Sealy ISD names lone finalist in superintendent search

It is with great pleasure that Sealy Independent School District announces Dr. Bryan Hallmark from Georgetown ISD as its lone finalist for superintendent. The search process which began in February had intense interest. Over 80 initial applications were evaluated by the board of trustees following the March 11th application deadline. After evaluations and interviews which concluded Friday, April 3rd, 2020, the SISD Board of Trustees voted unanimously 7-0 to name Dr. Hallmark and begin the mandatory 21-day waiting period before a formal contract can be reached and approved. view article  

‘Keep your family and your friends safe.’ A deadly week looms for US, Birx warns BY DON SWEENEY

Dr. Deborah Birx had a stark warning Saturday for people sheltering in place across the United States. “This is the moment to not be going to the grocery store, not going to the pharmacy, but doing everything you can to keep your family and your friends safe,” Birx said at a White House press briefing, CNN reports.  Dr. Deborah Birx had a stark warning Saturday for people sheltering in place across the United States.  “This is the moment to not be going to the grocery store, not going to the pharmacy, but doing everything you can to keep your family and your friends safe,” Birx said at a White House press briefing, CNN reports. view article  

Sweetwater ISD names lone finalist for superintendent

SWEETWATER, Texas (News Release) — At a special called meeting on April 2, the Sweetwater  Independent School District (SISD) school board named Dr. Drew Howard the lone finalist for the position of superintendent of schools.  Dr. Howard has served in education for 15 years. During this time, he has served students as an elementary and secondary principal,  superintendent, and most recently as the senior director of school governance for the Texas Education Agency.  He earned his degree, Doctor of Educational Administration and Policy Studies, from Tarleton State University.   (03) view article  

Many public schools never recovered from the Great Recession. The coronavirus could spark a new education crisis.

This may seem difficult to believe but public school funding has, in some places, never recovered from the Great Recession of 2007-2009. Now, districts and states around the country are facing the prospect of a new financial crisis for public education as a result of the novel coronavirus outbreak.  Insufficient education funding and low teacher pay sparked the 2018 Red for Ed movement, in which teachers, first in Republican-led states, went out on strike to demand more resources for their schools and higher salaries. Some states settled the strikes with promises to pay teachers more money, but now, some of those raises are in jeopardy.  With the economy reeling from the closure of most public life in America due to the coronavirus pandemic, Congress just passed a $2 trillion assistance package that includes about $13.5 billion for public schools.  (03) view article  

Texas virus death toll escalates

Fatalities quadruple in a week, to 70, mirroring national trends.  The Texas coronavirus death toll has nearly quadrupled over the last week, mirroring the rise in fatalities nationally, according to the latest data from the Texas Department of State Health Services.  The number of statewide fatalities related to COVI D19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, jumped to 70 on Thursday. State health authorities reported the death toll at 58 on Wednesday. It was just 18 one week ago.  The rapid rise comes after Gov. Greg Abbott followed the lead of dozens of local leaders Tuesday when he ordered Texans to stay at home except for errands considered essential — trips to the grocery store, pharmacy, bank or restaurants for take-out, for example — and for exercise.  (03) view article  

Insurance Newsletter April

Obviously, the Corona Virus has affected insurance just has it has everything else; the effect will continue to create delays.  In addition, schools have more to be concerned about other than insurance.  In the broad view, Lloyds of London and reinsurers will undoubtedly be affected, as pandemic insurance is provided by the same companies that reinsure our schools; this could negatively impact pricing, as all school insurance involves reinsurance.   (03) view article  

BRYAN ALLEN ANNOUNCED AS BISD SUPERINTENDENT

Breckenridge Independent School District announced Bryan Allen as the lone finalist for the vacant superintendent position on Wednesday, April 1. The BISD board of trustees gathered via video/teleconference to announce the new superintendent.  Allen has served as the superintendent of Merkel for the past five years and will begin the 2020-2021 school year as the superintendent of Breckenridge ISD.  While the superintendent was announced on April 1, the contract will not be issued until Thursday, April 23. There is a 21 day waiting period from the date that the board names lone finalist.   (2) view article  

Region 17 wishes to announce the Lone Finalist for Smyer ISD

The Board of Education for Smyer Independent School District proudly announces Mr. Chris Wade as the Lone Finalist for Superintendent of Schools. This action was taken at a special called board meeting on March 30, 2020. A state-mandated 21-day waiting period is required before Mr. Wade can be officially hired as Superintendent.  Mr. Wade currently is the Superintendent of Ralls ISD and has served in that capacity since 2012.  Prior to that position, he served as assistant principal and principal for 8 years in the Ralls ISD system.  Previously Mr. Wade served in Olton ISD and in Smyer ISD as a teacher and coach.  He served in these Districts from 2000-2004.   (2)

Perryton ISD announces hiring of new superintendent

PERRYTON, Texas (KVII) — The Perryton Independent School District had a special meeting Wednesday morning where it voted to name James Mireles as the new superintendent.  The board voted 6-0 to hire Mireles as superintendent with board member Richard Beyea unable to attend.  Mireles was principal at Perryton High School from August 2015 to May 2017. He was most recently superintendent of Texhoma ISD.   (2) view article  

Midway, Connally educators among 48 COVID-19 cases in McLennan County

The Waco-McLennan County Public Health District reported four new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, bringing the McLennan County total to 48.  At least three local educators have tested positive for the disease, including G.W Carver Middle School Principal Phillip Perry, 49, who died in a Waco hospital Tuesday morning. He was the first McLennan County resident to die of causes related to COVID-19.  Six patients have been hospitalized, with five in critical condition, which is no change from Tuesday, the health district announced in a press release. Twelve of the 48 have recovered.  A Midway Independent School District principal, along with a Connally Independent School District teacher and his wife are among the 48 McLennan County residents who have tested positive for COVID-19.   (2) view article  

Coronavirus in Texas 4/2: With projected decreases in sales tax revenue, cities are worried about their budgets

Local governments facing a fresh budget threat: economic recession  [5 a.m.] While city leaders in Texas are trying to slow down the novel coronavirus pandemic, their financial officers are already warning about the damage a new economic recession will have on local budgets. “We work on the budget year round, and we anticipate even the worst scenarios," Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said at a press conference Tuesday. "This one is even worse than anyone had imagined.” view article  

May 2020 Bond List

Bond Election Data collected by TexasISD.com for public school bonds in the upcoming May 2020 election cycle.

Preventive Law: Common Issues in Real Estate Transactions

If the property the district wishes to sell contains a “facility” (undefined, but could mean any building), the district must first offer the property to any charter schools with boundaries that overlap the district boundaries. The district is not required to accept an offer from a charter school. Tex. Educ. Code § 11.1542.

Andrea Gabor: Online Learning Encounters Obstacles

Veteran journalist Andrea Gabor writes that students and schools are not ready for the sudden transition to online learning.  Gabor writes:  Online instruction has arrived overnight in U.S. schools. And nobody’s ready for it.  The problem isn’t just that school systems shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic suddenly face the huge challenge of improvising home-schooling routines on an unimagined scale. Students everywhere lack access to online tools. view article  

Central Heights ISD letter states food service worker positive for COVID-19

NACOGDOCHES COUNTY, Texas (KTRE) - Central Heights ISD has issued a letter to parents after a food-service worker tested positive for COVID-19. According to the letter, the employee was one of the workers preparing meals for daily distribution as recent as March 25. Once the school received notification of the positive test, all meal service was suspended.  “In the event that you or a family member retrieved a meal from the CHISD meal pickup line in the last 14 days, you should adhere to the following protocol at this time: monitor your temperature twice a day for the next 14 days,” the letter states. view article  

ISDs continue teaching outside of the classroom

School buildings may be closed, but public school teachers are still working to educate their students.  By order of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, schools are to remain closed until May 4 because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Parker County schools were at first expected to reopen on April 6, then last week, most of them announced a plan to be closed through April 17.  Classes are forced to move to remote spaces, whether that means teachers connecting with students online or students working through paper packets. Teachers, depending on which school district they are working in, are balancing district guidelines for distance learning with their own methods of teaching in this way. view article  

Local HS Students Thank Teachers on Social Media for Continued Support

We have seen a continued show of support from North Texas teachers to their students during this time of social distancing. It's hard on everyone.  It's hard on the students who had their school year upended as the coronavirus grips the country, but it's been hard on the teachers as well. Teachers who have grown to love their students and truly want what's best for them. Unfortunately, they have to show that support from a distance until at least May 4, as Texas Governor Greg Abbott has closed schools at least until then. view article  

Denton County child advocates worry abuse may go unnoticed, unreported amid COVID-19 restrictions

Teachers are trained to recognize and report any signs of abuse, often acting as the first line of defense for vulnerable children.   But as schools remain closed through at least early May in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak and as stress increases in families grappling with health concerns and financial hardships, local child advocates fear that abuse may go unnoticed and unreported. view article  

Conroe ISD robotics team joins national effort to produce medical protective gear

Hours before members of The Woodlands-based Texas Torque robotics team were preparing to travel to their second event of their 2020 season, a competition in Fort Worth, they were told that the event had been called off. Later that day, they were informed that their entire season had been abruptly canceled, as had all of Conroe ISD's regular operations.  Scott Rippetoe, the engineering team's lead mentor, said news of the cancellation came after months of preparation by his team members from across the district. view article  

College Station ISD announces new prom, graduation dates

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — In an update published to Facebook, College Station ISD interim superintendent, Mike Martindale, and high school principals announced the new dates for the Class of 2020 proms and graduations.  "As a former high school principal, one of my most favorite things were to celebrate the accomplishments of our seniors," said Martindale. "Know that those of us at CSISD are committed to celebrating our seniors." view article  

Bryan ISD postpones May bond election

BRYAN, Tex. (KBTX) - The Bryan Independent School District is postponing its May 2 bond election until a later date.  The board of trustees voted to make the move at a special April 1 meeting. They didn't set a date for when the bond election will take place.  The district said they will wait for more direction from the Governor's office.  The district will remain closed until May 4, complying with Governor Greg Abbott's statewide order. view article  

‘Coronavirus in Texas’ Q&A with the Texas Tribune focuses on education impacts

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Continuing its series of live stream Q&As with Texas leaders about the coronavirus response in the state, the Texas Tribune is focusing on education Thursday morning. App users, tap here to watch the stream. FULL COVERAGE: The latest coronavirus news in Austin, Texas, the United States and the world  Texas Tribune public education reporter Aliyya Swaby spoke to LaTonya Goffney, the superintendent of Aldine ISD in Harris County. They will discuss the affect school closures have on parents, students and teachers and how schools are addressing these challenges. view article  

Texas tells locals they must delay their upcoming May elections

Citing the state’s stay-at-home order, the Texas secretary of state is instructing municipalities to delay their May 2 elections. In an email to local election officials sent Thursday afternoon, the state’s director of elections, Keith Ingram, said cities, towns and school boards that hadn’t pushed their upcoming elections to November “must take action to do so immediately” or risk facing a challenge in court. view article  

Texas school districts, campuses won’t receive letter grades this year, TEA says

The Texas Education Agency announced Thursday that all Texas school districts and campuses will forgo school accountability grades this year due to school closures brought on by the novel coronavirus’ spread.  Instead, districts and campuses will receive a special “Not Rated: Declared State of Disaster” rating for the 2020 year.  “While we continuously work to ensure our ‘A-F’ Accountability System paints an accurate picture of school performance, these unprecedented circumstances have forced all of us to change and adapt,” TEA Commissioner Mike Morath said in a statement Thursday. “Given we won’t have underlying information to assess performance, we won’t be assigning accountability letter grades for the 2019-20 school year.” view article  

No grades this year: TEA waives state accountability ratings amid coronavirus pandemic

State academic accountability ratings for school districts and campuses will be waived for 2020, a result of the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced the closure of schools across the state through May 4. Instead, all districts and campuses will receive a label that reads “Not Rated: Declared State of Disaster.” The move recognizes the closure of schools during the state’s testing window inhibited the ability to accurately measure district and campus performance, officials announced Thursday evening.  This waiver comes just weeks after Gov. Greg Abbott announced that the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, testing requirements would be waived. view article  

Apart We Stand Together

Texas Division of State Health Services and Texas Education Agency are rolling out our “Stay Well, Texas” public health campaign so that all our school districts and broader communities have access to a comprehensive set of information resources about COVID-19 that we encourage you to share daily over the next two weeks. The campaign will include ready-to-share messages for use in social media, text messages, emails, and all-calls to Texas parents and district staff.

Coronavirus in Texas 4/2: State reports 4,669 cases and 70 deaths; unemployment claims skyrocket

• Texas reports more than 4,600 cases and 70 deaths
• More than a quarter million Texans file for unemployment relief in one week
• Cities projecting decreases in sales tax revenue are worried about their budgets
• ER doctors say lack of rapid testing hinders care for respiratory patients

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In Chicago, schools closed during a 1937 polio epidemic and kids learned from home—over the radio

Schools across America have been closed for weeks now amid a crisis over the spread of a deadly coronavirus, and nobody knows yet when they will be allowed to reopen. At least one-fifth of states are planning to stay closed for the rest of the 2019-20 school year, but nobody knows how the virus will affect the population in the fall when the new academic year is supposed to begin.  Today’s crisis is unprecedented in its effects on the country’s institutions, population and economic, with much of public life stopped. But schools have closed before because of a viral pandemic in different cities, and students were sent home to do distance learning. view article  

Austin ISD coronavirus update: District to begin continuous at-home learning April 6; suspends weekend meal distribution

In a message to Austin ISD families April 2, AISD Superintendent Paul Cruz said the district is scheduled to start phasing in continuous at-home learning beginning April 6.  According to the post, teachers will conduct mandatory lessons through printed materials, online communications and other platforms. view article  

Corpus Christi ISD shifting to pass/incomplete grading during coronavirus closure

Corpus Christi ISD is shifting to "pass" or "incomplete" grades instead of traditional numerical grades for the fifth six-week period of the academic year.  The fifth six-week period ends Friday. Administrators will determine grading guidelines for the final six-week period in the coming weeks, according to a letter to families from the district's educational support department.  For students in first grade and up, teachers will determine students' pass or incomplete grades based on students' submitted work, video conference and/or telephone conference with students, the letter read. view article  

New Mexico:  Española Superintendent: ‘School is Not Canceled’

New Mexico schools must find ways to finish the year without physical classrooms after state officials closed them to in-person education for the remainder of the academic year in order to limit the spread of COVID-19.  The closures led to a shift from delaying schoolwork, with a chance of schools reopening, to establishing a need for finding other ways to teach. School districts around the state are now working to formalize education plans meant to work for every student. view article  

RAYMONDVILLE - Willacy confirms 2 more virus cases (a 4 year old student)

RAYMONDVILLE — In seven days, coronavirus cases have begun multiplying in sparsely populated Willacy County.  On Thursday, the state health department confirmed two new cases of the COVID-19 virus, driving the county’s total number to four cases during the last week.  Meanwhile, Frank Torres, the county’s emergency management coordinator, urged residents to stay home to comply with federal and local shelter-in-place orders mandating residents to stay home to prevent the spread of the virus. view article  

Gene Glass: New Study Finds That Charter Schools Receive More Funding Than Public Schools

Gene V. Glass is one of the nation’s most eminent researchers and statisticians of education. He is a professor emeritus at Arizona State University. He writes: Education Policy Analysis Archives is an open access (free to read) peer-reviewed journal now in its 28th year of continuous publication. EPAA just published an article by David S. Knight (Univ. Washington) and Laurence A. Toenjes (Univ Houston) entitled “Do Charter Schools Receive Their Fair Share of Funding? School Finance Equity for Charter and Traditional Public Schools.” view article