LHS to lengthen school day

LULING —Partial block scheduling and a lengthened school day were approved as part of plans to heighten a focus on academic progress at Luling High School during the June 25 meeting of the Luling ISD Board of Trustees.
High school principal J.L. Timms gave the board a presentation in favor of lengthening the school day until 4 p.m., with an eight-period schedule there days per week and block scheduling on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He said the additional instruction time would enable staff to increase the amount of intervention and remediation time during the school week.
Luling High School is currently under academic supervision as a result of poor performance on the state accountability tests. Timms said progress in the last year has school staff hopeful the school will upgrade its status during the next assessment period.
As part of that Texas Education Agency supervision, the school is required to implement a new curriculum as well as reoganize staff to foster improvemed achievent for low-performing students.
“It’s not time to panic,” Timms told the board. “It is time to act to plan for success.”
Timms outlined a number of measures the district is already taking, including an increased number of career/technical class offerings.
During the meeting, district chief financial officer Stephanie Timms also gave the board a comparison between tax rates in the district and several neighboring districts. She told trustees that Luling ranked 12th among those districts and the school district may be looking at a slight increase in the interest and sinking tax rate necessary to cover the district’s debt next year.