As HISD prepares for a return to in-person instruction on Oct. 19, the district has launched a COVID-19 dashboard to keep the community informed about the impact of the pandemic.

Designed to ensure transparency, the online dashboard will track the number of confirmed COVID-19 on-campus student and staff cases. It will go live at 1 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 28.

“As we navigate this pandemic together, we want to ensure that we are transparent as we provide crucial updates,” HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said. “This new dashboard will give our staff members and families the information they need in an accessible and easy-to-use way to make informed decisions.”

High school juniors from across HISD are invited to join NASA in exploring the moon to Mars through its High School Aerospace Scholars program.  

NASA wants today’s students to become the engineers, scientists, researchers and innovators of tomorrow. High School Aerospace Scholars offers a one-of-a-kind experience for Texas high school students to explore the possibilities of a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related major or career. 

The experience begins this fall with an online interactive course on NASA activities related to space exploration, Earth science, technology, mathematics and aeronautics. Students complete design challenges including 3D drawings, science quizzes, discussion posts, technology writings and monthly webinars with NASA scientists and engineers.  

To provide families with additional time to make the decision that best meets their student’s educational needs, the district has extended the deadline to select either in-person or virtual instruction to Monday, Sept. 28.

As a reminder, parents can make their selection for either in-person or virtual instruction through the HISD Connect Parent Portal. 

Due to inclement weather from Tropical Storm Beta, and to ensure the safety of staff, all HISD facilities and offices will remain closed on Wednesday, September 23. District facilities are scheduled to reopen on Thursday, September 24, pending road and weather conditions.

Employees will be required to report to work remotely and remain available during regular duty hours. However, employees who are required to physically report to work will be contacted by their supervisors. Virtual at-home instruction will continue as scheduled as long as internet connectivity and power remain intact. All Digital Learning Centers will be closed.

Food deliveries at apartment complexes as well as curbside pickup – both scheduled for Wednesday, September 23 – also have been canceled.

Please be safe, remain alert to weather conditions, and follow the advice of local officials. More updates will be provided as we receive information from the National Weather Service and city and county authorities.

The 2020 Census deadline is fast approaching, and HISD needs the participation of every household to ensure the district receives the federal funding it needs to serve all students.

The deadline to respond is Wednesday, September 30.

Census data guides how more than $675 billion in federal funding is distributed to states and communities each year. The census also impacts funding communities receive for special education, classroom technology, teacher training, after-school programs, and school lunch assistance. For HISD, this also means support in the way of funding for technology needs for virtual learning.