08:44 AM CST on Thursday, February 16, 2006

By Alicia Gooden / Galveston County Daily News

LA MARQUE — A group says it will stage a rally Thursday calling for La Marque Independent School District Superintendent Adrain Johnson to resign.

Trustees are scheduled to discuss Johnson’s contract at a meeting Thursday night.

For months, the loosely affiliated group of taxpayers has leveled charges of inadequate education, racial discrimination and misplaced budgetary values against Johnson and his administration. For the five years he has headed La Marque schools, student test scores have plummeted and teachers are not getting the salary increases necessary to stay competitive, group members argue.

“Excuses don’t excuse and explanations don’t explain,” said the Rev. D.N. Benford, pastor of the Rising Star Baptist Church and critic of Johnson’s administration. “Poor education equals segregation.”

Johnson said Wednesday he had no plans to resign.

“I am fulfilling a contract I have with the La Marque ISD Board of Trustees,” he said in a written statement. “I remain committed to working with the board and this community to deliver a quality education for our students.

“This includes meeting the needs of not only our students, but also the needs of our faculty, parents and community members. I welcome anyone who has concerns about this district to meet with me directly to discuss ways we can improve.”

District officials said recent math test scores show student performance was improving. The number of ninth-graders passing state mandated tests rose to 38 percent from 26 percent, while 10th-grade passing rates rose to 50 percent from 29 percent and 11th-grade passing rates rose to 71 percent from 59 percent, officials said.

“The scores have been rising over the four years, and it will continue to rise once we get the curriculums vertically aligned,” said Lora-Marie Bernard, district public information.

However, the Rev. James Daniel said students who graduated from La Marque schools during Johnson’s tenure have had difficulty in college.

“They’re taking remedial classes because they didn’t get the education they needed when they were in school,” he said. “It used to be that people couldn’t wait to get into La Marque schools, but now they want out.”

What: La Marque school board meeting.

When: Rally 5:30 p.m.; meeting 7 p.m.

Where: Administration building, 1727 Bayou Road.