March 4 is the date for the 2008 Texas Primary Election. In addition, March 4 also is the date when the TAKS reading test is administered in all school districts in Texas. So, the District takes on the added burden of providing sites for the Primary Election while, at the same time trying to maintain quiet and test security during the administration of the TAKS test. Twenty-seven campuses in PISD are affected.

The reason for placing this item on the agenda is to make the public aware of the difficulty in trying to accommodate both of these tasks at the same time. The school district hopes the public will be supportive of the District's attempts to keep them away from the academic areas in the building. Extra signage will be provided at each of the twenty-seven campuses to help direct people to the designated area in each building where the voting is to take place. Plano ISD schools are designed and constructed to maximize instructional practices. As such, most of the academic areas in the elementary schools are not tightly secured and sound proofed. The District will take every precaution to minimize the noise caused by individuals coming to vote in the Primary Election.

The Texas Education Agency opted to not change the date for the reading portion of the TAKS test. This seems to have been the best solution for this problem. However, the TEA did recently distribute a memo indicating that districts could ask for a waiver to the TAKS date on those campuses affected by the voting. However, the TEA also indicated that the waivers would be considered on a case-by-case basis and that they hoped to minimize the number of waivers that would be granted.

Campus Polling Locations:

1. Barron Early Childhood 15. Rasor Elementary School

2. Aldridge Elementary School 16. Saigling Elementary School

3. Bethany Elementary School 17. Sigler Elementary School

4. Brinker Elementary School 18. Stinson Elementary School

5. Christie Elementary School 19. Weatherford Elementary School

6. Daffron Elementary School 20. Wells Elementary School

7. Dooley Elementary School 21. Armstrong Middle School

8. Rose Haggar Elementary School 22. Haggard Middle School

9. Harrington Elementary School 23. Robinson Middle School

10. Haun Elementary School 24. Schimelpfenig Middle School

11. Hughston Elementary School 25. Wilson Middle School

12. Mathews Elementary School 26. Clark High School

13. Meadows Elementary School 27. Shepton High School

14. Mitchell Elementary School

Recommendation:

This item is informational only. No board action is required.

Board Agenda - January 15, 2008

1. March 4, 2008 Primary Election

Presenter: Doug Otto

Purpose: B - Update/status report

Time: 10 minutes

Description:

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