HISD provides Coronavirus updates and precautions

As we continue to monitor the potential impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), HISD is taking immediate, proactive measures to mitigate the impact on the HISD community and keep our students and staff safe.

Travel Reporting
All HISD employees, students, and families who have traveled or are planning to must register their travel plans using the HISD Travel Reporting Form. This form must be completed no later than Friday, March 27, 2020. (A printable form can be found here: English | Spanish | Vietnamese | Arabic)

All HISD students, families, and employees should take extra precautions when traveling and follow travel guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at Coronavirus Disease 2019 Information for Travel website.

Continue reading →

Poe ES Teacher Named Teacher of the Month for March

Third-grade teacher Carmen Carfello was laser-focused on a reading aloud lesson with her students when Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan surprised her as the district’s Sterling McCall VIP Services Teacher of the Month for March. 

“Words cannot describe how deserving this recognition is for Ms. Carfello,” Principal Jeff Amerson said. “She is always bringing the ELAR TEKS to life by using a mixture of real-world experiences, hands-on learning and Socratic discussions.” 

Last school year, Carfello’s students passed with an 80 percent on the STAAR Reading with 50 percent reaching Masters-level, while 90 percent of her students passed STAAR Math and 60 percent reaching the Masters-level.   

Continue reading →

HISD Pre-K Enrollment Festival set for April 18

HISD is collaborating with Good Reason Houston to promote an opportunity for families to enroll their eligible 3 and 4-year-olds into prekindergarten. 

HISD and Good Reason Houston, a local nonprofit dedicated to creating a future where every child excels in world-class public schools, will be hosting a Pre-K Enrollment Festival from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 18 at Delmar Stadium (2020 Mangum Rd., 77092), which will allow families to learn about the prekindergarten programs across the district. Additionally, HISD and Good Reason Houston will also host a second Pre-K Festival in June.  

Families will be able to talk directly with program leaders and administration and apply for pre-K programs on the spot for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year. Texas Children’s Hospital mobile clinic will provide free vaccinations to children 0-18 who do not have insurance and the Ronald McDonald Mobile Dentistry unit will be on site to do free dental checkups.  

Continue reading →

HISD Foundation’s State of the Schools event focuses on achieving excellence with ‘One Voice, One Vision’

A packed house of public education supporters from the business, academic, advocacy and faith communities attended the HISD Foundation’s Public Education Matters fundraising luncheon on Friday.

HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan delivered the annual State of the Schools address during the benefit.  Lathan issued a call to action urging supporters to work together by employing, “One Voice and One Vision” to equitably raise the standard of excellence for all students in the district, regardless of their socioeconomic status.

Lathan also told the crowd of about 700 that despite the challenges faced by the district, innovative teachers, inspiring leaders, and resilient students have helped HISD earn its current high “B” rating, with a score of 88 under the Texas Education Agency’s accountability system.

Continue reading →

HISD takes home 26 TSPRA awards for communications, community engagement efforts

The Houston Independent School District’s Communications department earned top honors for its work in communications and community engagement during the 2020 Texas School Public Relations Association Annual Conference in Austin.  

The accolades covered nearly all facets of communications, including writing, videography, graphic design, marketing, branding, and special events.  

“As the storytellers of HISD, we are passionate about sharing the inspiring stories of our resilient students, hard-working teachers, and empowering leaders,” said Chief Communications Officer Rebecca Suarez.  “I am extremely proud of our Communications Team for their creative lens and clear focus on promoting the district’s strategic priorities to help student succeed.”   

Continue reading →

Guidelines for travel, self-quarantine advised as precaution for COVID-19

HISD amends perfect attendance rules and high school student exemptions for final exams

The Houston Independent School District continues to closely monitor the potential impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on the HISD community. The district has not experienced any active cases of COVID-19.

As Spring Break draws near, we are asking all HISD students, families, and staff to take extra precautions when traveling. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s travel guidelines provide country-specific information at the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Information for Travel website.

Continue reading →

Name That Book competition makes developing literacy skills fun

HISD students from across the district will gather to show off their reading comprehension skills next week during the annual Name that Book competition finals. 

Coordinated by the HISD Department of Library Services and sponsored by professional services network KPMG, the contest serves to acquaint HISD students with classic literature, as well as contemporary award-winning books, representing a variety of genres. 

Continue reading →

Transportation Services to halt route changes March 27

Transportation Services will stop making changes to existing routes at the end of March to allow the department to begin planning for the 2020-2021 school year.  

Parents will no longer be able to request changes to existing routes starting Friday, March 27. Students with new transportation requests submitted after the cutoff date will be assigned to existing routes and stops.  

“Planning for the next year is an essential part of ensuring we fulfill our mission,” General Manager John Wilcots IV said. “This deadline will allow us to shift our focus to scheduling and route planning for the coming 2020-2021 school year.”  

Continue reading →

HISD launches website to provide updates on Coronavirus

The Houston Independent School District is providing one location online where updates and information regarding Coronavirus will be posted. The website (HoustonISD.org/HealthAlerts) will be updated as needed to provide the most current resources, including a parent fact sheet, FAQs, and links from supporting health agencies.  

HISD is in contact with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Texas Department of Health and Human Services and Houston Health Department and continues to monitor information on Coronavirus (COVID-19) to ensure all students and staff members are safe and updated with the latest information.  

Continue reading →