Author Archives: HISD Communications

Houston ISD Exploring Solutions to Budget Shortfall Caused by State Cuts

District has lost $120 million in annual state funding

February 21, 2013 – The state of Texas’ unconstitutional school funding system has placed the HISD Board of Education in the position of considering two options for covering a projected $72 million deficit for the 2013-2014 school year: deeper cuts to classroom spending and/or a property tax rate increase.

An update on the budget situation was presented to the Houston Independent School District Board of Education during a public workshop meeting today.

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HSPVA Alumnus Robert Glasper Wins Grammy Award

Photo by Mike Schreiber. Courtesy of EMI Music.

Robert Glasper, an alumnus of the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, took home the award for Best R&B Album earlier this month at the 55th Grammy Awards.

Glasper, who turns 35 in April, won for his latest album, “Black Radio.” The album blends jazz, R&B, funk and hip-hop and features appearances by Lupe Fiasco, Erykah Badu, Bilal, Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) and others.

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HISD’s ‘When I Grow Up’ Expo to Feature Technical Careers and Education in Houston

Event includes hands-on projects, competitions and workshops related to local career fields

In observance of National Career and Technology Education month in February, HISD’s College and Career Readiness Department is hosting the When I Grow Up Expo on Saturday, February 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hattie Mae White Educational Center (4400 W. 18^th Street).

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Small-Business Owner Finds Success Doing Business with HISD

“HISD really helps small businesses, especially minority-owned businesses,” said Jasmine Wang, who began her company, Sienna Supply, in 2010.

Jasmine Wang knew her company would be a good vendor for HISD, offering one-stop shopping for a range of supplies, from janitorial carts to pencil sharpeners.

But Wang, a Houston small-business owner, was apprehensive about getting involved in the public procurement process with the largest school district in Texas. That was, until she connected with the HISD’s Office of Business Assistance.

“(HISD) really helps small businesses, especially minority-owned businesses,” said Wang, who began her company, Sienna Supply, in 2010. “There is a nurturing relationship between HISD and small-business suppliers.”

The business assistance team at HISD is designed to help small companies, including minority and women-owned firms, gain the confidence and expertise to navigate the procurement process, hosting workshops on business topics and networking events.

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Peck ES Students Plant Trees Donated by Trees for Houston

Peck Elementary School students plant five live oak trees in front of their school on Friday.

With shovels in hand and smiles on their faces, fifth-graders at Peck Elementary School planted 13 trees donated by Trees for Houston at their school on Friday, including five live oaks and eight elm trees.

In October, HISD announced a partnership with Trees for Houston to plant trees at 27 campuses as part of the Trees for Schools program. Like Peck Elementary, 22 of those schools are part of the district’s $805 million 2007 bond project that included more than 180 construction and renovation projects across the district.

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HISD Seeking Grant for 8 New STEM Magnet Schools

The HISD Board of Education voted Thursday to move forward with a plan to compete for $12 million in federal grant funding to open eight new magnet schools emphasizing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) instruction.

The measure passed with a 7-1 vote with Board President Anna Eastman opposed.

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Berry Elementary School Wins Design Awards

Berry Elementary School's new building features 90 percent natural light in highly occupied areas.

Houston Independent School District’s Berry Elementary School was recently awarded the Sustainability Design Excellence Award by the Texas and Oklahoma chapter of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and was named a runner-up for the Best of the Year award by Interior Design Magazine.

The awards come just a year after construction was completed on the $15.6 million campus as part of the HISD’s 2007 bond program. That $805 million in funding has helped build 19 new schools so far, with another three slated for completion by the end of 2014.

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U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan Coming to HISD to Discuss Apollo 20 Turnaround Program

Who: U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, HISD Board of Education President Anna Eastman, Superintendent Terry Grier, and Lee High School students, parents, teachers, tutors, and administration

What: Secretary Duncan is visiting Lee High School to learn about HISD’s innovative Apollo 20 school turnaround program. HISD partnered with Harvard EdLabs to launch Apollo 20 at Lee and eight other secondary schools during the 2010-2011 school year. The program, which now includes 11 elementary schools, employs research-based best practices inspired by America’s top charter schools. By emphasizing effective teaching and campus leadership, high-dosage tutoring, data-driven instruction, extended learning time, and a no-excuses culture, Apollo 20 schools are providing a roadmap for other urban school districts in need of a reliable turnaround model for persistently struggling schools. The project is funded in large part by $16.8 million from private donations. More information about Apollo 20 is available here.
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HISD News Blog is Moving (and Improving)

The HISD News Blog is just over a year old and it’s time for us to upgrade. This morning, we will be moving the blog to https://blogs.houstonisd.org/news. You will notice a much cleaner, ad-free look that is consistent with the recent redesign of houstonisd.org, as well as more photos in blog posts to better illustrate the stories about the district.

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Plenty of Time To Join Project Advisory Teams for 2012 Bond Program

Want to help guide the 2012 bond project at your school? There’s no better way than getting involved with your school’s Project Advisory Team, which will help lead the planning and design of new facilities across the district.

Sharpstown High School Principal Rob Gasparello wasted no time recruiting members for his PAT, which is typically made up of parents, teachers, community members and students. His school is among the first group of 17 schools to be built as part of the 2012 bond program.

“We want the final product to be the sum of its parts,” Gasparello said. “We want to gather as much input of what a 21^st century school really needs to look like — we don’t want just one point of view.”

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