Three HISD schools have been recognized as some of the country’s healthiest schools by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.
Baylor College of Medicine Biotech Academy at Rusk, Piney Point Elementary School, and Rucker Elementary School all were honored with bronze-level designations for the schools’ impact on children’s health.
The schools are among 355 schools from 23 states selected for the recognition.
Continue readingHouston Independent School District experts took center stage along with community leaders, social service experts, and child advocates at a nationally televised town hall broadcast Tuesday evening by NBC News Learn, the educational division of NBC News.
The broadcast event, which was held at the University of Houston-Downtown, included a one-on-one interview with HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan, who discussed the current state of HISD schools, as well as the future of Wheatley High School.
“Wheatley High School is open and has an outstanding principal, teachers, parents and students that are ready for the challenge,” Lathan said during the broadcast. “Wheatley will exit Improvement Required status by the end of this school year.”
Continue readingHundreds of Kolter Elementary School families gathered Saturday at the site where their old school once stood, eager to get a peek at concrete and steel rising up from the ground before them.
Many were clad in red and blue shirts adorned with a proud and determined message: “Hurricanes are strong. Kolter is stronger.” Others held white paper fans emblazoned with, “Consider me a big fan of the new Kolter Elementary.”
All were there to celebrate the construction progress on the foreign language magnet school, set to re-open next summer after being destroyed two years prior by Hurricane Harvey.
Continue readingThe district has designated five “Staff Development Days” for the 2019-2020 school year to be utilized for professional development at the school level. As a result, schools will release students early on those days throughout the school year.
On the following dates outlined below, elementary schools will be dismissed at noon, and middle and high schools will be dismissed at 1:10 p.m.
HISD Transportation Services will be adjusting bus schedules to ensure students are picked up at the early dismissal times, which will result in earlier delivery times to bus stops.
Continue readingThe Houston Independent School District Office of Special Populations launched the Level-Up Program on Tuesday to support grade level acceleration of overage elementary students.
In partnership with Imagine Learning, Level-Up works with overaged students in grades 2-4 and 6-7 to provide accelerated learning interventions that will allow them to master state-mandated learning objectives and advance one grade level by the beginning of their second semester.
“This is definitely a dream come true,” Officer of Special Populations Courtney Busby said. “We’ve been talking about solutions for our overaged students for some time now, and we want to be sure we are meeting the needs of all of our learners.”
Continue readingThe Houston Independent School District Board of Education unanimously adopted a seven-cent decrease to the 2019-2020 property tax rate at its regular monthly September meeting.
Homeowners residing within the district’s boundaries will see the tax rate reduced from $1.2067 to $1.1367 per $100 of taxable property value. Individuals’ taxes may still rise if the value of their property increases.
Trustees and Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan also proclaimed Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, 2019 as Hispanic Heritage Month in HISD. September also was recognized as Literacy Awareness Month and Attendance Awareness Month. Additionally, Sept. 8-14, 2019 was proclaimed as National Suicide Prevention Week in HISD with the goal of raising suicide awareness to help save children’s lives.
Continue readingNew partnership expanding access to social-emotional supports
Just three weeks into her freshman year at North Forest High School, Mi’Kalia Allen can already see just how challenging her new journey may be and says she will take all the help she can get – especially when it comes to navigating the pressures of high school life.
Mi’Kalia, along with 300 other students, took part in the district’s first-ever Mental Health Youth Summit on Friday to promote mental well-being in the classroom and school community.
“They say that the ninth grade is your most important year,” she said. “I am hoping that this will help me, because it is already starting to get difficult.”
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The Houston Independent School District Board of Education on Thursday issued a proclamation designating Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month in the district.
Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off with the anniversary of the 1821 Independence Day of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The month also encompasses the independence days for Mexico (Sept. 16) and Chile (Sept. 18).
Throughout the month, a variety of events showcasing performances, art shows, and many other displays of the rich Hispanic culture can be observed in schools across the district.
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HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan will participate in a live education summit hosted by NBC News Learn, which will focus on the state of education in Houston and across the nation.
The live event will be held from 4-6 p.m. on Tuesday, September 24 at University of Houston-Downtown, Robertson Auditorium (201 Girard St., 77002) and is open to the public. The summit will be livestreamed on NBCNews.com/LearnHouston and on KPRC Channel 2.
Continue readingFirst of five school choice fairs set for Sept. 28 at Sterling HS
Parents will have the ability to begin applying to School Choice Programs for the 2020-2021 school year on Friday, Sept. 27, 2019. The district’s first school choice fair will take place from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 28 at Sterling High School (11625 Martindale, 77048).
HISD offers a robust portfolio of magnet programs at 112 schools to best meet students’ academic needs and interests. The magnet programs within the district include:
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