State Senator Robert Nichols met on Thursday with the Polk County superintendent of schools. He has traveled much of East Texas with staff members Shelby Vestal, legislative director, McKenna Martinez, general counsel, and Jake Ellis, senior policy advisor.
The group has targeted 18 counties and visited over 100 school districts to help learn about the issues facing education.
“Shelby and I will review comments from our meetings with superintendents, sit down with Commissioner (Mike) Morath, and give him a report on concerns impacting the districts,” Nichols said. “We will also meet with John Scott about safety issues.”
The superintendents who attended the meeting were Dr. Brent Hawkins of Livingston ISD, Dr. Darrell Myers as interim superintendent for Onalaska ISD, and Brian Aiken of Corrigan-Camden ISD. Representatives of higher education included Kristen Walker, executive director of TSUS Polk County Center; Dr. Wendy Elmore, Lamar State College-Orange Provost; Dr. Pamela Millsap, Lamar State College - Port Arthur VP for Academic Affairs; Dr. Angela Hill, Lamar Institute of Technology VP of Instruction Provost.
Nichols visits with each county he represents before every session. He believes school priorities change every two years and the meetings are a way to stay on top of educational matters.
