Author Archives: HISD Communications

Read Sunnyside Read helps students develop financial literacy skills, too

Students at one school in Houston’s Sunnyside community got a chance to build a foundation of financial savvy alongside their reading skills recently, during a four-day literacy camp sponsored by Capital One and the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

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About 50 children in grades 1 through 3 took part in the “Literacy for Life – Choices, Character, Careers and College” program at Woodson K–8 during the week of June 11. Activities in math and reading were combined to help students learn basic financial concepts, such as how to set up checking and savings accounts, what a “bounced” check is, and how credit cards work.

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HISD schools, offices closed Tuesday as precautionary measure due to pending weather conditions

Offices to re-open, classes to resume Wednesday

Houston Independent School District schools and offices will be closed Tuesday, June 16 as a precautionary measure because of pending inclement weather and the related potential for dangerous road conditions.

HISD officials have been closely monitoring the weather forecast and have determined that storms and heavy rains predicted for parts of the Houston area may make for dangerous driving Tuesday afternoon. As a result, all HISD schools and district administrative offices will be closed Tuesday as a precautionary measure. All district events — including professional development and recruiting sessions — also will be canceled.

Schools and offices are expected to re-open at their regularly scheduled time on Wednesday, June 17. Should that change due to deteriorating weather conditions, we will notify you.

For additional updates, please visit www.houstonisd.org, or call the HISD Inclement Weather Hotline at 713-267-1704. You also can follow the district on Twitter and Facebook: twitter.com/houstonisd and facebook.com/houstonisd.

HISD Board of Education votes to continue offering maximum local homestead exemption

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education voted Thursday to give homeowners an additional tax break by continuing to offer a local homestead exemption that goes above and beyond the standard state exemption.

This year, the state Legislature raised the homestead exemption from $15,000 to $25,000 through Senate Bill 1, which is subject to voter approval in November. In addition to the state’s exemption, HISD homeowners take an additional 20 percent off the appraised value of their property, the highest homestead exemption allowed by the state.

Last year, this local homestead exemption saved HISD homeowners more than $134 million in property taxes. That is an additional annual savings of about $667 for the owner of a $278,637 home, which is the average home value in HISD.

Trustees are scheduled to meet again next week to consider the budget for the 2015-2016 school year. The board will meet June 15 to review the budget and again on June 18 to adopt the budget. Trustees must formally approve the budget before it can go into effect for the 2015-2016 school year.

HISD Transportation hosting mobile recruitment event to hire bus drivers

BusDrivers_440x230The Houston Independent School District is kicking off a weeklong mobile recruitment event to hire additional bus drivers for the upcoming 2015-2016 school year. Four HISD mobile hiring buses are scheduled to make appearances at 18 locations throughout Houston, where qualified candidates may be hired on the spot.

All new school bus drivers will receive at least 30 hours of paid training throughout the school year and are eligible for financial incentive payments, including a $250 sign-on bonus and a $900 attendance incentive.

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Westside HS wins national ‘Cooking Up Change’ competition

Westside HS students Jalien Noel, Jose Acosta, and Briseida Salas hoist the trophy in victory with Chef Reggie Martin and Ray Danilowicz

Westside HS students Jalien Noel, Jose Acosta, and Briseida Salas hoist the trophy in victory with Chef Reggie Martin and Ray Danilowicz

When the heat was turned up, the Westside High School’s Culinary Arts Program team stayed cool under pressure, taking home first place at the Cooking Up Change National Finals on Monday in Washington, D.C.

Students Jose Acosta, Jalien Noel, and Briseida Salas, working under the direction of Westside Chef Reggie Martin, wowed the judges with a menu that highlighted different flavors from the Bayou City: cowboy Cajun chicken lollipop, twisted Texas cabbage and collard greens, and a pineapple tart.

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HISD budget plan includes raises for teachers, principals and staff; no tax rate increase

Salary increases that will help the Houston Independent School District hire and retain effective principals, teachers and district staff remain a top priority for administrators as they continue to develop a budget for the 2015-2016 school year.

Under the proposed budget, teachers would get a minimum salary increase of 2 percent, with beginning teacher salaries jumping up to $50,500 — almost $4,000 more than they earned just two years ago. Certified bilingual teachers would earn an additional $4,000 annual stipend, a significant increase over the current $1,250 stipend.

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New bookmobile taking HISD’s literacy message on the road

Librarians Alice Hedstrom (Almeda ES), Cheryl Hensley (MacGregor ES), and Jo Ann Reed (Scroggins ES) and Library Specialist Gloria Dennis get ready to take the bookmobile on the road. Photo courtesy Muses3, LLC.

Librarians Alice Hedstrom (Almeda ES), Cheryl Hensley (MacGregor ES), and Jo Ann Reed (Scroggins ES) and Library Specialist Gloria Dennis get ready to take the bookmobile on the road. Photo courtesy Muses3 LLC.

Children living on the far north and south sides of Houston have a new reading resource this summer—and it will be coming to them.

HISD’s brand-new bookmobile will be visiting city parks in the North Forest and Sunnyside communities on alternating Fridays to provide children with a chance to pick out their own reading materials without having to visit a library.

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Service Excellence Employees of the Month for June honored

Five HISD employees were recognized as June’s Employee of the month for Service Excellence at Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center on Tuesday morning during a special breakfast with Chief Operating Officer Leo Bobadilla. Continue reading

Nutrition Services partners with high-school transition coaches to build students’ job skills

Waltrip High School students work at Garden Oaks Montessori with their transition coach and the Garden Oaks cafeteria team lead.

Waltrip High School students work at Garden Oaks Montessori with their transition coach and the Garden Oaks cafeteria team lead.

Through HISD’s Community Based Vocational Instruction (CBVI) program, high-school students can go into local businesses for a couple hours a day, a few of times a week, to develop their workplace skills through on-the-job training.

For the first time this year, HISD’s Nutrition Services department is one of the partnering organizations, and it is working with two or three students from each of five high schools: Lee, Madison, Scarborough, Sharpstown, and Waltrip. Participating students learn about the food service industry by working in school cafeterias, performing tasks such as washing dishes or serving fruit.

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