Category Archives: Parents

Applications for school choice program transfers now available online

HISD has launched a new online application system for school choice program transfers, enhancing the process for parents and students.

The online application is now available through HISD’s Office of School Choice . It can be used for school transfers in choice programs such as dual language and international baccalaureate, as well as career and technical programs, and many more.

The online application can be found here.

It is important to note that this application is not used for any of the district’s Magnet programs. Parents can still apply for Magnet programs through the HISD School Choice website or at www.HISDChoice.com.

The new online application will replace a paper-based system, though parents may still submit paper-based transfer forms to their school of choice. The new system is expected to add ease and accessibility to this transfer process.     Continue reading →

Transportation Services operating 41 fewer routes, addressing needs with TransFinder

When the spring semester starts in January, HISD’s Transportation Services will be operating 860 bus routes — 41 routes fewer than they did at the end of September.

The nearly five percent reduction is part of the department’s continued efforts to streamline operations, increase efficiency, and provide better service for students, Transportation Services Interim General Manager John Wilcots said. Continue reading →

Transportation updates routes ahead of new school openings, continues to recruit drivers

Transportation Services has updated all bus routes assigned to Kinder High School for Performing and Visual Arts in preparation for their relocation to their new campus in downtown Houston.

The school is moving out of its current campus in Montrose and into a new building located at 790 Austin St. during the upcoming winter break. The new facility, built as part of the 2012 Bond Program, will officially open its doors to students when they return from winter break on Jan. 7, 2019.

The updated routes take effect on Jan. 7, 2019. HSPVA parents and students were notified of the changes via phone and text message earlier this week and will receive reminders again next week. Continue reading →

Transportation Services to review afternoon routes

Transportation Services is conducting a comprehensive review of all afternoon bus routes to ensure all stops are scheduled appropriately and all routes can be completed safely in the time allotted.

This analysis comes on the heels of a similar review of all morning bus routes, which is wrapping up. Department staff are expected to complete the review and make any necessary route changes by February 2019.

“I want parents to know we hear them,” Interim General Manager John Wilcots IV said, noting that they focused first on morning routes to ensure students were getting to school on time. “They want us to get these afternoon routes reviewed and updated, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

As part of the review, stop times will be updated to accurately reflect the time needed to execute each route. This will help the department provide parents with accurate pick-up and drop-off times. Continue reading →

Transportation Services experiencing reduced late school bus arrivals

The number of buses arriving late to school each morning has been cut dramatically over the past three months as Transportation Services continues to review and refine its operations and provide the best possible service to students.

Currently, the department averages about 30 to 40 late buses every day, which equates to as many as 5 percent of the district’s 878 routes. That’s a significant decrease from the average in August, when almost 20 percent of buses — roughly 140 to 160 each day — were late. The numbers are tracked manually.

“The percentage of late arrivals has been drastically reduced since the start of school,” Interim General Manager John Wilcots IV said Tuesday as he presented a department update to the HISD Board of Education. “I believe that our new technology is going to help us continue to make tremendous improvements. We are learning, and we have a lot of lessons learned.” Continue reading →

Last school choice fair on Saturday as magnet deadline nears 

Parents have a wide variety of choices regarding where to send their students to school in HISD, but time is running out to be in the first round of consideration.

Parents who still aren’t sure which school they want their child to attend next year are invited to the final School Choice Fair from 9 a.m. to noon this Saturday, Dec. 1, at Milby High School (1601 Broadway St., 77012). Representatives from HISD magnet schools will be there, and attendees can get help submitting their application.

The deadline to apply is Dec. 7 for guaranteed consideration in the first round. Any applications received after the Dec. 7 deadline will be considered only for schools where space is still available.   Continue reading →

Transportation’s Coffee & Conversations aims to foster communication with parents   

HISD parents and campus administers gathered with Transportation Services staff on Wednesday to discuss their most pressing transportation concerns during the second round of Coffee & Conversations.

The bimonthly meetings — held this month at Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center and Carnegie Vanguard High School — allow Transportation Services the opportunity to share important updates and progress, identify ongoing challenges and gather feedback.

“We know we have a lot of work to do,” Wilcots said. “But know that we are making changes and working every day to better our systems.”  Continue reading →

Parent University helps Wisdom HS mom lead the way for new PTO 

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000HX.2dG_LtKU” g_name=”20181115-WisdomParentU” width=”600″ f_fullscreen=”t” bgtrans=”t” pho_credit=”iptc” twoup=”f” f_bbar=”t” f_bbarbig=”f” fsvis=”f” f_show_caption=”t” crop=”f” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_l=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”f” f_show_slidenum=”t” f_topbar=”f” f_show_watermark=”t” img_title=”casc” linkdest=”c” trans=”xfade” target=”_self” tbs=”5000″ f_link=”t” f_smooth=”f” f_mtrx=”t” f_ap=”t” f_up=”f” height=”400″ btype=”old” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” ]

Armed with a fresh notebook and pens for jotting notes, Wisdom High School parent Erica Alvarado bounced from table to table at Thursday night’s second Parent University session, gathering as much information and resources as she could.

Alvarado’s mission was twofold: Learn as much as possible to help support her children’s education, and pass along resources to fellow parents serving on Wisdom’s newly minted PTO, for which she is president.

Parent University was designed to connect parents and children to resources offered by the district to create successful academic outcomes, as well as safe and healthy environments at home and at school.   Continue reading →

10 helpful tips for filling out the FAFSA and securing financial aid for college 

Completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is important. It’s the first step toward getting many different types of financial aid for school, and finishing the FAFSA early is the best way to maximize college-award packages. But how much do you know about this financial aid application?

Here are 10 important tips about filling out your FAFSA: Continue reading →

Academic calendar for 2019-2020 school year now available online

The academic calendar for the 2019-2020 school year, which was approved by the Board of Education this month, is now available online.

The calendar was drafted with input from a committee made up of principals, union representatives, and departments across the district, as well as the District Advisory Committee.

The first day of school for students will be Aug. 26, and the final day of classes for students will be May 29.

The academic calendar includes the first districtwide holiday and day of community service in honor of Latino empowerment icons César Chávez and Dolores Huerta on Monday, March 30. Meanwhile, the Fall Holiday is set for Wednesday, Oct. 9.

View the calendar in English and Spanish here.