• Parental involvement continues to be stressed.

• The first town hall meeting was held.

• Special events were held to honor African-Americans, Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans accomplishments.

As to the future of the district, Porterie said a national team of educators will visit in February to assess the progress of PAISD.

“Members of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) will be in the district for four days to determine the status of the district in relation to SACS standards,” he said. “Accreditation by SACS is an indication of a successful school district. While it is impossible to list all of the highlights of this past year, those listed are only an indication of the hard work and dedication of the staff of the Port Arthur Independent School District.

“It seems like only yesterday that we were all thinking about moving into the 21st Century. Now, we are nearing the end of the first decade of that century. The year 2009 offers us all the opportunity to begin again, and we encourage everyone to be part of the PAISD and our goal of providing the best education possible for the boys and girls of our community.”

dball@panews.com