Author Archives: HISD Communications

Board of Education to consider approval of $211 million for 2012 bond program

The Houston Independent School District’s Board of Education in October will consider a proposal by district administrators to add $211 million in funding to the 2012 bond program, which would cover unprecedented and unanticipated inflationary construction costs.

Since 2012, when Houston voters approved the district’s $1.89 billion bond program, the district has seen a nearly 40 percent  increase in building costs, from about $160 per square foot in 2012 to about $222 per square foot today. Continue reading →

Remember: Early dismissal, student holiday this week

Two days this week will be different from a normal school day.

Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2015, is an early dismissal day for most schools. Campuses may choose to opt-out and hold classes all day, so please check with your school directly to see if it is participating. View the full 2015–2016 academic calendar here.

Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015, is the district’s fall holiday for students and most employees. Check your duty schedule available here to see if you must report to work. Those employees who must report to work will work their normal hours, unless a supervisor has approved their request to use personal time.

EMERGE program now accepting applications from Class of 2018

HISD’s ground-breaking EMERGE program is expanding to all high school campuses this year, and motivated members of the Class of 2018 (currently sophomores) are encouraged to apply.

EMERGE connects high-performing students from underserved backgrounds with the resources needed to apply, attend, and graduate from the nation’s top-tier colleges and universities, which provide high levels of support as well as competitive financial aid and scholarships. Students who are selected to be in EMERGE receive after-school advising at their schools on the college preparation and financial aid application processes, a full-length SAT preparation course, and an out-of-state summer experience at a top-tier university. Continue reading →

Sterling HS stakeholders sign beam to celebrate construction phase

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Sterling High School students, staff and community members had the opportunity to sign a steel beam today that will be used in the construction of their new school. The new $72.3 million building project, which is part of HISD’s current bond program, is being built behind the existing facility, which will be demolished once construction is complete.

The new three-story building is making great progress and can now easily be seen over the top of the current school.

“Our community is ecstatic; the building’s going up fast,” said the Rev. A.L. Hickman, community representative on the school’s Project Advisory Team. “I know people who go out of their way to drive by here every day just to see the progress that’s been made.”

After the beam-signing, which was held in front of the current school, workers transported it to the construction site, where they will soon install it in the new building.

Madison High School cafeteria gets a facelift

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Nutrition Services listened to Madison High School’s students’ pleas for a new direction in the cafeteria. This past summer, Nutrition Services remodeled and rebranded the school’s facility, and students now enjoy a wider selection of menu items and the convenience of faster service.

When Operations Manager DeWayne Rawls assumed supervision of the day-to-day activities at Madison’s cafeteria during the 2014–2015 academic year, he knew it was time for a change. Rawls, in partnership with the Houston Education and School Personnel (HESP), conducted a focus group at Madison HS in which students voiced their opinions about menu choices and service.

“This was a low-participation cafeteria,” Rawls said. “The serving lines were outdated, and students’ wants were not being fulfilled.”

Food Service Attendant Team Leader Titilola Abumere said Madison HS now offers a broader and healthier menu to please all taste buds. “We have worked hard to serve on four lines,” Abumere said. “I’m excited to be part of the improvements.”

Special Education Teacher Steven Roquemore says students are loving the new look and variety of the cafeteria. “They say you eat with your eyes first, and students like what they see,” he said.

Student Billy Berry also enjoys the new products served during lunch, such as Izzy water and the broad selection of vegetables. “I like fresh broccoli,” Berry said. “We did not have as much selection as we do now.”

Grandparents’ Day celebrated at HISD

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Hundreds of HISD elementary schools celebrated Grandparents’ Day on Wednesday, Sept. 16, with a special lunch. Grandparents were invited to attend and enjoy HISD and Nutrition Services hospitality during their special day of recognition.

Grandparents’ Day has been celebrated every September since President Jimmy Carter created it in 1978. HISD recognizes grandparents for the love, strength, and guidance they provide to their grandchildren. This special lunch has become an HISD tradition that both young and old look forward to every year.

Grissom Elementary School Principal Jane Ocanas is happy to host Grandparents’ Day and made special gifts to celebrate them, as they remind her of her own upbringing. “I was raised by my grandparents,” Ocanas said. “They taught me values and beliefs I apply to my daily life.”

More than 150 grandparents made their way into the cafeteria to share lunch with their children’s children, where HISD team members thanked them for serving as role models for young people.

After a brief prayer, grandparent Lashunda Williams said it was special for her to come and share lunch time with her granddaughter. “It’s lovely to see the healthy meals the food department has in schools these days,” Williams said. “We are eating healthier at home and she loves the food she gets at school.”

Williams’ granddaughter, first-grader Markayla Conelly, comes from a family of chefs, and she gives the food high marks, too.

“I like everything, especially the nachos, and the fresh fruit and vegetables,” she said. Markayla added that HISD Nutrition Services meals are better than at her previous school district.

Westbury HS community gets preview of addition, renovations for campus

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The Westbury High School community on Thursday got a preview of proposed addition and renovations under the 2012 bond program that would help transform the building into a more modern campus.

“I’m really excited to see the improvements at Westbury,” said Becky Edmonson, who serves on the school’s Project Advisory Team and is president of the Westbury Civic Club. “It’s a step in the right direction.”

Continue reading →

Community offers words of support after bus tragedy

On Tuesday, Sept. 15, two of our students — Janiecia Chatman, 14, and Mariya Johnson, 17 — died in a tragic bus accident in southeast Houston. Two other students and the bus driver were injured.

In the hours and days after the accident, people from across the country expressed their concern for the victims. Below is a sampling of the words of support they have shared.

We continue to keep those affected in our thoughts and ask you to do the same. Please feel free to share your own comments below.

Kashmere HS community learns about proposed campus improvements under bond program

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More than 125 students, parents and alumni of Kashmere High School turned out Tuesday evening for the first of three bond community meetings that will be held to update stakeholders on plans to renovate the campus. The meeting was held in conjunction with the school’s open house.

Continue reading →

Sam Houston MSTC recognized by Univision at #QuieroAprender rally

High school is one of only four to be highlighted nationwide


HISD’s Sam Houston Math, Science, and Technology Center was honored this week with a visit from Univision and a rally to encourage Latino students to strive for greatness in education. Two students were also recognized during the event, which was made possible by a partnership among Univision, getschooled.com, and #QuieroAprender (#IWantToLearn).

“Those organizations have been focusing on four schools across the nation,” said Sam Houston Principal Rupak Gandhi about #QuieroAprender, “… and how they have turned their campuses around in the past couple of years in terms of improving academic performance and really changing the lives of their students. Sam Houston was chosen as one of the schools, based on our growth in those areas.”

In 2015, Sam Houston met state accountability standards for the first time in two years, and was removed from the “Improvement Required” list. It was also recognized for academic distinction in social studies. The school offers its students eight different certification or licensure programs. Last year’s valedictorian is currently attending Columbia, while the salutatorian is attending Rice University.

The education rally included a student discussion about the importance of education, interviews, and a spoken-word poetry contest entitled “What is the value of education to you?” Two students hand-picked by the principal for their achievements led the onstage discussion along with Satcha Pretto, co-anchor of the morning show Despierta America. One of those students – senior José Piñeda – was chosen by #QuieroAprender for an in-depth interview that will be featured in an upcoming documentary.

“It was a great opportunity to highlight the good of the school.” said Piñeda, who is on the student council and part of a mariachi band. “There are many Hispanic students here who want to make progress and move forward.” Piñeda is in the top five percent of his graduating class and plans to study mechanical engineering at the University of Texas.

“To me, #QuieroAprender is a phenomenal organization, because it really puts the power of education in the student’s hands,” said Gandhi, “and that’s what matters most.”