WFISD discusses big changes at board meeting

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KAUZ) - Tuesday night’s WFISD board meeting covered a wide range of topics, from student recognition to school safety and academic reform.

The Memorial High School girls soccer team was honored for their outstanding academic achievements. In addition, principals from Burgess, Cunningham, and Fain elementary schools presented updates on ongoing school improvement efforts within their campuses.

A strong turnout from parents brought an added layer of engagement to the meeting. Several spoke out on a variety of issues, including the expansion of the Third Future charter partnership to two additional campuses.

Superintendent Dr. Donny Lee addressed concerns and emphasized the need for early intervention.

“We’ve heard from many, many, many parents. Some parents love it, some parents don’t love it,” Lee said. “But what we can’t do is wait until they get into middle school to act. We know that we’ve got to start at the ground level — and that’s the elementaries that feed into Hirschi. That was the why behind it. We’re going to do something radical, but we’re going to make sure that every single student is on reading grade level and on math grade level.”

Another key item on the agenda was a new partnership between WFISD Police and an external K-9 service. The initiative is designed to enhance campus safety without overextending local law enforcement resources.

WFISD Chief of Police Anthony Smith said the move will allow district officers to respond more efficiently while maintaining strong partnerships with city and county law enforcement agencies.

“We appreciate our partnerships with both the sheriff’s office and our city police department,” Smith said. “Anytime we need to use those for something like this, we can reach out and they’re always willing to help. But with this, it’s a way to not take resources from them while keeping our students and staff safe.”

Through all the discussions held Tuesday night, one message was clear: change is coming to WFISD—and district leaders say it’s all aimed at moving schools and students forward.