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Rhonda Skillern-Jones was elected the HISD Board of Education’s new president for 2015, and outgoing president Juliet Stipeche used her farewell episode of HISD’s Up Close program to give viewers an introduction to the board’s new leader. Continue reading
HISD representatives accept good sportsmanship awards on behalf of Austin, Davis, North Forest, Sterling, and Yates high schools at the Touchdown Club’s annual luncheon Jan. 28.
Austin, Davis, North Forest, Sterling, and Yates high schools were all named finalists for the Touchdown Club Houston’s annual Sportsmanship Awards.
Nominees are determined based on referees’ scores after every game in the areas of:
Now, EMERGE scholar can just wait and let the acceptance letters roll in
Some people thought Olaide Sode was crazy when they found out she was planning to apply to almost two dozen different colleges and universities this year.
But the Carnegie Vanguard High School senior persevered, and she wrapped up the last of the 23 batches of paperwork this week. Now, she is basking in the glow of her accomplishment—and waiting for the acceptance letters to start rolling in.
The Bond Oversight Committee held its first meeting of 2015 on Tuesday, hearing an update on the bond program and the impact that soaring construction costs are having on HISD’s plan to build or renovate 40 schools.
Since 2012, when Houston voters approved the district’s $1.89 billion bond program, the district has seen an average 44 percent increase in building costs, from about $146 per square foot in 2012 to about $210 per square foot today.
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.
When Meghan Berndt learned that she would be attending her dream college this fall, she immediately began thanking all of the people who helped her get accepted there.
Read more about how the Sharpstown High School senior reacted to the exciting news in the Jan. 23, 2015, edition of eNews.
Other stories in this week’s edition include:
To have eNews delivered to your inbox automatically every week, just visit www.houstonisd.org/subscribe.
Click here to see the full issue for Jan. 23.
Ariel Simmons
Three students from Carnegie Vanguard High School are making news this week for being at the top of their respective games.
Congratulations to these talented students!
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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Social studies teacher Laura Baumgart had never used an online teaching and learning platform in her daily instruction before coming to work at HISD this school year. Now, the Austin High School educator is actively using the PowerUp:HUB, HISD’s digital platform, in her everyday instruction. Continue reading
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
For more information, including biographical information for each trustee, visit the Board of Education website.