Author Archives: HISD Communications

HISD logistics manager busy behind the scenes ensuring smooth transitions across district

Jade Mays

You might call Jade Mays a mover and shaker.

On a typical day, the HISD logistics manager can be found hustling around the district warehouse, scheduling movers, communicating with contractors, coordinating with principals, walking campuses, and overseeing the packing and moving of entire schools.

In a business where things are constantly changing, the job of a logistics manager is no easy feat. Mays and her team are responsible for moving schools and offices that are relocating. Her job is to make the process seamless for employees. Thanks to Mays and her team, teachers and students just have to show up at their new location, unpack and get to work. Continue reading →

Mitchell ES, Park Place ES win NFL Play 60 grants 

Mitchell and Park Place elementary schools scored big recently, winning Play 60 grants from the Houston Texans and Texas Children’s Hospital to fund new equipment for P.E., sports, and after-school programs to help get kids moving.

Mitchell won $5,000 and Park Place won $3,500 after submitting a formal funding request that included an essay on how the grant would be used.

Play 60 grants help schools with gym equipment, playgrounds, activity trails, etc.—anything to help students be active for 60 minutes each day.

Yates HS Project Advisory Team tours new school

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Large science labs, the gymnasium, and views of the Houston skyline were just some of the highlights seen by Project Advisory Team members as they were led on a tour of the new Yates High School on Thursday.

As attendees made their way through the facility making stops in the auditorium, dining commons, and JROTC spaces, the group huddled up near the large windows of a second-floor extended learning area to take in a full view of the University of Houston’s TDECU Stadium.

Currently the construction project is 85 percent complete with interior finishes — flooring, painting and ceiling tile installation — underway. All sidewalks and driveways have been poured and science lab equipment has been installed. Furniture selections will be finalized in the coming weeks.

Continue reading →

New Lawson MS set for completion this summer

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Construction on the new Lawson Middle School is now in the final stages, with the project almost 90 percent complete and on track to open this summer.

The main and auxiliary gymnasiums, locker rooms, dining commons, kitchen, and administrative offices are nearly complete, and flooring is being installed throughout the building. In addition, driveways at the east and west sides of the campus are almost finished.

“The end is in sight,” Lawson Principal Kasey Bailey said, noting that furniture selections have been confirmed, and delivery will occur mid-May. “We are extremely excited and can’t wait to move in.”

Continue reading →

HISD Board of Education names Chief Academic Officer Grenita Lathan as acting superintendent

Grenita Lathan

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education unanimously voted to name Chief Academic Officer Grenita Lathan as interim superintendent of the state’s largest school district.

Lathan was tapped to serve as the interim leader of HISD while trustees search for a permanent replacement for outgoing Superintendent Richard Carranza, who is stepping down after nearly a year and a half with the district.

Lathan will assume the role of acting superintendent immediately, and she will become interim superintendent on April 1. Continue reading →

Status of magnet applications available on March 22 

Parents and students who submitted an application to a magnet program for the 2018-19 school year during Phase I (Sept. 22-Dec. 8, 2017) will learn the status of their applications on or soon after Thursday, March 22.

Parents who created an online account will be able to find the results posted on their dashboards, and application-status letters will also be sent out by U.S. mail. Magnet notifications sent via the online system can take up to eight hours to send. Continue reading →

HISD launches new logo and tagline across the city

If you’ve visited local movie theaters recently or driven around town, you might have noticed the district’s newest marketing campaign featuring HISD’s new logo and/or tagline: Building Houston’s Future, Right Now.

The tagline emphasizes HISD’s role in preparing a future Houston workforce that is college and career ready through initiatives including literacy, college access, wraparound services, innovation, and fine arts.

The district launched the series of advertisements in an effort to increase awareness of the district’s educational initiatives and services that support the whole child.


Located at 59 South and Polk Continue reading →

Garden Oaks Montessori welcomes students into new facilities

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The first day of school after Spring Break is always busy, but for Garden Oaks Montessori students and staff, the day was marked with even more excitement thanks to the opening of new building additions.

Teachers worked through Spring Break to ensure classrooms were ready for students, while some parents even stopped by last week to give their children a chance to get acclimated early.

Garden Oaks Principal Lindsey Pollock said the first day had been hectic, but exciting. Continue reading →

Wilson Montessori opens doors to new building addition

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When Wilson Montessori students came back from spring break on Monday, they returned to a new three-story building addition specifically designed to evoke a sense of nature and the environment.

Soft earth tones color the walls and floors, different types of tiles provide a sense of texture and expansive windows help connect students to the outdoors.

“Montessori goes back to the environment and taking care of the environment,” Wilson Montessori Principal Beth Bonnette said. “As a part of our environment, the concrete hallways are painted brown and blue like land and water, and the students like the ebb and flow that goes with that.”

Continue reading →