Dickinson student allegedly threatens to ‘kill everyone’

DICKINSON, Texas (KTRK) -- A Barber Middle School student is in custody after threatening to harm classmates.  Dickinson ISD said in a Facebook post Wednesday evening that the student was arrested by Galveston County sheriff's deputies after two students reported the threat to school officials.  "I'm going to kill everyone," the student allegedly told another student, prompting a call to deputies.  The district said the student will not be permitted to return to the school. view article  

Colorado River in Bastrop, Smithville tops full stage

The Colorado River in Bastrop began spilling over its banks Wednesday night as it surpassed its full stage, according to LCRA river gauges.  At 8:10 p.m. the river measured at 15.23 feet in Bastrop and 10.76 feet in Smithville as floodwaters make their way downstream from the Highland Lakes. The river’s full stage in Bastrop is 14 feet and 10 feet in Smithville. It’s flood stage is 23 feet in Bastrop and 20 feet in Smithville.  The Lower Colorado River Authority said Wednesday it had four floodgates open at Mansfield Dam and expects another four will need to be opened by mid-day Thursday, a record for the dam. Water releases from Lake Travis will cause higher levels in Lake Austin, Lady Bird Lake and the Colorado River downstream from Austin, the authority said. view article  

Crosby ISD lays off 129 employees

Superintendent Dr. Scott Davis says the layoffs have been difficult and necessary, adding, "I can tell you with resounding conviction that the sacrifices made by so many will not be in vain."  Of the 129 employees, 34 voluntarily resigned or retired.  Superintendent Dr. Scott Davis says the layoffs have been difficult and necessary, adding, “I can tell you with resounding conviction that the sacrifices made by so many will not be in vain.”  Below is Crosby ISD’s full statement: view article  

Houston:  HISD board facing votes aimed at repairing image after rancorous meeting

In their first major meeting since last week’s widely condemned display of rancor, Houston ISD trustees are expected Thursday to formally reverse their decision to replace Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan and take steps to begin restoring their public reputation.  Board members are scheduled to meet at 8 a.m. for a special meeting with five significant items on the agenda: nixing last week’s vote to swapLathan for former HISD superintendent Abelardo Saavedra; setting an end date for finding a permanent leader; hiring an executive coach for trustees and Lathan; adopting a resolution of “reconciliation”; and requesting a new governance monitor from the Texas Education Agency. view article  

Pleasant Grove:  Superintendent search begins

Pleasant Grove Independent School District's Board of Trustees voted to hire a superintendent search firm during a special meeting Monday.  They approved hiring Arrow Educational Services, Inc., which is owned by Dr. Russell Marshall and Jim Dunlap. It is the same firm the district used three years ago to hire Superintendent Jason Smith, who was named as lone finalist last week for president at Texarkana College. Smith has served as the district's superintendent for three years and during his tenure, voters passed a $19.9 million bond issue for a new elementary school, increased security on all campuses and technology infrastructure. view article  

Preventive Law: Dogs and Horses and . . . Peacocks?  Service, Therapy, and Comfort Animals in the Classroom – What Does the Law Require?

It has become common place to hear and read about requests for therapy dogs and horses in the classroom, emotional support peacocks and other animals on airplanes, and comfort critters in restaurants. This can lead to confusion concerning what type of accommodations a school district must make for students with a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), or what types of animals must be allowed on campus to support a student pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”). The information below is intended as a general guideline to help answer some of the most common questions concerning animals on campus and help district personnel prevent setting a precedent by approving overly broad requests while also avoiding liability for denying requests that may be appropriate under the state and federal law. Districts should however contact their general or special education counsel with questions concerning specific scenarios or making exceptions for unique individual circumstances.

New From TEA

• Attendance Projections for the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 School Years
• Financial Hardship Transition Program and Adjustment for Rapid Decline in Taxable Value of Property 10/4
• Implementation of Senate Bill (SB) 30, Community Safety Education Act
• Bilingual Education Exceptions and Waivers for English as a Second Language 9/28
• School Health and Related Services (SHARS) Reporting Requirement  9/28
• House Bill 1638: Statewide Dual Credit Goals 9/24
• Request for Applications for Instructional Materials Quality Evaluation Pilot 9/20
• United States Presidential Scholars Program and United States Senate Youth Program Student Scholarship Opportunities 9/19
• 2018-2019 Significant Expansion of Enrollment - Open-Enrollment Charter Schools Only 9/14
• Validations of Fiscal Data Reported by LEAs for Federal Grants 2018-2019
• Unallowable double funding for unaccompanied children held in custody by or for the federal government being served by Texas public schools 9/5
• Industry Certifications HB 2729 9/5

November 2018 Bond List

Bond Election Data collected by TexasISD.com for public school bonds in the upcoming November 2018 election cycle.

Early voting begins Monday for C-FB ISD bond election

Early voting begins Monday, and a $350 million bond for capital improvement projects at Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD will be on the ballot. This is the first bond election the district has had since 2003. “What’s unique about this bond is … every student and every campus will be affected by this bond,” said Angela Shelley, C-FB ISD communications director. According to district officials, improvements will be made to fix electrical, mechanical, plumbing and roofing issues. Safety and security, technology, fine arts, athletics, career and technical, kitchen and equipment upgrades as well as renovations to Vivian Field and Dewitt Perry middle schools are expected. view article  

Texas school bus driver arrested after driving into high water with student on board

A Texas bus driver was arrested after police said he went around a barricade, driving a school bus through a low-water crossing with a student on board. Police said they were called around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday to County Road 177 where rushing floodwaters swept away the school bus driven by Nathan Deyoung. view article  

This is how some school districts take a giant risk with November elections — but also improve democracy in Texas

We have too many elections in Texas. Ours is a voting system designed to confuse and stifle voter turnout that is always among the lowest in the nation. We should have only two elections each year: a primary and then the general election in November. If needed, runoffs could follow. view article  

‘This is not a TV show’: Houston ISD board calls for unity as Lathan reinstated

Members of the Houston Independent School District board again Thursday apologized for their behavior during the past week and called for unity as they voted to reinstate the previously ousted interim superintendent. The unanimous vote came after last week’s vote to boot Grenita Lathan from the interim superintendent job and bring in former HISD Superintendent Ave Sevaadra. The decision seemed to surprise some board members and sparked a contentious debate. view article  

Games Relocated After More Construction Delays at Grapevine-Colleyville’s Mustang-Panther Stadium

Construction at Grapevine ISD's Mustang-Panther Stadium has fallen so far behind schedule the remainder of the football games scheduled for this season have been relocated. The teams at Grapevine and Colleyville Heritage high schools will have to wait until next season to christen their newly-renovated stadium. In a letter published on the district's website, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD Superintendent Robin Ryan said the final home games for Grapevine and Heritage high schools were being move due to more weather-related construction delays. view article  

Houston ISD trustees unanimously vote to keep Lathan as interim superintendent

Houston ISD trustees voted unanimously Thursday to rescind their decision to replace Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan, a widely expected outcome after the move last week drew widespread criticism. view article  

Winters ISD cancelling after-school programs, starting late due to flooding

 Flooding has caused Winters ISD to cancel after-school activities and start late Thursday morning. view article  

Houston ISD faces February 2019 deadline for decision on surrendering control of campuses

Houston ISD leaders have about three and a half months to decide whether to temporarily surrender control over four long-struggling campuses in exchange for a reprieve from potentially major sanctions tied to low academic performance, according to timelines recently established by the Texas Education Agency. The TEA has set a deadline of Feb. 4, 2019, for school districts to submit applications for public-private partnerships under a state law known as SB 1882. view article  

Texas students perform poorly on ACT

Texas scored dead last on the ACT among 23 states where less than 45 percent of high school graduates took the test, according to the nonprofit that administers the college-preparedness assessments.  Students in the Lone Star state earned an average composite score of 20.6, compared to the national average of 20.8. The highest score someone can earn on the test is a 36. Massachusetts had the highest average scores of any state, with the 25 percent of their graduates who took the test earning an average composite score of 25.5. view article  

No Injuries After Coppell ISD Bus Catches Fire in Irving

No one was hurt when a Coppell Independent School District bus caught fire in Irving Wednesday morning, school officials say. The bus was on its way to Valley Ranch Elementary shortly before 7 a.m. when the driver noticed smoke coming from the engine, according to Coppell ISD spokeswoman Amanda Simpson. view article  

Early voting to begin on Alvin ISD bond, tax proposals

Early voting starts Oct. 22 for a proposed Alvin ISD $480.5 million bond package, known as Proposition A, and an accompanying measure to prevent an increase in the district’s overall property tax rate, Propostion B. The measures in the Nov. 6 election will appear on Brazoria County voters’ ballots where Alvin ISD school district taxes are levied. view article  

Region One ESC receives multimillion-dollar grant for college readiness program

Region One Education Services Center announced it received $7 million worth of grants Tuesday. The funds will benefit 14,000 students across the Rio Grande Valley. view article  

Panel hears about what’s being done to ‘harden’ school campuses

The Texas House Committee on Appropriations met Oct. 9 to hear ideas on improving school safety in the aftermath of the May 18 Santa Fe High School shooting that left eight students and two teachers dead and 13 injured. “It’s an unbelievable reality that shootings in schools are occurring more frequently,” said state Rep. John Zerwas, chairman of the powerful, state budget-writing committee. “As a Legislature we must do what we can to ensure our schools are places of learning and not places of fear.”  view article  

SCHOOL PERFORMANCE DRIVERS – LIFE EXPERIENCE

Of the four primary school performance drivers (Segregation, Life Experience, Instruction, Motivation) none is more over-relied on and misattributed than life experience.  All things being equal a student with more enriched life experiences will outperform the student with less enriched life experiences. This has nothing to do with aptitude.  It is simply a result of additional and more varied life experiences that allow the student to create meaning and context more rapidly. view article  

Cause of Coppell ISD bus fire under investigation

The cause of a Coppell ISD bus fire Wednesday morning is under investigation, according to district officials. Around 6:55 a.m. a bus carrying two students to Valley Ranch Elementary caught fire in Irving after smoke began to come from the engine. The driver, who noticed the smoke, pulled over, and he and the bus monitor quickly evacuated the two students and themselves from the bus, officials said. view article  

Louise schools adding barriers on all campuses

With perimeter fencing completed around Louise ISD facilities earlier this year, the board of trustees agreed to let the superintendent take extra security measures for entry points at its three schools at Monday’s meeting. The district is going to add a set of powered doors, one at each campus, the elementary, middle and high schools for $3,000 a set, according to Superintendent Garth Oliver. view article  

Burkburnett ISD administration moves in Hardin building

Renovations continue within the Burkburnett Independent School District as the administration members put a historic building to good use. A couple of weeks ago, school administrators moved into the building after classrooms were transformed into offices. But, even though the move is near completion there is still a lot of work to be done. The last leg of upgrades following the passage of a Burkburnett school bond in 2015 has district leaders working in a building where children roamed rooms and hallways for more than 80 years. view article  

At Least 17 People Killed In Attack At School In Crimea

A student went on a shooting rampage and then killed himself at a technical school in Crimea, which also was hit by an explosion, Russian authorities saidWednesday. At least 17 people were killed and 40 injured in the gunfire and the blast, which officials told Reuters went off in the school cafeteria. The suspect was identified as 18-year-old Vladislav Roslyakov, a fourth-year student at the school, according to a spokeswoman for Russia's Investigative Committee. view article  

SCHOOL PERFORMANCE DRIVERS – SEGREGATION

Of the four main school performance drivers (Segregation, Life Experience, Instruction, Motivation) none is more insidious than segregation. Segregation separates into groups of those having some advantage (have’s) and those not having the required advantages (have-not’s). The advantages can be varied. Common advantages are wealth, power, connections, aptitude, and/or motivation. Not surprisingly, when compared, the advantaged group out performs the disadvantaged group. Then factor in increased resources for the advantaged group and the gaps between the performance of the two becomes an exponential function, not a linear one. view article  

Aledo ISD moves forward with District of Innovation

The Aledo ISD board of trustees adopted a resolution to start the process of designating AISD as a District of Innovation and also approved a DOI committee. DOI was passed by the 84th Texas Legislature and gives public school districts the opportunity to access some operational flexibilities and obtain more local control based on district needs, which include exemptions from some state mandates related to student attendance, decision-making process, academic calendar and teach appraisals.  view article  

Bonham ISD appoints Kelly Trompler as Interim Superintendent effective December 20

Bonham ISD is proud to announce Kelly Trompler as our new Interim Superintendent beginning December 20, 2018. As Trompler takes on her new role she aims to continue her goals of improving student achievement and ensuring that Bonham ISD places a ‘Life-Changer’ in every classroom. Trompler is a Bonham, Texas native graduating from Bonham High School in 1990. She received her Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies from East Texas State University in Commerce, Texas. She continued her education at Southeastern Oklahoma State University by receiving her Master’s in Educational Administration. view article  

Silsbee ISD superintendent resigns, accepts job for company that builds schools

Bain will become an educational consultant for Claycomb Architech, which builds school and educational buildings. His last day as superintendent will be Dec. 31. view article  

Corsicana ISD board tests high tech specs

The Corsicana ISD Board of Trustees tested some technology Monday with the intent of placing it in classrooms. Board members took part in a demonstration of Brain Power and Google Glass technology, taking a trip to Dubai without leaving their seats. The purpose of the technology is to aide students with autism. The 10 pairs of glasses which normally retail for $1,000 per pair were paid for through a special education grant. According to a release, the founder of Brain Power, Dr. Ned T. Sahin, studied autistic children and used the Google Glass technology to invent applications which may help students with autism to develop skills such as emotional decoding, eye contact, speech, self-regulation and avoiding meltdowns.  view article  

SOUTHEAST TEXAS SCHOOL DISTRICT PURCHASES BULLETPROOF VESTS

The Edna Independent School District in southeast Texas has purchased several ballistic vests they hope could save someone’s life during a school shooting. Edna ISD is only two hours away from the Santa Fe school district just outside Houston, the same place where eight students and two teachers were gunned down by a 17-year-old student back in May 2018. It was the second deadliest high school shooting in the U.S., right after the Stoneman Douglas shooting in February 2018 that claimed the lives of 17 and injured 17 more. view article  

Lorena ISD issues statement dismissing “hit list” rumor

Lorena ISD Superintendent Joe Kucera issued a statement Thursday morning to parents and local media dismissing a rumor spread online that a student had created a "hit list." He stated that Lorena police have found no "credible threat," but that school officials were continuing to monitor the situation. view article  

Spring ISD invites the community to beam signing at new school

Spring ISD will allow the public to leave their print on the beam of a new middle school it is building and plans to open in August 2019. The beam signing ceremony will take place at the unnamed campus known as middle school number 8 near Northgate Crossing Elementary on Oct. 25 at 9:30 a.m. view article