UIL sponsors stay proactive after budget cut in half

In past years, the UIL academic budget was $10,000.
This year, it is only $5,000.
“Funding has been a problem at the state level and now it’s trickling down,” Rider UIL coordinator and Literary Criticism sponsor Sandra Scheller said. “We’re not the only ones who have to do this.
Previously the team would go on two out of town meets a year. This year, they may only get one.
“Our best competition is out of town, and we can’t afford it,” Scheller said.
Physics sponsor Patrick Tempelmeyer thinks the change won’t help their chances at state.
“We should have an incredibly strong team,” Tempelmeyer said. “It would be better if we could go on those meets, though. Plus, it cuts some of the fun out of being on the team.”
Not only can they not afford meets, practice materials are also expensive.
“Lit Crit costs $250 just for one event,” Scheller said. “We have $500 total.”
To help with costs, different departments are pitching in for practice materials.
“They’re helping as much as they can, but their budgets were also cut,” Scheller said.
In order to offset the cuts, the sponsors are doing fundraisers such as the “Celebrity Scoop Night” at Maggie Moo’s that was held on Oct. 26.
“We’re trying to be proactive,” Scheller said,” but I don’t know how this can do anything but hurt.”

Leaders of the Class: Teachers Chosen as West Teachers of Excellence

One’s known as the mom of the English hall. The other, relative-new-comer to the teaching profession, spends tons of hours working with her students and team. Now both have been honored by the West Foundation for their teaching.
English teacher Sandra Scheller and A&P, Biology and softball coach Alisha Crouch were honored with West Teaching Excellence awards last month.
Scheller was “very excited” when she found out she had won.
“It’s a tremendous honor,” Scheller said. “I would have done a dance of joy, but I thought it would have been inappropriate.”
In the WFISD, there are 1,100 teachers. Out of those 1,100 teachers, 20 were chosen as recipients of the award.
Scheller didn’t believe the first two congratulatory e-mails she received.
“It wasn’t until Mrs. McDonald congratulated me that I believed it,” Scheller said.
Science teacher Alisha Crouch knew for a few days before she received the e-mail.
“Braveboy accidentally told me,” Crouch said. “I was really surprised.”
Crouch believes that putting in a lot of extra hours is partly the reason she won the award.
“I also try to have a relationship with the students,” Crouch said. “When you have a good relationship, the kids want to learn.”
Scheller is known as the mom of the English hall.
“For younger teachers, we know we can go to her for advice, student problems, and lesson plan ideas,” English teacher Polly Birkhead said.
English teacher and long-time friend of Scheller, Yvonne Baker-Kistler believes Scheller won partly due to her listening nature and creativity.
“She’s extremely creative,” Baker-Kistler said. “Sometimes she comes up with some really wacky lesson plans that really work.”
Scheller said she feels honored to be chosen.
“I don’t know why I won,” Scheller said. “It’s exciting to work with so many dedicated, overworked faculty. I don’t know why they chose me.”
Birkhead credits her award to her patience.
“She’s willing to give kids a chance,” Birkhead said. “She’s able to bring things down to their levels.”
Baker-Kistler thinks the award is late getting to Scheller.
“She’s deserved this for years,” Baker-Kistler said. “She’s been an excellent teacher for many years and she’s just now getting noticed.”
Scheller has been teaching for 25 years and in her words, is only 27 years old.
“I love teaching,” Scheller said. “I learn something everyday. It’s encouraging that people care enough to offer some help.”

UIL Budget Funding

In a budget crunch year, the district’s UIL teams were unable to travel to as many practice competitions as in previous years.

“We’re taking our first trip soon,” Sandra Scheller, Literary Criticism and Ready Writing coach, said. “We’re taking about half the team and it will cost around $2,500.”

This year, and last year, the UIL budget was $10,000.

“I took over last year and it was $10,000,” Schelller said. “The year before, I believe they had more.”

The prices of things and inflation both have a part in the UIL budget.

“The way they determine how much we get also changed,” Scheller said. “We used to request an amount, now, they just assign it.”

Scotty Coppage, Debate and Oral Interpretation coach, believes this issue hurts the students the most.

“Money is tight everywhere, not just in the schools,” Coppage said. “When there is less money to do the things we need to do, it hurts the program and the students lose out the most.”

Mary Beth Lee, Journalism coach, believes not traveling can cause a lack of team spirit.

“We don’t form a team bond which sometimes can be the difference between winning or losing,” Lee said. “When you don’t travel, you don’t get to know each other.”

Not only does it prevent students from getting to know each other, it also prevents students from seeing people they will actually be competing against.

“We don’t see anyone we actually compete against in this area,” Lee said. “We have to travel to Dallas to see our actual competition.”

Lynda Cannedy, Accounting and Computer Applications coach, makes a sports analogy to further explain. “Imagine a sports team that had to go straight to district without any preparation or competition,” Cannedy said. “That’s basically what UIL academics are being asked to when there is no money for out-of-town competition. Our students can’t be as prepared as they need to be without a good competitive schedule.”