It’s safe to say David Chaney probably won’t be at his 30 year reunion this year.

The 1982 W.T. White alum is currently wrapped up in the Secret Service prostitution scandal. By “wrapped up” I mean he probably hired some prostitutes in Colombia, while waiting for President Obama to arrive.

Putting that DISD education to good work.

Not much changed for Hillcrest, Jesuit, Thomas Jefferson, and W.T. White with the release of the University Interscholastic League’s biennial realignment and reclassification of districts on Thursday morning.

In fact, those schools will have only one new team each in their districts for the next two school years. Jesuit and W.T. White will remain in the current District 9-5A with Skyline, Sunset, Richardson, Berkner, and Lake Highlands. The district will lose Samuell and pick up Pearce, which should make things a whole lot easier for Richardson ISD athletic officials. Pearce moved up from Class 4A.

Meanwhile, Samuell moves over to the current District 12-4A to make it an eight-team league. The Spartans will join Hillcrest, Thomas Jefferson, Bryan Adams, Conrad, Lincoln, Spruce, and Woodrow Wilson.

Want to pull your hair out because of a difficult kid? Learn how to whip them into shape from a fun and entertaining motivational speaker.

Brenda Bird will host a parenting class at WT White High School on January 25 at 6:45 p.m.

Hillcrest and W.T. White are among six DISD high schools that received College Readiness Awards from the Texas ACT Council. The campuses were honored for increasing the number of students taking the ACT exams over the past five years. The other high schools that received the award were the School for the Talented and Gifted, the School of Business and Management, the Rosie M. Collins Sorrells School of Education and Social Services, and Samuell High School.

Do you live around W.T. White High School? Are you troubled by traffic? Then this neighborhood meeting has your name on it.

WHAT: A discussion of traffic flow and related issues

WHERE: W.T. White High School Cafeteris

WHEN: 6:30 p.m., Wednesday TBA.

UPDATE 4:15 p.m. W.T. White just sent out this message, “Due to Texas Rangers baseball playoff game, this meeting will be rescheduled for another time.”

W.T. White was one of 45 DISD schools to win a Grant for Innovative Teaching from the Dallas Junior League. Students will study tadpoles, eggs, and caterpillars as they transform from one phase to another.

For the district’s full press release, go the jump. Read More…

For most people reading this, the day is winding down. For the reporter writing this, it’s only just beginning.

I’m live at DISD headquarters where Interim Superintendent Alan King just presented Budget Version 6.1.

King said he is 90 percent sure this is the budget the district will end up with when the State Legislature ends the special session. He is recommending the board approve this budget tonight, and it’s Item No. 17 on the agenda.

Stay tuned for more updates.

UPDATE 5:34 PM

Before the meeting was even officially called to order, two cell phones went off, someone shouted out “For all!” after the “With liberty and justice for all,” portion of the pledge of allegiance, and board president Lew Blackburn quoted the Bible.

UPDATE 5:57 PM
The public forum has begun. Six cell phones have gone off, and one person is audibly snoring.

UPDATE 6:04 PM
“Most of the high school students I know don’t know how to read.”

Sunset High School student Xochiti Deleon said during the public forum.

UPDATE 6:43 PM
The public forum has been going on for almost an hour with only speaker addressing the budget issue. More popular topics include classroom discipline, and the naming of various auditoriums, libraries, and plazas.

UPDATE 7:19 PM
The librarians are here in force. Seven speakers so far have voiced their displeasure with the cuts in the libraries that would take away 42 positions.

UPDATE 7:32 PM
After 11 speakers including current and former librarians, graduates, parents, and volunteers, the Dallas League of Librarians has conceivably rested its case. There are five speakers remaining on the public forum schedule.

UPDATE 7:42 PM
Just kidding. John Kalan, a father of two PH Elementary students, just went to bat for libraries, making it an even dozen speakers. So far…

UPDATE 7:53 PM
The public forum for agenda items has ended. Now speakers on non-agenda items will begin. There are eight names listed.

UPDATE 8:12 PM
After listening to three hours of public speakers, the board is taking a ten-minute recess. It will return to tackle the consent agenda consisting of 84 items as well as the 22 items pulled for a separate vote. The budget is item 17.

In other news, I’m starving.

UPDATE 8:30 PM
The board is back in session

UPDATE 8:46 PM
The board unanimously approved the consent agenda. Meanwhile, my phone battery is running low so updates won’t be as frequent.

UPDATE 9:20 PM
Board members approved an amendment to the district’s sick leave policy proposed by Nancy Bingham to include days for adopted children and personal reasons.

When Blackburn questioned how the days would be designated, Bingham responded thusly:
“I don’t care what it’s called–you can call it ‘mental health day,’” she said to cheers from the remaining library contingent.

UPDATE 9:55 PM
An amendment proposed by Mike Morath will allow principals to refuse teacher placements. Those teachers who are slated to be moved to another school will have to be approved by the principal. Unaccepted teachers will be placed in a “reassignment pool” that will be used for substitute teachers. Morath insists this is not a rubber room.

UPDATE 10:12 PM
After Mike Morath made a case that many private schools sell naming rights rather than award them, a motion to name a band room in honor of someone failed. Morath is hoping to start a trend to raise revenue.

“We have assets that we can give away, or we have assets we can sell,” Morath said. “I’m not up here to be lousy with tax payer funds.”

UPDATE 11:37 PM
The board approved Budget Version 6.1 with an amendment to revise the budget in August to restore library staff levels.

Goodnight.

Former high school players Jake Bateman (W.T. White), Paul Peters (Hillcrest), and Zach Reding (Jesuit) got to put on their uniforms one more time for last night’s North Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association All-Star Game at QuikTrip Park in Grand Prairie.

All three started for the East team, which lost to the West, 2-1, on a walk-0ff single by Southlake Carroll’s Kyle Bailey.

Reding, who is going to Texas Tech, had a double and a stolen base at designated hitter, while Peters (pictured), who hopes to walk on at Texas A&M, drew a walk. Bateman, who is bound for Midland Junior College, made a nice play at third base to complete a double play in the first inning.

On Tuesday, the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association released its all-state teams. Not surprisingly, Jesuit’s Josh Bell was a first-team pick. Bell, who was recently drafted by Pittsburgh, hit .584 with 13 home runs and 50 RBI. Bell plans to play for the University of Texas next season.

Choir members show appreciation for their parents, friends, and teachers at the Spring concert. Photo: Louisa Meyer

After earning top honors at UIL, the longhorn choir ended the year with a bang at the State competition in Austin. Here’s a rundown of the 2011 medal winners:

1st division medals: Griselda Cortez, Brittney Sewell, Jade Watkins, Caine Frederique, Juan Aguinaga, Racquel Jones

2nd division medals: Jacorey Upshaw, Jennifer Melendez, Vanessa Serreano, Ami Nami, Kyle Barnes, Linda Schiestal, Demetrio Teniente, Marvin Melendez, Isaiah Rice, Walter Zeyala, Anna Plunkett, Jatsive Hernandez

3rd Division medal: Racquel Scaggs

If you’re a fan of So You Think You Can Dance, America’s Got Talent, Dancing With The Stars, or any rendition of the rumba, W.T. White has just the show for you.

For the third-straight year, dancers will dazzle audiences with routines that have one thing none of the above dance shows can offer: reality without television. Hip-hop, jazz, ballet, and everything in between is fair game in this live show in the school’s auditorium at 4505 Ridgeside Drive. Tickets for Dance Explosion are $5. The explosion begins at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday.