Alto gains national attention with Reebok
BY LELAND ACKER

Alto is going primetime, reported Alto High School Principal Donald Patton and Alto Middle School Principal Kelly West during the regular meeting of the Alto ISD Board of Trustees Monday.

"Friday, Reebok came through with 'Reebok Tours,'" Mr. Patton told the board during the high school principal's report. "I asked, 'why did you pick Alto.' They said 'We've heard a lot of good things about Alto.' Plus, it helps that we're winning."

Mr. Patton said 10 representatives from Reebok toured the campus and participated in the pep rally on Friday afternoon before traveling with the Yellowjackets to the Oakwood game.

He said the Reebok representatives were filming footage of the game, which could be used on television later.

"They're going to the Missouri OU game, the Texas A&M-Nebraska game and they went to the New England Dallas game and they chose to come to Alto," Mr. Patton bragged.

He also reported that the Alto High School cheerleaders will travel to Nacogdoches to perform in Stephen F. Austin State University's homecoming festivities.

Not to be outdone, Mrs. West reported one of her teachers is a finalist in a national NASCAR contest.

Rachel Burrows, whom Mrs. West described as an avid NASCAR fan, assembled a NASCAR-themed bulletin board and used it as a teaching tool.

"She entered an online contest and is one of four finalists out of 23,000 entries," Mrs. West reported. "She took something the kids are interested in and tied it into her lessons. There is a good chance of her classroom being on television in the opening of the November NASCAR race."

Other highpoints from Mrs. West's report included that Alto had only 14 students on the failure list and student Dalton Starr won third place at the World Beef Expo in Waco.

Melody Witt, Alto Elementary principal, reported on positive staff and student development.

Steve McCarty, chairman of the Alto school bond steering committee, reported the committee had collected $697 from its members and purchased yard signs, brochures and promotional cards.

Superintendent Dr. Ray DeSpain, along with DeAnna Griffith and LeAnn Jones, gave a powerpoint presentation on the bond issue.

The board approved accounts payable and accepted a number of legal updates from the Texas Association of School Boards.

Dr. DeSpain, Board President Freddy Johnson, Vice President Greg Duplichain, Boardmembers Britton Tilley, Jay Jones, Randy Low and Lee Pearman were all present at the meeting.