Author Archives: HISD Communications

Parents, caregivers can request that their child repeat a course or grade (SB 1697)

Given the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the 2020-2021 school year, the Texas Legislature passed SB 1697. This Senate Bill gives parents/caregivers the opportunity to determine whether their child should repeat a grade or retake a high school course, including:

  1. repeating prekindergarten;
  2. enrolling in prekindergarten if the child was eligible to enroll in prekindergarten in the previous school year, under TEC, §29.153(b), and has not yet enrolled in kindergarten;
  3. repeating kindergarten;
  4. enrolling in kindergarten if the child would have enrolled in kindergarten in the previous school year and has not yet enrolled in first grade*; and
  5. for grades one through three, repeating the grade the student was enrolled in the previous school year.
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Alvenus Franklin named new principal of Henderson Elementary

Alvenus Franklin is the new principal for Nat Q. Henderson Elementary School. Franklin has been an educator for 21 years and has served HISD as a teacher, Teacher Specialist, and Assistant Principal. She was an Assistant Principal at Kashmere Gardens Elementary from 2013 to 2018, Kashmere High School from 2018 to 2019, and previously served Clemente Martinez Elementary School for 2 years. As part of the leadership team, she helped Kashmere Gardens Elementary out of Improvement Requirement (IR) status to receiving a six STAAR Distinction by TEA. She then helped to get Kashmere High School out of Improvement Requirement (IR) status to meeting state standard.

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HISD Board of Education supports mask mandate to ensure safe return to school

The HISD Board of Education approved a resolution in support of Superintendent Millard House’s decision to mandate wearing face masks while indoors on all campuses and facilities. Effective Monday, August 16, students, staff, and visitors will be required to wear a mask or face covering regardless of vaccination status while on district property, as well as on school buses.

“The safety of our students and staff will continue to be my guiding compass. I am thankful to our Board of Education for supporting our children and families by prioritizing safety above all else,” said Superintendent Millard House II.

The mask requirement comes after Harris County elevated its COVID-19 threat level to red and reported that hospitalizations are rising at the fastest rate since the pandemic began among all age groups.  HISD will continue to provide masks and sanitizer at district facilities as well as provide contact tracing.

HISD is working with health partners to offer COVID-19 vaccinations. To see a full list of permanent and pop-up vaccination sites, visit https://houstonemergency.org/super-saturday-vaccination-day/.

The 2021-2022 school year begins on August 23. HISD will continue to monitor the situation and work with health officials for frequent updates.

Dawn Buie named new principal of Petersen Elementary

Dawn Buie has been selected as the new principal of Petersen Elementary School. Buie began her career as an elementary teacher in Galena Park ISD and then began teaching at Blackshear Elementary in Houston ISD. She was then selected as a Principal Intern at Tanglewood Middle School as part of the first cohort for the Houston A+ Regional Principal Leadership Academy. Buie went on to serve for 4 years as Dean of Students at Tanglewood Middle School and mostly recently, Administrator at Codwell Elementary. 

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Magdalena Villa named new principal of Bonham Elementary

Magdalena I. Villa has been selected as the new principal of Bonham Elementary School. Villa has been a student-centered educator and leader for 19 years at Sylvan Rodriguez Elementary. She has served as Associate Teacher, Teacher Assistant, Bilingual, ESL, and Dual Language Educator, Instructional Coordinator, Teacher Specialist and Assistant Principal. During her career, she has been recognized with the Teacher of the Year Award and West Area Assistant Principal of the Year.

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HISD partners with City of Houston for pop-up vaccination sites

Houston Independent School District is partnering with local health organizations —as well as nine other area school districts— to host pop-up vaccination sites at schools across the district. These “Super Saturday” events will take place every Saturday in August, starting August 7.

It’s an effort to get eligible students and their families vaccinated for COVID-19 before the start of the 2021-2022 school year.

“Our schools are the heart of our community,” Superintendent Millard House II said. “They’ve served as testing sites, and as vaccination sites. Now, 14 HISD campuses will take part in the mayor’s vaccination efforts this month. If your child is 12 or older, stop and get them the shot.”

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Former HISD athlete takes bronze in Tokyo

Rounding the corner of the first lap of her race at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on Tuesday evening, Raevyn Rogers was in last place. But back in Houston, her mother knew the first-time Olympian just hadn’t made her big move yet.

“She went through the first lap, and I was still sitting down,” Rhonda Rogers said. “When she started making a move, I stood up. I was talking to the TV like she was right there with me.”

That mother’s intuition proved to be spot on—just a few moments later, the 24-year-old Houstonian pulled ahead and finished third, bringing home the bronze medal at the 2020 Olympics in the Women’s 800-meter race.

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L. Fernando Alarcón named new principal of Benjamin Franklin ES

L. Fernando Alarcón

L. Fernando Alarcón is the new principal of Benjamin Franklin Elementary. Alarcón is originally from Colombia and has been in education for 21 years. He worked for 10 years in Bogotá, Colombia as a bilingual teacher in elementary and secondary school, and 11 years in Houston ISD as a bilingual teacher at Tinsley and Benavidez Elementary. He later was named assistant principal at Gallegos Elementary. 

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Plans for federal funds outlined in virtual town hall

Click above to see the full details of the plan.

In a virtual town hall with parents and other community members, Superintendent Millard House detailed the plans that Houston Independent School District have for upcoming funding from the federal government.

Those funds—a part of Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act and the American Rescue Plan Act—will total more than one billion dollars for HISD.

“ESSER funds are designed to help support public schools in the United States, particularly in response to the ongoing issues surrounding the pandemic,” House said. “We are looking forward to implementing these funds to further our support of our students and continue to ensure their success.”

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