Category Archives: Business Operations

Parker ES dedicates new facility, Spark Park

Parker Elementary School students, staff, parents, and community members were visibly excited about their new colorful and modern surroundings as they gathered for Building and Spark Park Dedication ceremony Thursday.

Parker students provided musical entertainment throughout the evening, including the Parker Elementary School Advanced Strings, a surprise performance by the school band, and a reception with Parker Jazz Band.

“One of the things that I see is just how much more seriously the kids take their performances in a fancy auditorium like this one,” Parker Principal Lori Frodine said.

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Kinder HSPVA named 2019 Landmark Award finalist

The new Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts building has been named a Houston Business Journal 2019 Landmark Award finalist.

The annual awards program recognizes impressive real estate projects that make a significant impression on the Houston landscape and help sculpt the look, feel, and image of the city.

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Transportation Services offers free Commercial Driver’s License prep class

Transportation Services is working to address its driver shortage by offering free training for individuals who wish to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License.

The class for the license, also known as a CDL, is held Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Northwest Terminal (6351 Pinemont Drive) and is open to anyone interested in becoming an HISD bus driver until the start of the 2019-2020 school year.

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Lamar HS construction nears 70 percent completion

Driving down Westheimer Road near River Oaks, it’s easy to see progress on Lamar High School’s new building, as crews have surpassed the two-thirds mark and are on track to complete construction this summer.

The $122.9 million building was completely enclosed in January. Electrical wiring, ceiling grid, and drywall installation are in progress and HVAC installation is set to begin this week.

“I’m really pleased with the progress being made each day,” Project Manager Marvin Stone said. “It’s going to be a beautiful facility.”

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HISD takes home 18 state awards for communications, community engagement efforts

The Houston Independent School District earned top honors for its work in communications and community engagement during the 2019 Texas School Public Relations Association Annual Conference in Cedar Creek. 

Presented to HISD Communications and HISD Business Operations Strategic Engagement and Outreach teams, the accolades covered nearly all facets of the teams, including writing, videography, graphic design, marketing, branding, and special events. 

HISD Communications took home the prestigious Crystal Award for the 2018 HISD State of the Schools special event “Rebuild + Reimage,” which consisted of a multifaceted communications campaign that employed a variety of media, including graphic design, production, video, livestreaming, social media and three-dimensional table cards with hover animation. In addition, it also won two Crystal Commendations Certificates of Merit. Business Operations Strategic Engagement and Outreach took home 15 Star Awards medals, including five gold, nine silver, and one bronze. 

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Transportation Services gearing up for next year, seeking to hire more drivers

With planning already underway for the upcoming school year, Transportation Services is employing a proactive approach to address issues involving routing and scheduling. 

General Manager John Wilcots IV said the department will stop making routing changes for the current school year on April 1. This will allow the department to begin planning for routes for next year — well in advance of the first day of the 2019-2020 school year.  

“As we plan the bus routing for next school year, we want to make sure our students are not walking long distances and that they don’t have long wait times to board our buses,” Wilcots said. “The work that we will begin on April 1 is critical to ensuring the school year gets off to a smoother start next year.” 

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Transportation Services to host job fair on Feb. 20

Transportation Services is continuing its efforts to address the district’s bus driver shortage with a job fair next week.

The job fair will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wed., Feb. 20 at the HISD Construction Services Facility (3200 Center St., 77007) Continue reading →

Bond Oversight Committee tours Kinder HSPVA, hears bond program update

HISD’s Bond Oversight Committee toured the newly opened Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts on Tuesday at their quarterly meeting to review progress of the 2012 Bond Program.

HSPVA Principal Scott Allen and HISD General Manager of Facilities Design Dan Bankhead led the eight-member committee as they walked through the school’s grand entry hall, the 800-seat Denny Theater, the black box theater and the recital hall. Continue reading →

Wiggins featured in NBC News digital series for Black History Month 

HISD Nutrition Services Officer Betti Wiggins has been selected as one of 10 women featured in the NBC News series, She Thrives: Black Women Making History Today.

The series is sponsored by NBCBLK, NBC News Digital’s online platform focusing on the African-American community. The series highlights the contributions of black women “who are altering the way of life for everyone in 21st century America,” according to the She Thrives website.

Wiggins was selected for the honor based on her extensive work in child nutrition.   Continue reading →

HISD Police Department welcomes new K-9

The newest four-legged addition to the HISD Police Department arrived last week, wagging her tail to show her excitement.

Officer Boni is a German Shepherd with a Hungarian bloodline. For the next month, she will undergo additional training including obedience, stamina, endurance, and narcotics detection.

“Boni will demonstrate the role and duties of our K-9 team for the public,” HISD Sgt. Tridung Tran said. “We want to build long-lasting relationships with the communities we serve, and our K-9 officers are the perfect ice breaker.” Continue reading →