great kids. I invite you to be partners with us as we journey through another school year—visit, volunteer, ask, and through your participation, make our school district even better!
As we look back on the past with pride, we look forward to the future with promise.
Sincerely,
Clay Rosenbaum
Superintendent of Schools
Blanco Independent School District
Additional settings for Safari Browser.
