Basketball teams from 12 HISD elementary schools will compete in the final round of the 2013 Paula Harris Basketball Classic. This is the third year HISD Board of Education Trustee Paula Harris has hosted the event which encourages student participation and parent and community involvement for schools in the Cullen Middle School community. At the conclusion of the tournament there will be an awards ceremony. The event will also showcase various HISD bands, cheerleaders, and dance and step teams.
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Monthly Archives: February 2013
Students have a chance to win an Apple iPad!
What can you get for telling Food Services what you think about your school’s daily breakfast and lunch dining experience? During the weeks of February 18 – March 8, secondary students at 74 selected schools will get a chance to win one of four Apple iPads Food Services is giving away. You can’t beat that! Students in grades 6-12 that go online to www.studentvp.com/HISD, complete the quick survey, fill out the confirmation page and turn it in to their school’s cafeteria manager will get their names entered in a drawing to win one (1) of four (4) Apple iPads! Continue reading
Comprehensive Website Keeps Public Informed About Bond Programs
Want to stay better informed about the bond programs at HISD? The district now features an integrated website, www.houstonisd.org/bond, on the 2012 and 2007 bond programs.
This site offers information on procurement opportunities, project updates, real estate sales, the Office of Business Assistance, and an interactive map to locate bond schools. Since its launch, more than 6,000 people have visited the site.
The website even features a section on 21st century schools — complete with articles and videos — that highlights the innovative strategies and designs being implemented across the country to boost student achievement.
Other features include a calendar of bond activities, an RSS feed of all bond news from the blog, and an archive section for press coverage and the monthly Building Excellence eNewsletter.
Have a question? Submit it to bondinfo@houstonisd.org, and an HISD representative will contact you.
HISD Announces Meetings to Discuss School Transition Plans
Sterling HS students will move to Jones HS campus during construction; Ryan MS students would move to Cullen MS
Four community meetings have been scheduled for Tuesday, February 26 to discuss HISD’s plan move students out of two school buildings at the end of this school year.
Under the plan, the current student bodies of Sterling and Jones high schools would be combined into a single campus on a permanent basis. Students from Sterling will move to the Jones campus and remain there while the new Sterling campus is under construction as part of the recently approved HISD bond program. The school would operate as a single campus, with all students joining together to compete on the same academic and athletic teams. Once the new campus opens in late 2016 or early 2017, all students currently zoned to Jones would be rezoned to the new school, a $72.3 million campus capable of supporting modern technology and accommodating the latest approaches to collaborative learning.
Asian Advisory Committee Hears About Efforts to Enhance M/WBE Participation for 2012 Bond
Alexis Licata, general manager of HISD's Office of Business Assistance, provides information on doing business with the district during a meeting of the Asian Advisory Committee.
More than 50 people turned out Wednesday for an update on HISD’s 2012 bond program at an event hosted by the district’s Asian Advisory Committee at the International Trade Center on Bellaire.
“Many of us don’t know how to do business with HISD, and that’s why we’re having this meeting,” said Gordon Quan, committee chairman and a Houston immigration attorney.
The event drew area architects, engineers and consultants, who heard from Alexis Licata, general manager of HISD’s Office of Business Assistance. She gave participants an overview of the bond program to date and its efforts to include participation by minority and women-owned business enterprises.
New HISD Board President Anna Eastman Discusses 2012 Bond Program and Upcoming HISD Survey
Who: 2012 HISD Board President Mike Lunceford and recently elected 2013 HISD Board President Anna Eastman sit down for a discussion on the district’s recent accomplishments and upcoming priorities and initiatives for 2013. Topics discussed include the 2012 bond program and an upcoming third-party survey of HISD parents, students and staff. This is Lunceford’s last time serving as host of the monthly television program as he passes the reigns to Eastman.
Houston ISD Exploring Solutions to Budget Shortfall Caused by State Cuts
District has lost $120 million in annual state funding
February 21, 2013 – The state of Texas’ unconstitutional school funding system has placed the HISD Board of Education in the position of considering two options for covering a projected $72 million deficit for the 2013-2014 school year: deeper cuts to classroom spending and/or a property tax rate increase.
An update on the budget situation was presented to the Houston Independent School District Board of Education during a public workshop meeting today.
HSPVA Alumnus Robert Glasper Wins Grammy Award
Photo by Mike Schreiber. Courtesy of EMI Music.
Robert Glasper, an alumnus of the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, took home the award for Best R&B Album earlier this month at the 55th Grammy Awards.
Glasper, who turns 35 in April, won for his latest album, “Black Radio.” The album blends jazz, R&B, funk and hip-hop and features appearances by Lupe Fiasco, Erykah Badu, Bilal, Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) and others.
HISD’s ‘When I Grow Up’ Expo to Feature Technical Careers and Education in Houston
Event includes hands-on projects, competitions and workshops related to local career fields
In observance of National Career and Technology Education month in February, HISD’s College and Career Readiness Department is hosting the When I Grow Up Expo on Saturday, February 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hattie Mae White Educational Center (4400 W. 18th Street).
Small-Business Owner Finds Success Doing Business with HISD
“HISD really helps small businesses, especially minority-owned businesses,” said Jasmine Wang, who began her company, Sienna Supply, in 2010.
Jasmine Wang knew her company would be a good vendor for HISD, offering one-stop shopping for a range of supplies, from janitorial carts to pencil sharpeners.
But Wang, a Houston small-business owner, was apprehensive about getting involved in the public procurement process with the largest school district in Texas. That was, until she connected with the HISD’s Office of Business Assistance.
“(HISD) really helps small businesses, especially minority-owned businesses,” said Wang, who began her company, Sienna Supply, in 2010. “There is a nurturing relationship between HISD and small-business suppliers.”
The business assistance team at HISD is designed to help small companies, including minority and women-owned firms, gain the confidence and expertise to navigate the procurement process, hosting workshops on business topics and networking events.