A Blended Agenda: Beaumont ISD Plays Host to City Of Beaumont for Joint Meeting
Beaumont ISD and the City Of Beaumont continued its now three-year tradition of holding joint meetings by assembling on Tuesday, October 22, 2024. The second gathering of the two entities for 2024 was held in the school district boardroom. Discussion items included reports from City Manager Kenneth Williams and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Shannon Allen, a report on Juvenile Justice Best Practice from Mayor Roy West, and joint project updates.
In his presentation to the audience, City Manager Williams announced the opening of the city’s Real Time Crime Center. “We’ve partnered with BISD and Lamar [University] on this project,” Williams explained. “We’ve gotten great participation from the community where people are connecting their cameras to it. We have eyes all over the city. It’s been a fantastic activity for all of us.” The Real Time Crime Center website calls the program “the Neighborhood Watch of the 21st Century.” The city-wide initiative led by the Beaumont Police Department strives to enhance the safety of citizens by responding to crime more quickly and efficiently.
Dr. Allen used her time to educate those in attendance about the Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE), which is Proposition A on the November 5, 2024 ballot. “We are in this scenario currently where we need to approach and ask our voters for an increase in the Maintenance and Operations (M&O) tax rate because we have not received new revenue and new funding from the state.” Pass or fail, the tax rate adopted by BISD trustees has been lowered by two cents. If Proposition A passes, $13 million will be generated in the M&O portion of the tax rate that can be used for employee raises, additional security measures, and maintaining educational programs for students. If the measure fails, $4 million in budget cuts will have to be made.
In Mayor West’s report, he shared that he recently joined other elected officials and juvenile probation representatives on a visit to Harris County to learn about “reVision,” a program now being operated in Beaumont. The “reVision” website states that its purpose is to break the cycle of juvenile justice involvement and homelessness among youth in Harris County by leveraging the power of community to connect them with mentors, positive peers, life-changing resources, and opportunities for artistic expression. “The idea behind it is that they are equipping [juveniles] to be successful in the world, and treating them with respect, and attempting to keep them from being detained,” offered West. The mayor said the program has been brought to Southeast Texas with the assistance of philanthropist Regina Rogers. BISD Trustee Joe Evans serves as the Executive Director.
The meeting also included the presentation of Keys to the City to longtime BISD crossing guards Larry Payne and Bobby Frank (posthumously). Payne was there to accept the honor, while Frank, who died in April after an illness, was represented by his wife, Earnestine. Richard Gagne, of Richard Gagne and Associates, also paid tribute to the men who have been widely praised for their dedication and friendliness as they aid(ed) in keeping children safe while crossing Dowlen Road, near Marshall Middle School.
To hear more about BISD-City Of Beaumont collaborations, watch the COB podcast “Chalk Talk” using this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=XZzZk-mp37I
