Yearly Archives: 2013

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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HSPVA Alumnus Robert Glasper Wins Grammy Award

Robert Glasper

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.

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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).

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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.

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Peck ES Students Plant Trees Donated by Trees for Houston

Peck Elementary School students plant five live oak trees in front of their school on Friday.

With shovels in hand and smiles on their faces, fifth-graders at Peck Elementary School planted 13 trees donated by Trees for Houston at their school on Friday, including five live oaks and eight elm trees.

In October, HISD announced a partnership with Trees for Houston to plant trees at 27 campuses as part of the Trees for Schools program. Like Peck Elementary, 22 of those schools are part of the district’s $805 million 2007 bond project that included more than 180 construction and renovation projects across the district.

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HISD Seeking Grant for 8 New STEM Magnet Schools

The HISD Board of Education voted Thursday to move forward with a plan to compete for $12 million in federal grant funding to open eight new magnet schools emphasizing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) instruction.

The measure passed with a 7-1 vote with Board President Anna Eastman opposed.

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Berry Elementary School Wins Design Awards

Berry Elementary School's new building features 90 percent natural light in highly occupied areas.

Houston Independent School District’s Berry Elementary School was recently awarded the Sustainability Design Excellence Award by the Texas and Oklahoma chapter of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and was named a runner-up for the Best of the Year award by Interior Design Magazine.

The awards come just a year after construction was completed on the $15.6 million campus as part of the HISD’s 2007 bond program. That $805 million in funding has helped build 19 new schools so far, with another three slated for completion by the end of 2014.

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