Author Archives: HISD Communications

National groups can donate supplies to HISD students and families

Many HISD families have been devastated by the catastrophic flooding in the Houston area caused by Hurricane Harvey, and HISD welcomes assistance from national groups or corporations that would like to help our students recover and prepare for the coming school year.

The district is accepting donations of new and unused clothing, shoes, underwear, socks, uniforms and school supplies, as well as canned food and water.

Donations can be shipped to:

HISD Harvey Donations
Delmar Fieldhouse
2020 Mangum Road
Houston, TX 77092

“HISD is grateful to those who have reached out to us from beyond Houston asking how to help,” said HISD Superintendent Richard Carranza. “We have had school communities as far away as New York and Missouri ask what they can do. Well, this is what we need: food, clothing, and school supplies to make sure that when our students are finally back in the classroom, they are ready to learn. Thank you all for your support of our HISD students and families.”

The HISD Foundation is also accepting donations to help families recover, and 100% of funds raised will go directly to helping HISD students and families. Click here to make a donation, and please specify “Harvey” as the purpose of your donation.

Board agenda review canceled; regular board meeting, swearing-in of new trustee to take place Sept. 14

The HISD Board of Education’s Sept. 5 agenda review meeting has been canceled due to the catastrophic weather conditions across the Houston area caused by Hurricane Harvey.

The regular monthly board meeting will take place Sept. 14 as scheduled. The swearing-in of José Leal as District III trustee, which was originally set for Sept. 5, will also take place Sept. 14.

The Board of Education voted unanimously in August to appoint Leal to fill the seat left vacant after the death of longtime District III Trustee Manuel Rodríguez Jr. Leal will take his oath of office in the Manuel Rodríguez Jr. Board Auditorium at 1 p.m., followed by a reception in room 1E02. He will then join fellow board members in closed session at 2 p.m. until the start of the regular monthly board meeting at 5 p.m.

Leal has more than 20 years of classroom experience. His career with HISD started in 1981, when he worked in operations and maintenance. He has worked as a bilingual teacher at Pugh Elementary School, a counselor and dean of students at Hamilton Middle School, and an assistant principal at Wheatley High School. He has also been a dean of students at Meyerland Middle School, assistant principal at North Forest High School, and a counselor at YES Prep Northbrook. He is currently a special education teacher at Houston Can Academies.

Leal will serve until a special election is held Nov. 7.

Shelters available throughout city for families displaced by Harvey

Per the request of the City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management, the Houston Independent School District has closed all of its Refuge of Last Resort locations due to accessibility and safety concerns.

The Army National Guard is picking up the last of the evacuees from Westside High School and Revere Middle School. HISD police have locked down the remaining schools that were originally activated and per orders of the City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management, anyone who was planning to make their way to one of our schools should go to one of the listed multi-service centers or directly to the George R. Brown Convention Center (1001 Avenida De Las Americas).

These multi-service centers have been activated by the City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management:

Denver Harbor Multi-Service Center
6402 Market Street
Houston Texas 77020
832.395.0895

Fifth Ward Multi-Service Center
4014 Market Street
Houston, Texas 77020
832.393.3800

Sunnyside Multi-Service Center
9314 Cullen
Houston, Texas 77051
832.395.0069

Third Ward Multi-Service Center
3611 Ennis Street
Houston, Texas 77004
832.393.4051

West End Multi-Service Center
170 Heights Blvd
Houston, Texas 77007
832.393.5950

The following Centers are also open:

John Peavy Senior Center
3814 Market Street
Houston, Texas 77020

Kashmere Gardens Branch Library
5411 Pardee
Houston, Texas 77026

The following non-profit partners have offered to assist in staging survivors until they can moved to a shelter:

Fallbrook Church
12512 Walters
Houston, Texas 77014

Lyndale United Church
503 Reeid
Houston, Texas 77002

MD Anderson YMCA
705 Cavalcade
Houston, Texas 77009

Trotter Family YMCA
1331 Augusta Drive
Houston, Texas 77057

Community of Faith Church
1024 Pinemont Drive
Houston, Texas 77091

Madison HS celebrates groundbreaking ceremony  

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Madison High School rolled out the red carpet on Thursday for hundreds of community members who gathered on the campus to celebrate the start of construction on their new school.

Standing in front of the construction site, Houston Independent School District Board of Education President Wanda Adams kicked off the festivities by expressing her excitement about the work taking place right behind her.  Continue reading →

SAT exam on Saturday rescheduled due to threat of inclement weather

If you were scheduled to take the SAT exam on Saturday, Aug. 26, please be advised that all HISD SAT test centers will be closed. The Sat., Aug. 26, SAT exam will be administered instead on Sat., Sept. 16.

Student registrations will be automatically moved to the alternate testing date. No additional action needs to be taken. Consider using this extra time to prepare with Khan Academy Official SAT Practice.

If you have questions, or need additional information, please contact Jennifer Ertel at 713-556-5636 or JERTEL@houstonisd.org.

UPDATED: HISD cancels classes Monday due to threat of inclement weather 

District events, activities for Friday and Saturday canceled or postponed

Weather Alert

All HISD campuses and administrative offices will be closed on Monday, Aug. 28 and all campus and district activities are canceled due to the threat of inclement weather. Currently, all campuses and district offices are closed and inaccessible.

Classes are scheduled to resume on Tuesday, Aug. 29. However, the district will continue to monitor developing weather conditions and will determine whether classes can safely resume on Tuesday. The district will make that decision by noon on Sunday, Aug. 27.

All HISD campus-based activities and district events – including professional development and recruiting sessions – are canceled. In addition, the Houston ISD Athletic Department is canceling all athletic activities for Friday, Aug. 25 and Saturday, Aug. 26. This cancellation includes, practices, scrimmages and any scheduled games.

HISD Facilities Services will stage personnel and first responders throughout the night on Friday through Sunday to monitor potential building flooding at eight campuses: Kashmere, Northside, Heights, and Liberty high schools; Meyerland Middle School; and Elrod, Kate Bell, and Kolter elementaries. Lovett Elementary, Fondren Middle, Red Elementary and HISD’s McCarty complex also will be monitored.

For additional updates, please monitor HoustonISD.org or call the HISD Inclement Weather Hotline at 713-556-9595. We also encourage HISD staff and parents to sign up for text alerts to receive the most up-to-date information on school closures or delays by texting YES to 68453. Please ensure your number is updated with your school. You can also follow the district on Twitter and Facebook: Twitter.com/HoustonISD and Facebook.com/HoustonISD.

Madison HS to mark start of construction with groundbreaking ceremony

Bond community meeting at Madison High School, January 19, 2017. (Dave Einsel/Houston ISD)

Madison High School will host a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, Aug. 24, at 5 p.m. to celebrate the start of construction on their new facility, which is being rebuilt as part of the HISD’s 2012 Bond Program.

The $94 million project calls for a new school that can accommodate up to 2,100 students. The two-story building will be built facing West Orem Drive on the school’s existing athletic fields. A two-story foyer will double as a dining commons and large gathering space, while also providing plenty of natural light. Continue reading →

HISD to open nine schools for 2017-2018 school year

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Nine schools across the Houston Independent School District will formally open their doors to all students for the first time on Monday — the first day of the 2017-2018 school year.

New schools set to open this school year include Furr, Milby and Wisdom high schools, as well as Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men and DeBakey High School for Health Professions. DeBakey technically opened to summer school students in May, but Monday marks the start of its first fall semester in the new building.

Another four schools — Kashmere and Waltrip high schools, Sharpstown International School, and Codwell Elementary — underwent major renovations. Continue reading →

Parent survey on HISD extended in aftermath of Harvey

The window for parents to take a survey on their experiences having a child in HISD has been extended until Monday, Oct. 30, in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

Parents are being asked to complete the survey as part of a third-party review being conducted by the American Institutes for Research (AIR).

Responses from the survey will be used to improve special education services provided by HISD. All parents, including those whose children do not receive special education services in the district, are asked to participate.

The survey is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Arabic. It is voluntary and confidential – results will not be associated with your family or child.

Important Parent Survey (English)

Important Parent Survey (Spanish)

Important Parent Survey (Vietnamese)

Important Parent Survey (Arabic)

In April, the HISD Board of Education selected AIR to implement a comprehensive Special Education Program Review. The review will identify how the district is providing proactive intervention for struggling students, offer suggestions on the evaluation referral process, and examine the process for identifying students with disabilities. The review will also evaluate the development of the individualized education program (IEP).