Richardson ISD named its first middle school campuses, approved a new code of civility and received certified property tax values from the Dallas Central Appraisal District.

The board of trustees took those actions during the Aug. 8 meeting. The new code of civility is included as part of the regular updates to the district’s code of conduct.

In a nutshell

According to meeting documents, this year’s changes to the code of conduct included three focus areas:
  • Code of civility, which emphasizes kindness to peers and others, peaceful and responsible conflict resolution, and a commitment to not threatening the safety of others
  • Changes to the appeals process for disciplinary action
  • An emphasis on the consequences of violent acts, gang-related activities and fights
“Internally, we have guidelines [for] when we start to interact with students who violate the code of conduct, [and] we have strengthened those,” Joe Miniscalco, senior executive director of Student Services, said. “We’ve strengthened the care and support at our alternative school if we have a student who is removed, and it’s really going to meet their needs and get them back on track.”

The district website and campuses throughout Richardson ISD have copies of the new code of conduct to provide any additional information for parents and students. Miniscalco said district staff will evaluate the changes and monitor any problem areas.


Digging deeper

Additionally, the board of trustees approved a resolution renaming two schools: Lake Highlands Junior High School and Forest Meadow Junior High School to Lake Highlands Middle School and Forest Meadow Middle School. Both campuses will now accommodate sixth- through eighth-grade students.

The renaming process is part of the district’s transition from junior high schools to middle schools in all four learning communities.

Per meeting documents, the district has around $35.5 billion in taxable values for real and personal property compared to the total market value of nearly $47.6 billion. Certified property values are used when calculating revenues from the school district’s tax rate.


What else?

Trustees plan to hold a work session Aug. 22, according to the district’s website. The agenda must be posted at least 72 hours before the meeting.