Rusk School Breaks Ground on New Addition

Rusk School officials and community members broke ground Monday on a new addition that will house the school’s middle school students.

Rusk school officials and community members break ground on a new addition to the school.

The PK-8 school’s 21,000-square-foot, eight-classroom building is among the final projects under the 2007 bond program. About 40 people gathered under a tent as light rain fell during the groundbreaking at the East End neighborhood campus.

Chief School Officer Chip Zullinger said it was important to mark the day.

“This is one of the last projects, and we’re here today to get started with some new and exciting things for the future of The Rusk School,” Zullinger said.

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District’s Blueprint Archives a Resource for Architects in Bond Program

HISD Senior CAD Designer Gregory Poitier is attempting to digitize the district’s archives for preservation and easier access.

When HISD’s Condit Elementary moved into its new building in 1914, it became the first public school in Houston’s Bellaire neighborhood. Ninety-nine years and several renovations later, it remains in the same building, surrounded by new houses, schools and businesses.

To view the transformation of Condit and other HISD campuses across a century and more, pay a visit to the district’s archive room. Located in HISD’s Construction and Facility Services Building on Center Street, the archives contain thousands of blueprints for district buildings, organized alphabetically by elementary, middle and high schools — dating back to 1912.

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HISD Elementary Schools Compete in 3rd Annual Paula Harris Basketball Classic at Cullen Middle School

Basketball teams from 12 HISD elementary schools will compete in the final round of the 2013 Paula Harris Basketball Classic.  This is the third year HISD Board of Education Trustee Paula Harris has hosted the event which encourages student participation and parent and community involvement for schools in the Cullen Middle School community. At the conclusion of the tournament there will be an awards ceremony. The event will also showcase various HISD bands, cheerleaders, and dance and step teams.
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Students have a chance to win an Apple iPad!

What can you get for telling Food Services what you think about your school’s daily breakfast and lunch dining experience? During the weeks of February 18 – March 8, secondary students at 74 selected schools will get a chance to win one of four Apple iPads Food Services is giving away. You can’t beat that! Students in grades 6-12 that go online to www.studentvp.com/HISD, complete the quick survey, fill out the confirmation page and turn it in to their school’s cafeteria manager will get their names entered in a drawing to win one (1) of four (4) Apple iPads! Continue reading →

Comprehensive Website Keeps Public Informed About Bond Programs

Want to stay better informed about the bond programs at HISD? The district now features an integrated website, www.houstonisd.org/bond, on the 2012 and 2007 bond programs.

This site offers information on procurement opportunities, project updates, real estate sales, the Office of Business Assistance, and an interactive map to locate bond schools. Since its launch, more than 6,000 people have visited the site.

The website even features a section on 21st century schools — complete with articles and videos — that highlights the innovative strategies and designs being implemented across the country to boost student achievement.

Other features include a calendar of bond activities, an RSS feed of all bond news from the blog, and an archive section for press coverage and the monthly Building Excellence eNewsletter.

Have a question? Submit it to bondinfo@houstonisd.org, and an HISD representative will contact you.

HISD Announces Meetings to Discuss School Transition Plans

Sterling HS students will move to Jones HS campus during construction; Ryan MS students would move to Cullen MS

Four community meetings have been scheduled for Tuesday, February 26 to discuss HISD’s plan move students out of two school buildings at the end of this school year.

Under the plan, the current student bodies of Sterling and Jones high schools would be combined into a single campus on a permanent basis.  Students from Sterling will move to the Jones campus and remain there while the new Sterling campus is under construction as part of the recently approved HISD bond program.  The school would operate as a single campus, with all students joining together to compete on the same academic and athletic teams.  Once the new campus opens in late 2016 or early 2017, all students currently zoned to Jones would be rezoned to the new school, a $72.3 million campus capable of supporting modern technology and accommodating the latest approaches to collaborative learning.

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Asian Advisory Committee Hears About Efforts to Enhance M/WBE Participation for 2012 Bond

Alexis Licata, general manager of HISD's Office of Business Assistance, provides information on doing business with the district during a meeting of the Asian Advisory Committee.

More than 50 people turned out Wednesday for an update on HISD’s 2012 bond program at an event hosted by the district’s Asian Advisory Committee at the International Trade Center on Bellaire.

“Many of us don’t know how to do business with HISD, and that’s why we’re having this meeting,” said Gordon Quan, committee chairman and a Houston immigration attorney.

The event drew area architects, engineers and consultants, who heard from Alexis Licata, general manager of HISD’s Office of Business Assistance. She gave participants an overview of the bond program to date and its efforts to include participation by minority and women-owned business enterprises.

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New HISD Board President Anna Eastman Discusses 2012 Bond Program and Upcoming HISD Survey

Who: 2012 HISD Board President Mike Lunceford and recently elected 2013 HISD Board President Anna Eastman sit down for a discussion on the district’s recent accomplishments and upcoming priorities and initiatives for 2013. Topics discussed include the 2012 bond program and an upcoming third-party survey of HISD parents, students and staff. This is Lunceford’s last time serving as host of the monthly television program as he passes the reigns to Eastman.

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Houston ISD Exploring Solutions to Budget Shortfall Caused by State Cuts

District has lost $120 million in annual state funding

February 21, 2013 – The state of Texas’ unconstitutional school funding system has placed the HISD Board of Education in the position of considering two options for covering a projected $72 million deficit for the 2013-2014 school year: deeper cuts to classroom spending and/or a property tax rate increase.

An update on the budget situation was presented to the Houston Independent School District Board of Education during a public workshop meeting today.

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HSPVA Alumnus Robert Glasper Wins Grammy Award

Robert Glasper

Photo by Mike Schreiber. Courtesy of EMI Music.

Robert Glasper, an alumnus of the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, took home the award for Best R&B Album earlier this month at the 55th Grammy Awards.

Glasper, who turns 35 in April, won for his latest album, “Black Radio.” The album blends jazz, R&B, funk and hip-hop and features appearances by Lupe Fiasco, Erykah Badu, Bilal, Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) and others.

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