Author Archives: HISD Communications

Scarborough HS construction more than halfway complete

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Construction at Scarborough High School is over halfway complete with renovations to classroom spaces and common areas finished in time for students to enjoy on the first day of school on Sept. 11.

The remaining portion of the project — a 13,000-square-foot JROTC and fine arts building addition — is nearly complete with roofing underway and brick installation set to begin in the coming weeks.

“Although our construction timeline is slightly delayed, the crew has us back on track,” Scarborough Principal Rod Treviño said, referring to initial delays in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. “Our classrooms and hallways look great, and students are excited about the look of their new 21st century building.”

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Number of Family Friendly Schools more than doubles in second year of program 

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Sixty-one HISD schools took the Family and Community Empowerment (FACE) Department’s challenge to get their campus certified as a Family Friendly School for the 2016-2017 school year, and they did it.

Campuses worked diligently during this past school year to offer their families and communities research-based activities and strategies to expand and build relationships, link events to student learning, and build capacity and support efforts for family and community empowerment.  Through these efforts, schools attained one of the three Family Friendly School Certification levels:   Continue reading →

Carnegie Vanguard HS senior aces SAT, ACT, and AP exams 

Carnegie Vanguard High School Ramon Moss (left) and HISD College Readiness Senior Manager Jennifer Ertel present senior An Nguyen with a certificate of achievement.

Meet An Nguyen, the Houston Independent School District student who earned perfect scores on the School Day SAT, the ACT, and the 11 Advanced Placement (AP) exams she has taken throughout high school. Nguyen is now part of an elite, high academic profile club.

According to the CollegeBoard, 1.7 million students took the SAT in 2017, with a mean score of 1060. In Texas, 204,409 students took the SAT, with a mean score of 1020.

The SAT and ACT are both college entrance exams, assessing skills in reading, math, and writing.

Increasing access to college entrance exams is a key focus for HISD— all high school juniors take the SAT for free at their home campus during regular school hours. Houston ISD also offers the PSAT to students in grades 8-11 for free. HISD is dedicated to preparing students test college-ready in math and reading before graduation. Continue reading →

Workshop Wednesday promotes financial freedom

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Certified Financial Educator Lijoy Thomas and his team educated local business owners and vendors on Wednesday about the concept of building a strong financial foundation.

During Thomas’ presentation, part of HISD’s Business Assistance Workshop Wednesday series, attendees were given clarity on compound interest and debt management, as well as a better understanding of the meaning of the terms asset, liability, and net worth.

“How is it that the richest country in the world is in so much debt?” asked Thomas as he presented information on the nation’s consumer debt level. “An average family owes $15,950 in credit card debt.” Continue reading →

Workers prepare foundation for new Lamar HS

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Though there’s not much to see above ground, construction at Lamar High School is well underway, as crews are drilling piers and preparing to lay the foundation for the campus’ new addition.

As part of that foundation work, crews soon will begin installing grade beams and pouring the concrete slab. Once the groundwork and foundation are complete, installation of steel columns and beams will follow, taking the project vertical by year’s end.

“Once this project gets out of the ground, it will be easy to see progress almost every day,” said Heery International Project Manager Marvin Stone, who oversees the Lamar construction for the Houston Independent School District. “Stay tuned. This will be a fun project to watch.”

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Construction on new Bellaire HS to start next summer 

The Bellaire City Council has approved an updated site plan and traffic study for the new Bellaire High School and granted a permit for the property, meaning construction on the facility could begin as early as next summer.

The  approval of the specific-use permit by the city effectively clears the last hurdle in the design process for the new high school, being rebuilt under HISD’s voter-approved 2012 Bond Program.

“After all the work we’ve put into this project to build consensus amongst all of our stakeholders, we are thrilled to finally get the green light from the City of Bellaire and begin moving forward,” Bellaire Principal Michael McDonough said. “This is a huge step forward for our students, our school, and our community.”

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Notice of Destruction of Special Education Records 

Special Education records, which have been collected by the Houston Independent School District (HISD) related to the identification, evaluation, educational placement, or the provision of Special Education in the district, must be maintained under state and federal laws for a period of five years after Special Education services have ended for the student. Special Education services end when the student is no longer eligible for services, graduates, completes his or her educational program at age 22, or moves from the district.

This notification is to inform parents/guardians and former students of HISD’s intent to destroy the Special Education records of students who are no longer receiving Special Education services as of the end of the 2011-2012 school year. These records will be destroyed in accordance with state law unless the parent/guardian or eligible (adult) student notifies the school district otherwise. Continue reading →

HISD awarded more than $60 million in federal grants

U.S. Department of Education funding to target teacher recruitment, STEM programs

The Houston Independent School District has been awarded three grants, including one that is believed to be the largest grant the district has ever received.

Each of the three grants is from the U.S. Department of Education. The largest totals $47 million and will go to recruiting and retaining the best teachers and administrators at the district’s most struggling schools.

The district also received a nearly $15 million grant for STEM — Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math — education at six HISD schools, and a $1.3 million grant that will go toward professional development for music and arts teachers in high-poverty schools. Continue reading →

72 HISD students named National Merit semifinalists

Students will have opportunity to compete for more than $32 million in scholarships 

Seventy-two seniors from six Houston Independent School District high schools have qualified as semifinalists in the 63rd annual National Merit Scholarship Program, earning one of the top academic honors in the nation. HISD had 51 semifinalists last year.

The students are among 16,000 from across the country to earn the semifinalist designation, allowing them the opportunity to continue in the academic competition and vie for more than $32 million in scholarships that will be awarded in the spring.

The students attend Bellaire, Carnegie Vanguard, Lamar, and Westside high schools, as well as DeBakey High School for Health Professions and the High School for Performing and Visual Arts. Continue reading →

Six HISD Board of Education positions up for election on Nov. 7

Six Houston Independent School District Board of Education seats are on the ballot in the general election coming up on Nov. 7, 2017, and three incumbents have filed for re-election.

District I: Gretchen Himsl, Monica Richart, and Elizabeth Santos have filed for the seat currently filled by Anna Eastman.

District III: The seat is up for special election to fill an unexpired term following the death of Manuel Rodríguez Jr. Sergio Lira, Carlos Perrett, Rodolfo Reyes, and Jesse Rodriguez filed for the two-year position.

District V: Kara DeRocha, Sean Cheben, Sue Deigaard, and Susan Shafer have filed for the seat currently filled by Mike Lunceford.

District VI: Incumbent Holly Maria Flynn Vilaseca, Daniel Albert, and Robert Lundin have filed for the seat.

District VII: Incumbent Anne Sung and John Luman have filed for the seat.

District IX: Incumbent Wanda Adams, Karla Brown, and Gerry Monroe have filed for the seat.

Trustee district boundaries

To cast a ballot in the election, citizens have to register to vote by Oct. 10, 2017. Early voting begins on Oct. 23. Find ballot and polling location information here.

See complete information on candidate filings here.

Candidates had a filing deadline of Aug. 21, 2017. They had to be at least 18 years old, a registered voter, a resident of the state for at least 12 months, and a resident of the district in which they are running for at least six months. HISD consists of nine board members elected by district to staggered four-year terms.