- News Category
- Accountability/Accreditation
- Charter Schools
- Child Nutrition
- Construction/Bond Issues
- Governance
- Grants
- Health/Safety
- Joe's Commentaries
- Legal
- Legislative
- National News
- Newspapers
- Personnel
- Property Tax
- Risk Management
- School Finance
- Special Articles
- State Board of Education
- SuperSearch Page
- Technology in Education
- TexasISD General News
- Transportation
- Preventive Law
TexasISD.com
Endorsed Products
TexasISD.com
Advertising
TexasISD.com
Quick Links
Yesterday, TEA released an important memo 17/18 Preliminary Summary of Finances (SOF) stating:
read more 
Congratulations to the following New Supers
Jason Jones, current Superintendent of Oglesby ISD, has been named New Super of McMullen County ISD.
Marshall Harrison, current Superintendent of Blooming Grove ISD, has been named New Super of Sunray ISD .
Alan Umholtz, current Superintendent of Henrietta-Midway ISD, has been named New Super of Tahoka ISD.
Brandon Peavy, former Superintendent of Hardin ISD, has been named New Super of Bridgeport ISD.
31
Superintendent Vacancies
Click to expand 
| Vacant | Lexington ISD; Search By: Arrow Educational ServicesINFO | Vacant | Industrial ISD; Search by Industrial ISD Board InfoINFO | Vacant | Keller ISD; Search by Thompson & Horton LLPINFO | Vacant | Gordon ISD; Search By Leasor Crass P.C. info INFO | Vacant | Hedley CISD; Search By: Region 16 Education Service Center infoINFO | Vacant | Waelder ISD; Search By Waelder ISD Board of Trustees infoINFO | Vacant | Nocona ISD; Search by: Region 9 ESC InfoINFO | Vacant | Venus ISD ; Search By: TASB Executive Search Services InfoINFO | Vacant | Hays CISD; Search by: Thompson & Horton LLPINFO | Vacant | Bushland ISD; Search By: TASB Executive Search Services InfoINFO | Vacant | Rocksprings ISD; Search By: Rocksprings ISD Board of Trustees InfoINFO | Vacant | Midway ISD; Search By: Region 9 ESC infoINFO | Vacant | Hutto ISD ; Search By: JG Consulting infoINFO | Vacant | Crane ISD; Search By: Crane ISD Board of Trustees infoINFO | Vacant | Comfort ISD; Search By: TASB Executive Search Services InfoINFO | Vacant | City View ISD; Search By: Region 9 ESC InfoINFO | Vacant | Teague ISD; Search By: TASB Executive Search Services InfoINFO | Vacant | Cedar Hill ISD; Search By: TASB Executive Search Services InfoINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Snyder ISD; Dr. Eddie Bland, Former Bridgeport Superintendent; Search by Ronnie Kincaid, ESC 14 InfoINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Hubbard ISD (Hill County); Dr. Wayne Guidry, Executive Director of Operations of West Orange-Cove CISD; Search by the Hubbard ISD Board of Trustees and Interim Super Kerry Hansen Info INFO |
| Lone Finalist | Johnson City ISD - Richard Kolek, Deputy Superintendent,Taylor ISD ; Search By EDSAS and Don Rogers and Lance Johnson infoINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Gladewater ISD - Sedric Clark , High School Principal ,Mansfield High School, LA; Search by: Gladewater Board of Trustees infoINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Stockdale ISD - Daniel Fuller, Superintendent,Waelder ISD; Stockdale ISD Board of Trustees infoINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Hamlin ISD - Dr. Randy Burks , interim superintendent ,Hamlin ISD; Search By Region 14 ESC & Ronnie Kincaid infoINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Paducah ISD - Gary Waitman , High School Principal,Petrolia ISD; Search By: Paducah ISD Board of Trustees infoINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Shepherd ISD - Rick Hartley , Assistant Superintendent,Waco ISD; Search By Shepherd ISD Board of Trustees and DRV Executive Search Services infoINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Linden-Kildare CISD - Keri Winters, High School Principal,Linden-Kildare CISD; Search By Linden-Kildare CISD Board of TrusteesINFO |
| Lone Finalist | La Feria ISD; Cathy Lee Hernandez, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum at Judson ISD; search by Walsh Gallegos & Educational Consultant Gary PattersonINFO |
| New Super | Nacogdoches ISD; Sandra Dowdy, Interim Superintendent of Nacogdoches ISD; Search by Nacogdoches ISD Board of Trustees InfoINFO |
| New Super | McMullen County ISD - Jason Jones, Superintendent,Oglesby ISD; Search By: McMullen County ISD Board of Trustees infoINFO |
| New Super | Sunray ISD - Marshall Harrison, Superintendent,Blooming Grove ISD; Search By Sunray ISD Board of Trustees infoINFO |
| New Super | Tahoka ISD - Alan Umholtz, Superintendent,Henrietta-Midway ISD; Search by: Tahoka ISD School Board and Region 17 Education Service Center infoINFO |
| New Super | Bridgeport ISD - Brandon Peavy, Superintendent,Hardin ISD; Search by CCR Educational Consultants Info.INFO |
| New Super | Junction ISD - Mr. Mike Carter , Superintendent,May ISD; Search By ESC Region 15 infoINFO |
| New Super | Decatur ISD - Judi Whitis, Superintendent,Valley Mills ISD; Search by Executive Search Services infoINFO |
| New Super | Lovelady ISD - Wendy Tullos , Asst. Superintendent,Crockett ISD; Search By Executive Search Services infoINFO |
| New Super | Laredo ISD - Dr. Sylvia G. Rios, Chief Academic Officer,Laredo ISD; Search By: Walsh Gallegos & Educational Consultant Dr. Ann DixonINFO |
| New Super | Seguin ISD - Dr. Matthew Gutierrez, Assistant Superintendent,Plano ISD; Search by Executive Search Services infoINFO |
| New Super | Brackett ISD - Guillermo Mancha, special education compliance specialist/ campus administrative support ,Southside ISD; Search By Executive Search Services infoINFO |
| New Super | Adrian ISD - Steve Reynolds , High School Principal,Meadow ISD; Search By Adrian ISD Board of Trustees and Cox Educational Consulting infoINFO |
| New Super | Culberson County- Allamoore ISD - Ken Baugh, Superintendent,Throckmorton ISD; TASB Executive Seach Services infoINFO |
| New Super | Sanger ISD; Search By: Walsh Gallegos & Educational Consultant Dr. Ann DixonINFO |
| New Super | San Benito CISD; Search By: JG Consulting - James GuerraINFO |
How do I get my SuperSearch on TexasISD.com?Preventive Law: Act Now to be Heard on Proposed Changes to School District Document Retention Schedule
All school district staff should be aware that records they create and maintain are subject to records retention requirements. The district’s responsibilities are based on schedules developed by the Texas State Library Archives Commission (“TSLAC”), which are published in Title 13 of the Texas Administrative Code. These schedules are also referenced in board policies at CPC (LEGAL).
2017 Tax Ratification Elections/Results
Election information related to all Tax Ratification Elections in 2016
November 2017 Bond Elections
This is a list of all known bond elections for the November 2017 election date. If you have information that we do not have included in our chart please email webmaster@texasisd.com
Public school funding burden shifts to taxpayers
Some experts and legislators believe the 85th Legislature did little to help public schools and taxpayers despite meeting for a special session this summer and passing education funding legislation. Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, authored the Senate’s property tax reform bill, Senate Bill 1, which failed to pass during the special session that ended in August. House Bill 21—which transfers $351 million from Health and Human Services to public education—did pass this session and was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott.
view article
Allen ISD Tops the List for Public Schools in Texas
Many of the best elementary schools in Texas are in the Allen Independent School District, according to one group's rankings. Kerr Elementary School ranks No. 1 in the state, Evans Elementary School is No. 2, Bolin Elementary School is No. 4 and Boon Elementary School is No. 5, according to 2017-2018 rankings by niche.com. Bolin Principal Reena Varughese said the school's focus on small groups helps them thrive. "In every classroom, you'll see collaborative learning and you'll see teachers pulling kids to meet their individual needs, whether they're at a higher level or whether they're struggling," Varughese said.
view article
Students in towns hardest hit by Harvey are still in the eye of the storm
ARANSAS PASS — This should be Yahaira Montemayor’s fourth week in school. Instead, the 7-year-old whiles away her days at her grandmother’s house and spends her nights huddled in a single bed with her mother and three siblings. While other students across Texas sit in classrooms, 13-year-old Raul Fuentes helps his mother clean tables at the taqueria where she works as a waitress. Jordan Martin, who should have started his senior year in high school, lives in a camper anchored to his football coach’s driveway.
view article
Texas education chief making his mark in Harvey crisis
Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath's office became more of a triage unit than a traditional education office once Hurricane Harvey hit. Which school districts did the hurricane mow over? How bad is the flooding? Are schools that were either wrecked or flooded safe enough for class? Are children safe enough to be able go to school?
view article
Refugio schools find way to reopen
For Michael Moore, sitting in a makeshift Refugio school office in the gym's foyer without air conditioning felt more normal than the past three weeks. "This is not what any of us planned," Michael, 18, said Monday. "We are still a family, we are all strong and we will be all right." The senior was among many Refugio school district students who began the school year Monday. The start of the year was delayed because of Hurricane Harvey.
view article
Harvey recovery aid is coming in — and so are tough decisions
As Harvey recovery aid starts coming in, some Southeast Texans are facing tough decisions — and asking hard questions. Here's what you need to know: Some updates out of Houston: Start off with this read on how low-income residents in the car-centric city of Houston are still struggling after Harvey destroyed their vehicles. It's the domino effect — those affected from the storm already have to buy new clothes and find new places to live; most can't do that without income or transportation, and many in southeast Texas now have to repair or buy new cars.
view article
Jessica Attas, Board of Contributors: State deserves some blame for ire over rising property values, tax rates
Few are the people who take delight in paying property taxes. Yet when we understand where our dollars go and have confidence they are being spent wisely on services and infrastructure of benefit to us all, the sting is lessened and, in fact, we may appreciate the quality of life and services they provide. Nevertheless, when the growth of our tax burden outpaces the growth in our income, it can cause a strain that is more intimately felt. The same is true in the commercial sector. Businesses may be reluctant to make new hires (i.e., create jobs) or otherwise expand their business (which oftentimes includes a capital investment that boosts our tax rolls) if they face uncertainty on how their property taxes may increase from one year to the next.
view article
FORMER SUPERINTENDENT NAMED INTERIM AT TEAGUE ISD
Teague ISD Superintendent, Dr. Nate Carman, has been selected as the new Superintendent for San Benito CISD. TISD Board of Trustees voted to accept Carman’s resignation on August 31st. President of the Board, Jeff Gonzales, explained that retired superintendent, Ray Matthews, has been hired to serve as interim until a new superintendent can be found. The district has entered a contract with the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) Executive Search Service and plan to hire by November 30th.
view article
Local school districts in Friendswood and Pearland compete to retain teachers, offer higher salaries
As school districts around the Greater Houston area are growing, competition for recruiting highly qualified teachers has stiffened. Districts, such as Alvin, Friendswood and Pearland ISDs, have all been affected by increased teacher turnover, according to retention data from the Texas Education Agency, and have dug deep to raise teacher salaries in an effort to stifle poaching.
view article
Hurricane Harvey could affect labor, construction costs for San Marcos CISD bond projects
Although it is too soon to tell, labor, construction and other building costs could be increasing as soon as a month from now, according to the architecture firm hired to handle San Marcos CISD’s bond projects. Koleman Uresti, the architect hired to tackle the school district’s new elementary school and other campus improvements, said inflation is expected thanks to the destruction caused by Hurricane Harvey in late August. “We’re really keeping an eye on [costs],” he said Monday night during a SMCISD board of trustees meeting.
view article
Residential development, school competition pull students away from Waco ISD
With new development focused on the outskirts of Waco and a handful of underperforming schools in the city, enrollment in Waco ISD has remained flat for the past six years, while other districts and charter schools have seen significant growth. Superintendent A. Marcus Nelson has been vocal since he started this summer about his desire to keep children in the district and to attract new ones, despite challenges. More than 80 percent of Waco ISD students are economically disadvantaged, and six schools in the district failed the most recent state academic accountability standards.
view article
Eichelbaum Wardell Hansen Powell & Mehl, P.C.
Title IX Administrator Conference
October 19, 2017
A Title IX Conference specifically designed for K-12 administrators!
Join us for our third annual forum for Title IX coordinators to develop an understanding of their duties and responsibilities, participants will learn about the history of Title IX, surveying their districts for possible issues, and how to handle incidents when they arise. This conference is designed to provide realistic support to school administrators to both protect their students and their districts in matters such as promoting gender equity in athletics, providing an environment free from gender-based harassment, and understanding the rights of pregnant students.
This conference is appropriate for Title IX Coordinators, Superintendents, Assistant Superintendents, Campus Administrators, Athletic Directors, Coaches, School Board Trustees, and Teachers.
Hotel Info
Austin Marriott North
2600 La Frontera Blvd
Round Rock, TX 78681
Room rate - $142/night (through October 6th)
How to make your reservation:
Call (800) 865-0546 and ask for the "Title IX" block of rooms or click here to make your reservation online.
Continuing Education
Participants are eligible to receive 5 hours of continuing professional education credits through HRCI, SBEC, and Texas Association of School Business Officials.
Registration Fees
$275 - Registration Fee
$200 - Additional Attendee from the Same District
Lunch and materials included. Out-of-state registrations require payment by credit card only.
Seminar
October 19, 2017 | 9:00 am-4:00 pm | Round Rock, TX
Click here for more information and to register online.
Find out where Austin ISD is shifting teachers and students around
Just weeks into the new school year, Austin ISD is making plans to shuffle students and teachers at 38 schools. The process known as “leveling” happens every school year and it can be very unpopular with parents whose children are just getting settled into new classrooms. The practice, however, allows the district to adjust for growth without hiring new teachers.
view article
Kingwood High’s road to recovery spreads students to other campuses after Harvey
It's been a little over three weeks since Kingwood High School was inundated with flood waters spawned by Hurricane Harvey's rainfall. The campus was forced to shut down, and faculty and officials had a short amount of time to not only regroup and decide how the school year would continue. They would have to essentially find a new school that students will call home for the year ahead."When we walked through it, we knew we weren't going to have school soon," recalled Humble ISD superintendent, Dr. Elizabeth Fagen.
view article
Morath: Harvey-battered districts can tap their recapture payments
AUSTIN -- Houston Independent School District won't have to hand millions of dollars to the state to spend at other schools if HISD needs that money to recover from Hurricane Harvey, but the district will have to apply for that money, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said Friday.
view article
Bryan district filing for waiver, won’t make up school day lost to Harvey
Brazos Valley schools in areas affected by Hurricane Harvey won't have to make up days missed because of the storm. Bryan trustees on Monday joined dozens of schools boards in requesting a "Missed Day" waiver from the Texas Education Agency, which means students won't have to attend classes during the district's three designated make-up days -- March 30, May 25 and May 26.
view article
Students displaced by Harvey enrolling in Ector County ISD
Students displaced by Hurricane Harvey are starting the school year in Odessa. As of now, the district says they have a total of 18 students enrolled from the Houston area.
view article
Austin ISD fixes water fountain at one school after finding higher lead levels
An environmental group is questioning the lead levels found in Austin schools and urging Austin Independent School District to “get the lead out.” AISD finished testing water in all of its 130 campuses this year, after beginning the process last year. The Lower Colorado River Authority testing in 2017 revealed one school had lead levels above 15 parts per billion, the amount the Environmental Protection Agency says is safe. AISD replaced a water fountain at that school and re-tested the water four times, which showed the lead levels had come down, according to AISD’s executive director of facilities.
view article
Texas high schools must encourage voting
My senior year of high school, teachers passed out voter registration forms to the graduating class, asking us almost daily if those of us old enough to vote had picked up a form. I remember thinking little of the school’s efforts. After all, it seemed appropriate for administrators and teachers to not only stress the importance of civic duty in the classroom but to actively guide students in its implementation. I didn’t realize at the time just how fortunate I was to go to a school that encouraged voter participation. A law enacted in 1983 requires all Texas high schools — private and public — to hand out voter registration forms, but the forms only arrive at schools upon request from administrators. The result? Only six percent of schools actually request forms.
view article
Local school districts increase wages despite budget deficits
Both Hays and San Marcos CISDs saw increases in their budgets for fiscal year 2017-18, due in part to salary raises both school boards voted to approve. Although both school districts had budget deficits, healthy savings accounts are helping to cover expenditures. “We did cut the deficit [of the] budget down in half,” SMCISD Assistant Superintendent Karen Griffith said at a July school board meeting. “I wanted the board to realize that we are working on that.”
view article
Can Houston find path to recovery that doesn’t leave poor behind?
Two weeks after hurricane Harvey, Soni Herrera is trapped at her home – a home she and her family cannot yet live in. Like many of the tens of thousands of Houstonians flooded out of their houses, Ms. Herrera, her husband, Jaime, and their four children benefited from the indiscriminate bravery of her community during and immediately after the storm. Neighbors helped them flee as the floodwaters crept under their doorway and rose past their knees. Friends took them in, squeezing them and another family of five into a three-bedroom home within earshot of the controlled explosions at the Arkema chemical plant.
view article
Northeast ISD taking submissions to rename Robert E. Lee High School
The Northeast Independent School District is giving people interested in helping rename Robert E. Lee High School one week to submit their ideas. At a meeting Monday evening, the school board said “the name should reflect an idea, not a person.” The board is seeking a name that is “wholesome” and “welcoming and identifiable to the general public.”
view article
It’s wrong to blame Dallas ISD’s 3 black trustees for the board’s failure to approve a tax ratification election
In the days and weeks after the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees voted not to place a tax ratification election before voters, there have been several attempts by media to explain why and how these nine trustees, each advocating on behalf of children, failed to find the six votes needed to place an option on this November's ballot. The narrative used by both The Dallas Morning News editorial board and Jim Schutze of the Dallas Observer laid the blame on the three black trustees on the school board.
view article
BRENHAM ISD SUPERINTENDENT TO ATTEND ACADEMY
The Thompson Executive Leadership Institute in Austin, Texas has announced that Dr. Walter Jackson, Superintendent at Brenham ISD, is the recipient of a scholarship to attend the 25th annual Superintendent Academy, a nationally known advanced leadership development program for school superintendents. According to its Executive Director, Dr. Bob Thompson, participation in the Academy is competitive and by invitation only. The twenty-five superintendents in the 2017-2018 Academy were chosen from a list of nominees from Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Alabama.
view article
Little Elm: Superintendent to present bond information in four public meetings
The Little Elm Independent School District will hold four community presentations before the school bond election on Nov. 7 to inform the public on the bond issue. Here are the dates, times and locations of the public meetings.
view article
Houston: Some schools will have longer days
Seems like a reasonable approach, all things considered. School days will grow longer for students at 11 Houston Independent School District campuses after the Board of Education voted Thursday night to extend school days to stay in compliance with state law. The next step is for the Texas Education Agency to grant Houston ISD nine disaster waivers for classes missed from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8 due to Hurricane Harvey.
view article
San Marcos CISD board approves schematic design for new elementary school
San Marcos CISD’s newest elementary school will feature glass elements, courtyards, an outdoor community space and a two-level media center once complete. The SMCISD board of trustees approved the schematic design of the new 90,000-square-foot elementary school by a vote of 6-0—with board President Clementine Cantu absent—on Monday night after hearing a presentation from Perkins+Will, the architecture firm behind the project.
view article
Highland Park ISD Construction Updates
Piers have been poured for the new school and foundation walls will begin forming for the parking garage next week. Construction is on track for the building to open on time in August 2018. Below are a couple of recent photos taken at the site.
view article
Cy-Fair ISD STAAR scores, district map, feeder patterns and notable dates for 2017-18
2017-18 school year calendar: Track important days throughout the school year in Cy-Fair ISD.
view article
Jefferson ISD adopts tax hike, balanced budget
Jefferson ISD board of trustees recently adopted a balanced budget and set a slightly increased tax rate for the 2017-18 school year. Jefferson ISD Business Manager Mike Wood said on Friday that the district adopted about an $11.7 million balanced budget for this school year, after having to use money from the district's fund balance last school year to adopt a 2016-17 deficit budget.
view article
Tyler ISD Board shares thoughts on changing name of Robert E. Lee High School
The Tyler ISD Board of Trustees met for its regular meeting Monday. Part of the agenda was dedicated to board discussion surrounding the policy of naming facilities and buildings in the school district, and during that discussion, their comments spilled over into what they thought about the public's continued interest in keeping or changing the name of Robert E. Lee High School.
view article
Not so fast: Dallas ISD is focusing on changing four school names, not dozens
Hold on, y’all. Sam Houston Elementary isn’t going to change its name, at least not anytime soon. After initially stating that it would do more research into the names of 20 campuses, investigating the connections with slavery or the Confederacy of those for whom the schools were named, Dallas ISD is taking a different course. Instead of more research, the district is focusing on a narrow set of parameters to only rethink schools named after Confederate generals, said chief of school leadership Stephanie Elizalde.
view article
Get in Contact
- 388 Richardson Rd.
- Lufkin, Texas 75904
- P: (936) 622-3411
- F: (877) 242-4228
About TexasISD.com
TexasISD.com was the brainchild of Joe F. Smith. Joe retired early from a successful career as Superintendent of Schools for Hudson ISD, deep in the Piney Woods of East Texas. Due to a long battle with Post-Polio Syndrome the doctor made him hang it up and rest for six months. Never being the kind of person to sit still and also not being the person to listen to his doctor, Joe logged lengthy sessions in front of his PC researching school issues, reading papers and corresponding with his friends and colleagues in the education business.
Copyright © 2017 - TexasISD.com All Rights Reserved. Site designed by Key Creative
