Editor’s note: This is the second in a monthly series of profiles on minority or women-owned companies that do business with HISD. The district’s minimum M/WBE goal levels are 20 percent for all levels of purchasing and construction and 25 percent for professional services. In the 2007 bond program, that commitment reached nearly 34 percent. In the 2012 program, the contracts awarded to date reflect a nearly 51 percent M/WBE commitment.
Category Archives: 2012 bond
HISD Seeks Companies with Safety, Security, Quality Control Expertise to Work on Bond Program
Companies with expertise in safety, security, quality control and labor compliance have an opportunity to assist HISD with its 2012 bond program by submitting a proposal to do all or part of the work.
The district released an RFP on June 10 with a scope of work that covers everything from job site safety inspections to hazard controls and background checks for construction workers. In addition, the district is seeking to find a vendor that will ensure all contractors and subcontractors are paid the prevailing wage rate, as required by federal and state law.
2012 Bond Program Will Furnish Classrooms with Flexibility, Comfort
This isn’t the furniture you had in school: Those boring, gray standalone desks that hurt your backside after hours of sitting.
Imagine, instead, the kind of vibrant and comfy chairs you might find in an airport lounge or a bookstore. As the district rebuilds and renovates schools under the 2012 bond program, a key component will be modernizing the furniture and fixtures to reflect a 21st century classroom.
“Learning environments have changed in schools,” HISD’s Construction & Facility Services Logistics Manager Cheryl Hughes said. “They’ve become more collaborative, and our furniture and infrastructure must adapt to this change.”
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Women Contractors Association Gets 2012 Bond Program Update
Presenters at the Women Contractors Association luncheon on Thursday receive pink hard hats. From left to right, Susan Repka, WCA executive director; Raynese Edwards, of PPG/people Source Inc.; Michael Dwight, of Hensel Phelps Construction Co.; Alexis Licata, of the Houston Independent School District.
Companies hoping to do business with the Houston Independent School District under its 2012 bond program got an overview of upcoming bid opportunities at the monthly luncheon Thursday of the Women Contractors Association.
“There’s a tremendous amount of work,” Alexis Licata, the district’s general manager of the Office of Business Assistance, told the audience of some 65 people who turned out for the event. She urged participants, especially minority- and women-owned business enterprises, to help the district as it embarks on the $1.89 billion program that includes renovating or building 40 schools.
Grady MS Project Advisory Team Visits Cy-Fair School to Get Ideas for Campus Addition
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Equipped with cameras, notepads and open minds, members of Grady Middle School’s Project Advisory Team visited a new school in Cy-Fair ISD to get ideas for their campus, which will receive a new addition under the district’s $1.89 billion 2012 bond program.
Designing New Schools Requires an Ear for Sound Management
Sound-diffusing panels at HSPVA help distribute sound in the school's theater.
The new schools built under HISD’s 2012 bond program will be designed not only to look good, but sound good as well.
“Acoustics have a major impact on the learning environment,” said Dan Bankhead, HISD’s general manager for facilities design. “We want to minimize any distracting noises that make it harder for students and staff to do their work.”
HSPVA Community Meets Architects for New 2012 Bond Campus to be Built Downtown
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Architects from the global design and planning firm Gensler spoke to a crowd of about 40 at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts on Thursday to discuss their vision for the new campus, which is being built under the $1.89 billion 2012 bond program that will replace or rebuild 40 schools across Houston.
Small Business Proud to Offer District Quality Customer Service
Editor’s note: This is the first in a monthly series of profiles on minority or women-owned companies that do business with HISD. The district’s minimum M/WBE goal levels are 20 percent for all levels of purchasing and construction and 25 percent for professional services. In the 2007 bond program, that commitment reached nearly 34 percent. In the 2012 program, the contracts awarded to date reflect a nearly 51 percent M/WBE commitment.
HISD Embracing Technology in the Classroom
Students in Rebecca Millhench's class at Young Men's College Preparatory Academy use iPads to take a quiz.
In a world where Facebook messages, tweets and text messages have become the language of the 21st century for many students, HISD is working to transition its curriculum to online, interactive content.
“The district is identifying effective strategies that allow teachers to use technology to further learning along with the resources that will support that kind of blended, online learning,” HISD’s Director of Secondary Curriculum Michael Dorsey said.
Neff Elementary Celebrates Dedication of New School
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A crowd of about 60 people gathered at Neff Elementary School in southwest Houston on Friday to dedicate its new 750-student campus built under the district’s 2007 bond program.
“This school has laid a tremendous foundation academically for our students,” HISD District VI Board Member Greg Meyers said. Chief School Officer Sidney (Chip) Zullinger also praised the new school and the progress students have made since the new building opened.