Tag Archives: budget

Public Hearings on HISD Budget Situation and Bell Schedule Proposal Begin Tonight

The first of 11 public meetings to gather input on a plan to add 19 minutes to the average school day with a uniform bell schedule for all Houston Independent School District campuses will be held tonight at three high schools.

  • Tuesday, April 3 – 6-7 p.m.
     Austin HS (1700 Dumble)
     Bellaire HS (5100 Maple Street)
     Chavez HS (8501 Howard)

Upcoming meetings:

  • April 4 (Wednesday) – 6-7 p.m.
    Lamar HS (3325 Westheimer) 
    Sharpstown HS (7504 Bissonnet)
    Waltrip HS – (1900 West 34th )
  • April 9 (Monday) – Noon-1 p.m. at the Hattie Mae Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th Street)
  • April 9 (Monday) – 6-7 p.m.
    Westside High School (14201 Briar Forest)
  • April 10 (Tuesday) – 6-7 p.m.
    Wheatley HS (4801 Providence)
    Worthing HS (9215 Scott)
    Yates HS (3703 Sampson)

HISD is looking for more ways to reduce spending as the district seeks to address a projected $34 million shortfall for the 2012-2013 school year. The shortfall is primarily a result of last year’s decision by the Texas Legislature to reduce public education funding by $5.3 billion.

Under the uniform bell schedule plan, every HISD school would have an instructional day that is 7 ½ hours long. This represents a 19-minute increase for the average HISD school, or a total of seven full days of extra instruction time over the course of the year. The 19 HISD schools that currently operate for more than 7 ½ hours per day would be allowed to continue offering the same amount of instructional time. The new schedule would save a projected $1.2 million.

Currently, HISD’s 279 schools have about 20 different start and end times. Under the proposal, schools would operate on the following bell schedule:

• Approximately half of all elementary schools would operate from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Approximately half of all elementary schools would operate from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• All middle schools would operate from 7:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
• All high schools would operate from 8:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

Click here to see proposed bell schedules for all HISD elementary schools.
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