A 2014 graduate of HISD’s own High School for the Performing and Visual Arts will be performing on National Public Radio’s “From the Top” program starting on Jan. 26.
Category Archives: District IV – Patricia Allen
Spiking construction costs create challenges for bond program
HISD trustees got a detailed look on Jan. 22 at the impact of escalating construction costs on the district’s bond program at a workshop that also considered possible strategies to address potential budget gaps.
Since 2012, when Houston voters approved the district’s $1.89 billion bond program to renovate or replace 40 schools, the district has seen an unprecedented jump in building costs, a trend that is posing challenges for school districts across the region and nation.
In Houston, construction costs have jumped an average of 44 percent from about $146 per square foot in 2012 to about $210 per square foot today.
Much of that spike is attributed to the oil and building boom over the last several years, which spurred Houston and much of the state on to a robust economy – even when others were experiencing a downturn. The growth in the energy sector brought an influx of commercial construction projects to the area, along with a huge demand for workers and materials, such as steel and concrete.
The district has already taken some steps to deal with potential gaps, including moving inflation and some reserve dollars to each school’s construction budget. On Thursday, the Board of Education also gave the district the green light to consider other strategies, including waiting to bid a project or re-bidding portions of a project to try to get a better price.
Trustees noted that the recent drop in oil prices may help push construction costs down as energy companies delay building projects and more workers and materials become available.
“I think we owe the taxpayers better than to move forward as if there’s been no change in the economy,” said Trustee Harvin Moore. “As oil prices decline, I’m confident that construction costs will follow, so putting some of our projects on hold is a very logical way to handle this.”
In the coming weeks and months, HISD officials will analyze the various options for each project to determine the best path forward.
Red ES students challenged to build robots at annual STEM night
More than 200 parents gathered on the campus of Red Elementary School on Jan. 15 for a family STEM night that featured many fun, hands-on activities for participating students.
Children could design a floating car, create computer code, solve math problems, or read books on subjects related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
The highlight of the evening was a robot-building contest judged by representatives from the community, HISD administrators, and the National Society of Black Engineers. Students were required to put together a humanoid-looking creation between three and four feet high using only recycled items. Pre-K student Curtis Mayfield (pictured) won the contest with a design made from a cereal box, empty vinegar bottle, old pair of tennis shoes, and cardboard toilet paper rolls. His prize was a new Samsung tablet.
Team work makes the dream work for students in Petro Challenge
Hundreds of HISD students competed for awards in the field of oil and natural gas exploration at the annual Petro Challenge held at the University of Houston Jan. 20-23, 2015. The event consisted of two days of training and two days of competition. A number of teams made up of 163 students from Energy Institute High School competed Wednesday, and Team Petros won the day. On Friday, competition took place among 210 students on teams from HISD’s other petroleum academies — Milby HS, Westside HS, and Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy.
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UPS representatives encourage Sterling Futures students to pursue logistics and global supply
Students in the Futures Academy of Logistics and Global Supply at Sterling High School learned first-hand about the field from representatives of the world’s largest shipping and logistics company, United Parcel Service (UPS).
Arthur Wilson, UPS South Texas division manager, and Trey Wyre, Katy branch manager, told the students about their educational and career paths on Jan. 16. They also offered insights into the company and the careers it offers in a field that’s expected to grow by 22 percent in the next decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Median salary in the field is more than $80,000.
Sterling Futures Academy students can earn an associate’s of applied science degree along with their high school diploma and industry certifications, and are exposed to information and opportunities in the logistics and global supply workforce as part of their education.
Both UPS representatives told Futures educators that they would be interested in helping to mentor Sterling students.
Board of Education elects new officers for 2015
Board of Education meetings usually begin with commendations and recognitions. However, the first meeting of every year starts with the election of new officers.
On Jan. 15, 2015, the trustees chose Rhonda Skillern-Jones to serve as president, Manuel Rodriguez Jr. as first vice president, Wanda Adams as second vice president, Paula Harris as secretary, and Juliet Stipeche as assistant secretary.
Serving as an HISD school-board member requires a lot of hard work and dedication, and the nine trustees on HISD’s board selflessly devote many hours to studying issues, deliberating proposed actions and policy changes, and representing HISD in the community, all without pay. These men and women are essential to the success of this school district and deserve the district’s and the community’s deepest thanks.
2015 HISD Board of Education
- Rhonda Skillern-Jones, President
- Manuel Rodriguez, First Vice President
- Wanda Adams, Second Vice President
- Paula Harris, Secretary
- Juliet Stipeche, Assistant Secretary
- Anna Eastman
- Michael Lunceford
- Greg Meyers
- Harvin Moore
For more information, including biographical information for each trustee, visit the Board of Education website.
Cadence McShane Construction holds pre-bid meeting to discuss HSPVA project
Cadence McShane Construction held a pre-bid meeting Wednesday for companies interested in working on the new building for the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA).
AVID program supports low-income students’ quest for college
The desks in seventh-grade teacher Zachary Cummings’ AVID classroom at Hamilton Middle School are arranged so that students can work in groups. Collaboration is one of the five hallmarks of AVID, along with reading, writing, inquiry, and organization.
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Cummings’ students recently quizzed each other on Cornell notes they took on a PowerPoint presentation about the history of Apple Inc. Cornell notes are just one example of college-level study techniques students learn in AVID, a global nonprofit organization directed at students who are capable of completing a college-preparatory path if they receive the proper support. The focus is on low-income students whose families don’t traditionally attend college.
Reagan students excited to receive laptops for school and home use
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All 2,234 students at Reagan High School received laptops on Monday, Jan. 12, as part of the district’s one-to-one plan to give all high school students a digital device to use for learning at school and at home. The one-to-one laptop program is a key component of HISD’s PowerUp initiative, which aims to digitally transform teaching and learning throughout the district.
Reagan is one of 14 HISD high schools distributing laptops to students during the month of January and early February. Others high schools include Davis, Lamar, Milby, Scarborough, South Early College, Waltrip, Westbury, Westside, Wheatley and Yates, as well as the Futures Academies at Jones, Jane Long Academy, and the High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice. Continue reading
Health program to help students focus, stay calm expands to 26 schools
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Breathing exercises and yoga poses are just a few of the things HISD students learn in the Sonima Health and Wellness program. Fourteen additional HISD schools now offer the curriculum, which is offered by the Sonima Foundation and teaches students multiple skills for a healthier lifestyle.