Author Archives: HISD Communications

Superintendent House visits future healthcare heroes at DeBakey HS

Tucked away on a side street in the shadow of the largest medical center in the world, DeBakey High School for Health Professions is the district’s medical magnet school, where students can learn more about the various career paths involved in the healthcare field, from the typical bedside options to the legislative branch.

Students like Cindy Choi, Paul Daniel, Caitlyn Davies, and David Dzul, all seniors, who gave Superintendent Millard House a tour of the school, which opened its $65 million, state-of-the-art, 194,000-square-foot building on the western edge of the Texas Medical Center in 2017.

 House was visiting the school on its second day of the 2021-2022 school year. As the ongoing global pandemic continues to make headlines, students at DeBakey are preparing to be the next generation of healthcare professionals.

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Superintendent promises data-based decisions in the best interest of students, families

Superintendent Millard House II marked his first day of school in the Houston Independent School District by traveling from campus to campus, welcoming students back and peeking into their classrooms to watch them learn.

But his first stop — though not on his official schedule— held special meaning.

“As I dropped off my fourth grader at school this morning, he told me, ‘Dad, I have butterflies in my stomach,’” House said, referring to the range of emotions many students are feeling as they start a second school year amidst the pandemic. “That’s understandable.”

House told the story while speaking to a room of reporters and district officials who gathered at Parker Elementary School for HISD’s first-day-of-school press conference.

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A look at ‘Ready, Set, Go’ protocols with Memorial ES safety tour

HISD Superintendent Millard House, along with district officials, got to see the “Ready, Set, Go” safety initiative in action Monday at Memorial Elementary School.

The “Ready, Set, Go” plan provides students, families, staff, and the community a safe environment for in-person learning with protocols that include required masks in all HISD buildings, constant sanitization of surfaces, COVID-19 vaccination sites, testing, and physical distancing.

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Student Assistance lends a hand at Back To School Extravaganza

Houston Independent School District Student Assistance held a “Back To School Extravaganza” drive-thru event Friday at Bethel’s Empowerment Center.

The event featured a drive-up that included free vaccinations (including for Covid-19), backpacks, supplies, fresh produce, local vendors, giveaways, Medicaid and CHIP renewal applications, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applications, and HISD Community Partnerships.

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HISD board approves vaccination stipend, added COVID leave

The Houston Independent School District Board Of Education approved a stipend program that gives employees a one-time $500 stipend for those who show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19. On Thursday, the board also approved additional Covid-19 leave time if needed for isolation.

Once approved by TEA, to get the stipend, employees must submit their proof of vaccination to Health and Medical Services by Nov. 19, 2021. Additional guidelines will be shared with employees soon.

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HISD closing curbside summer meals and apartment complex delivery programs

With the new school year set to begin on Monday with 100 percent in-person learning, Nutrition Services is ending its campus curbside pickup and apartment complex delivery programs for summer meals.

The final distributions for both programs are Thursday, Aug. 19. Pickups and deliveries on that day will include three days’ worth of student meals, hand sanitizer, and masks. No further distributions are scheduled.

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Atherton Elementary, Reliant pair to provide back-to-school supplies

On Wednesday, Atherton Elementary hosted a drive-thru distribution / meet the teachers event where Reliant provided 500 back-to-school kits to students in anticipation of the start of the school year.

The kits included classroom basics like pencils, notebooks, folders, and more, which is part of a larger drive from Reliant to donate 10,000 kids state-wide. Atherton got involved through HISD’s Community Partnership program.

“At Reliant, we believe that investing in the future of young people pays dividends – in the lives of students, their families and our community,” Reliant said in a news release. “We’re excited to partner with Houston ISD. Today we are donating 500 school packs for all students at Atherton Elementary School in Greater Fifth Ward.”

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HISD Superintendent hands out backpacks at Mayor Turner’s Back to School Fest

The community turned out in force to take advantage of the Mayor’s Back to School Fest at NRG Park’s Yellow Lot on Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

This is the 11th annual give-away presented by Shell to help economically disadvantaged Houston-area elementary school students and their families prepare to return to school. Shell volunteers loaded family’s cars with backpacks filled with school supplies and boxes of food provide by the Houston Food Bank.

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A message from Superintendent House regarding teacher staffing

I want to update you on teacher staffing. While there are currently 386 teacher vacancies, I have developed and am implementing a bold plan to ensure that every student begins the school year with a certified teacher in all core content areas. We are going to accomplish this by doing the following: 

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