BISD Open for Labor Day

All BISD campuses and offices will be OPEN on Monday, September 3, Labor Day.

Criteria for Inter-District Transfers Expanded

The Brownsville ISD Board of Trustees has expanded Policy FDA (Local) to begin accepting inter-district transfer applications without tuition costs for the children of parents who own businesses within district boundaries and that pay school taxes. Please note that an employee federal identification number will be required on the district application. Also included are the children of employees of businesses within district boundaries that pay school taxes.* Please note that in approving inter-district transfers, the Superintendent or designee shall consider availability of space, instructional staff, the student’s disciplinary history, and attendance records. Violation of the district’s rules and regulations may result in revocation of the transfer agreement. An approved transfer may be revoked at the end of the six weeks if the campus or grade level have become overcrowded or if the parents or students fail to abide by the school standards for academic progress, attendance, discipline, and/or cooperation with school staff. An application for transfer must be completed and submitted to Pat Perez, BISD Board Secretary, 1900 Price Road, Suite #307E. Download a transfer application here for BISD employees or non-employees. *Additional requirements may apply.

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Know the Rules

Each BISD student will receive a 2012-2013 Student Code of Conduct/Student-Parent Handbook. This booklet, available in English and Spanish, explains the standards for student conduct and discipline and provides general information about school attendance, enrollment requirements, lunch hours, textbooks, weather emergencies, field trips, career pathways, homework, requirements for graduation, etc. Students and their parents/guardians are required to sign an acknowledgment form which verifies receipt of this publication. Receipt forms are kept on file by the campuses. Everyone is encouraged to read the handbook thoroughly in order to better understand district expectations. The 2012-2013 BISD Student Code of Conduct/Student-Parent Handbook is also available online at www.bisd.us in English/Spanish.

BISD Continues Provision 2 Free Meals

Students of the Brownsville Independent School District will continue to receive a free breakfast and lunch under the Special Assistance Provision 2 program during the 2012–2013 School Year. Additional meals and a la carte menu items will also be available at a nominal price. The Food & Nutrition Service Department encourages students to take advantage of the free meals and low-cost, nutritious a la carte items. The FNS Department is fully committed to implementing the USDA’s School Meals Initiative and complying with the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans through a variety of meal planning approaches. The menus are planned to include a variety of well-balanced foods and are designed to increase the consumption of grains, fruits, and vegetables, as well as other food sources rich in essential vitamins and minerals. The FNS Department shall continue to build upon the standard of quality that the community has come to expect and ensure that the Dietary Guidelines are met. Menus will be available to students at the cafeterias. Parents may contact the FNS Department regarding any concerns or questions on the program at 956-548-8450 or on the web at http://www.bisd.us/foodservices. Click here for parent letters in English/Spanish.

Buchanan Center Tops in State

Brownsville ISD prohibits bullying on school property, at school-sponsored or school-related activities, or in any vehicle operated by the district. Bullying may be verbal or written expression or expression through electronic means, or physical conduct. Bullying is not tolerated by the district and any student or parent of a student who believes that the student or another student has experienced bullying or that a student has engaged in bullying is encouraged to immediately report the incident. Retaliation against anyone involved in the complaint process is a violation of district policy and is prohibited. Students or parents may report an alleged incident of bullying, orally or in writing, to a teacher, counselor, principal or other district employee. Students or parents may contact the district to obtain an incident report form that may be used to submit the complaint. Please note that after submission of the complaint to the district employee, the district may assign the complaint to a campus administrator to follow up on the submitted complaint and any other important matters pertaining to the complaint. We encourage you to communicate with your designated campus administrator during this time. More information about the district’s bullying policy can be found at http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/ or the campus administration office.

Procedures for Reporting Allegations of Bullying

Brownsville ISD prohibits bullying on school property, at school-sponsored or school-related activities, or in any vehicle operated by the district. Bullying may be verbal or written expression or expression through electronic means, or physical conduct. Bullying is not tolerated by the district and any student or parent of a student who believes that the student or another student has experienced bullying or that a student has engaged in bullying is encouraged to immediately report the incident. Retaliation against anyone involved in the complaint process is a violation of district policy and is prohibited. Students or parents may report an alleged incident of bullying, orally or in writing, to a teacher, counselor, principal or other district employee. Students or parents may contact the district to obtain an incident report form that may be used to submit the complaint. Please note that after submission of the complaint to the district employee, the district may assign the complaint to a campus administrator to follow up on the submitted complaint and any other important matters pertaining to the complaint. We encourage you to communicate with your designated campus administrator during this time. More information about the district’s bullying policy can be found at http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/ or the campus administration office.

Procedures for Reporting Allegations of Bullying

Brownsville ISD prohibits bullying on school property, at school-sponsored or school-related activities, or in any vehicle operated by the district. Bullying may be verbal or written expression or expression through electronic means, or physical conduct. Bullying is not tolerated by the district and any student or parent of a student who believes that the student or another student has experienced bullying or that a student has engaged in bullying is encouraged to immediately report the incident. Retaliation against anyone involved in the complaint process is a violation of district policy and is prohibited. Students or parents may report an alleged incident of bullying, orally or in writing, to a teacher, counselor, principal or other district employee. Students or parents may contact the district to obtain an incident report form that may be used to submit the complaint. Please note that after submission of the complaint to the district employee, the district may assign the complaint to a campus administrator to follow up on the submitted complaint and any other important matters pertaining to the complaint. We encourage you to communicate with your designated campus administrator during this time. More information about the district’s bullying policy can be found at http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/ or the campus administration office. Brownsville ISD statement

Brownsville ISD statement reagarding settlement in lawsuits by Antonio Juarez and Hector Gonzales

BISD considered and voted to approve settlement in two lawsuits brought by a former BISD Superintendent and Chief Financial Officer concerning their former employment with the District. The Board took this action to avoid costly litigation that had a significant potential for damages and attorney’s fees far in excess of the settlement. It took this action in consultation and with the support of its employment practices liability insurer and the lawyers representing the District. The Board did not want to risk large jury verdicts and judgments, which would have to be paid from District funds; rather, it chose to pay a potentially much smaller amount from District funds. The potentially larger amount of several million dollars would have severely hampered BISD’s abilities to deliver its quality educational services to the students of Brownsville. The settlement monies paid by BISD will have an impact, but not at the disastrous level a jury and court could have awarded. The trial and appellate courts commented on the Juarez case extensively in writing in response to court filings by the Defendant BISD and individual Defendant Trustees and former Trustees to dismiss the lawsuits. The courts determined that there was a factual dispute, likely to be considered by the jury, of a conspiracy by trustees, former trustees, and employees to take action outside legally required methods to terminate or nonrenew the employment of Mr. Gonzales and Mr. Juarez. If the jury believed the plaintiff’s evidence, then it could have determined that trustees did not simply make the wrong employment decision but in fact acted illegally in a conspiracy to violate constitutional rights. The potential damages a jury could award under this scenario was the motivation for settling and for the insurer readily tendering the limits of its liability policy. The essential settlement terms dismiss all claims and lawsuits in exchange for payment to Mr. Gonzales of $800,000, the majority of which is to be paid by the insurer, engaging Mr. Gonzales as a consultant for the sum of $144,000 a year for two years, payment to Mr. Juarez of $700,000, the cost to be split equally between the insurer and BISD, and hiring Mr. Juarez under a two-year contract at an annual amount of $154,106, inclusive of salary, benefits, and insurance. The positions are working positions subject to termination for nonperformance. The payments include attorney’s fees. BISD is paying the above portions of the settlements because the insurer grouped these two lawsuits in the same policy year, along with another costly lawsuit settled last year involving the former administrator over Special Services, Art Rendon. The insurance companies assert that the claims are related, including the same type of alleged illegal conduct. BISD is disputing the insurers’ position that only one policy coverage year applies. All defendants benefit from the settlement by bringing this costly litigation to an end and by not exposing more public monies of the District and the personal finances of the individual Defendants. The settlement payments by the insurer will account for both the District and individuals.

Lopez Ranks Top 10 in State Competition

The Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) held the final round of 2012-2013 State Honor Band competition on July 20 in San Antonio. Only the very best bands in the state earn a spot in the state finals and Lopez High School is in that group. In fact, Lopez advanced to the state finals and ranked 6th in the final round of 5A honor band competition. Since Lopez High School opened in 1993, the band program has advanced to the honor band state level competition a record 8 times. Lopez also placed 1st, state champion 4A honor band in 2003-2004 and performed as the Texas State Honor Band at the TMEA convention in San Antonio that year. No other high school band program in the Rio Grande Valley has ever ranked at the state level with this consistency. It is an exceptional achievement by the Lopez band program to have maintained state level performance standards for two decades. The Lopez Band is under the direction of George Trevino who has been the director at Lopez for the past 20 years. The Assistant Directors are David Ramirez, Sam Hjort and Ryan Moore. Congratulations to the students, parents, administration and directors of the Lopez High School Band on their continued state level achievements.

ACE Earns Platinum Award

The BISD Adult Continuing Education (ACE) Program received Platinum Level recognition for meeting all performance measures in Adult Education and English Literacy Civics for the 2010-2011 school year. The award from Texas LEARNS was presented at the annual Adult Education and El Civics Conference held in Galveston on July 26. ACE was recognized along with a handful of programs from across the state for expending all funds and meeting all targets established by the National Reporting System (NRS). Texas LEARNS oversees adult education for the state and is responsible for monitoring progress for the federal government and the Texas Education Agency. BISD’s ACE program was also submitted to the U.S. Department of Education by Texas LEARNS as one of three outstanding adult education programs in Texas. ACE classes are held at 708 Palm Boulevard. Call 548-8175 for more information.

Student Physicals

BISD students interested in participating in any of the programs listed below will be required to show proof of a physical evaluation before the start of the program for the 2012-2013 school year. High School/Middle School Athletes High School Band Members High School/Middle School Dance Students High School/Middle School Cheerleaders High School JROTC Students High School/Middle School BAC Students The appropriate forms need to be completed by a physician, a physician assistant licensed by a State Board of Physician Assistant Examiners, or a registered nurse recognized as an Advanced Practice Nurse by the Board of Nurse Examiners. Examination forms signed by any other health care practitioner will not be accepted. Download the pre-participation medical history and physical forms here.

Brownsville ISD Adds Alert Notification System

The district has signed on with SchoolMessenger, a company that provides notification services for parental outreach, emergency broadcasts, and student attendance communications for K-12 Education. Now parents can receive phone calls, text alerts, and emails about a range of important issues affecting their students’ safety and academic performance. SchoolMessenger will be used to expand the district’s existing emergency preparedness procedures and to inform parents of upcoming school events such as statewide testing and parent meetings. The alert service from SchoolMessenger is proven to measurably impact student safety, parental involvement, staff communications and student attendance.

Board Approves 2012-2013 Budget

The Brownsville Independent School District Board of Trustees has approved a balanced $509.3 million operating budget for the 2012-2013 school year that includes a one-time pay supplement of $1,200 for all employees — but not the pay raise many had anticipated. Trustees approved the budget and pay supplement by a unanimous 5-0 vote at a board meeting that lasted into the early morning hours of Wednesday. They left approval of the district’s employee compensation plan pending. Trustees Enrique Escobedo and Rolando Aguilar did not attend the meeting. The board scheduled a budget committee meeting for 4:30 p.m. June 28 to resolve remaining issues with the compensation plan, which they agreed could then be approved at the next regular board meeting. That meeting was rescheduled from July 3 to July 10 because of the Fourth of July holiday. By law, BISD must adopt a balanced budget before July 1, the beginning of the district’s fiscal year. The budget represents a 7.1 percent increase over the current budget of $475.3 million. It is based on an average daily attendance rate of 96.3 percent, which generates about $17 million, and calls for spending $10,310 per student on the district’s 49,395 students, Chief Financial Officer Ismael Garcia said. A surefire way to increase revenue would be to raise the attendance rate. With 100 percent attendance, BISD would receive about $23 million, Garcia said. As late as last week, BISD administration had indicated that it would recommend a $1,600 pay raise, or 3.25 percent, for teachers, librarians and nurses, and pay increases ranging from 2.25 percent for administrative staff to 4.25 percent for nonexempt manual trades employees. The board and administration apparently decided a pay raise was too risky in the face of Gov. Rick Perry’s call for an additional 10 percent cut in state spending and amid reports that a similar reduction in federal spending for education is on the horizon. The majority of funding for public education in Texas comes from state and federal sources. Superintendent Carl A. Montoya said the budget meets the district’s overriding goal of safeguarding classroom instruction and learning. “Our goal was to preserve jobs and preserve effective programs,” Montoya said, adding that the pay supplement was the safest approach because it does not obligate the district to recurring costs in coming years’ budgets. The Texas Legislature begins work in January on the state budget for the next biennium. Many predict additional cuts for public education. However, should additional funds become available, officials left open the possibility of amending the budget to allow for pay raises. District officials also noted that the $1,200 pay supplement approved Tuesday distributes money evenly across the board and gets more money into the hands of lower-paid classified employees than would have been the case with pay raises. The board discussed paying the supplement in two payments, possibly around Thanksgiving and at the beginning of next summer. In an executive summary accompanying the budget, Garcia noted that it includes funds to maintain all-day pre-kindergarten instruction across the district and to open three new campuses — Breeden Elementary, Brownsville Early College High School and the Brownsville Academic Center. He said the budget also increases support for special education at all campuses, raises the compensation rate for campus tutorials to $30 per hour from $20 per hour, and funds the new STAMP college preparatory program at Veterans Memorial High School. The budget is based on a property tax rate of $1.0923 per $100 of taxable valuation — 1.0191 per $100 of taxable value for maintenance and operation and .0732 per $100 for debt service. The rate is unchanged from this year’s budget. Adoption will come at a later meeting.

Summer Food Service

Brownsville ISD sponsors the free summer food program for children ages 0-18 at selected sites until August 17. Click here to view the schedule in English/Spanish.

Summer 21st Century Learning is Fun

A total of 14 BISD campuses served as sites for the 21st Century Summer Program. All sites featured an array of activities designed to support four key components, academics, enrichment, college awareness, and family engagement. New software programs such as “Kids College” and “Hands on Equations” supported the four components with engaging activities and peer competition. New this year was the addition of over 1,000 Kindle Fires that helped reach students in ways that traditional textbooks and lecture styles cannot. Students also participated in zumba, organized sports and other physical activities including an opportunity to swim at the district’s Aquatic Center. Take a peek at the powerpoint presentation created by Technology Teacher Julio Ledezma under the direction of Site Coordinator Juanie Garcia and the 21st Century students at Perkins Middle School to see an example of the activities and programs that occurred at all 14 BISD sites this summer. View the presentation.

A Swim Party to Support America’s Olympic Team

The Margaret M. Clark Aquatic Center, located at 2901 FM 802, will host a FREE community Splash Bash on Sunday, July 29-Thursday, August 2 from 6-9 pm each evening in conjunction with the Olympic Games in London. Swimmers will be able to actually watch the Olympic Swimming Finals from the pool on a large screen and the aquatic center has been decorated with a London theme for the event. The Olympic swimming finals will begin at 7 pm each evening. In between the finals, there will be games and activities for children like bingo, scavenger hunts and trivia questions with prizes including beach balls, and posters. Children ages 12 and under must be supervised by an adult. Children ages 6 and under must have an adult with them in the water. Join the fun as we cheer on America’s swim team at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. There is no better place to see all the swimming action.

Thank You: Over $22 Million in Scholarship Offers

Our 2012 Brownsville ISD graduates received over $22 million in scholarship offers from local, state, and national organizations. A special thank you to those who helped make a difference by providing scholarship funds for our graduates to continue their education.

BISD Selected for FAFSA Completion Project

Brownsville ISD is one of the districts recently selected to participate in a national Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) project through the U.S. Department of Education. The program is designed to help students access higher education through federal aid and other student aid. View the media release.

View BISD Graduations Live Online

For the first time, the 2012 BISD high school graduations held at Sams Stadium will be streamed live on the district’s homepage at www.bisd.us for viewing by friends and family members who are unable to attend the actual commencement ceremonies. This will also give military personnel from Brownsville who are on active duty an opportunity to see their loved ones graduate. The commencement ceremonies will be held at Sams Stadium for five consecutive evenings at 7:30 pm, June 3-7. The schedule is listed below. Sunday, June 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monday, June 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . Tuesday, June 5. . . . . . . . . . . . . Wednesday, June 6 . . . . . . . . . Thursday, June 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . Lopez High School Porter High School Rivera High School Hanna High School Pace High School “We realize how important high school graduations are and we want to make it possible for everyone to view our commencement ceremonies. This is a service that Brownsville ISD is pleased to provide to our community so that all family members have an opportunity to see their graduate walk across the stage and receive a diploma,” said Dr. Carl Montoya. Click here to view the ceremonies beginning at 7:30 pm each evening.

2nd Annual Future Teacher Academy

The BISD Human Resources Department is currently taking applications for the Future Teacher Academy training. Applications are due on Friday, June 8 by 5 pm in the Human Resources Department. For more information, contact Carmelita Rodriguez at 548-8051 or Minnie Valdez at 698-1245. Download an application here.

Cavazos College Scholarships Awarded

Congratulations to the 25 BISD student athletes who received Johnny N. and Nena S. Cavazos Athletic Scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each. The 2012 scholarships were awarded to 5 students from each BISD high school on May 30 at Sams Stadium by Mr. and Mrs. Cavazos. The couple generously funded an athletic scholarship endowment that has provided college funds to district athletes for many years. View the list of recipients.

Wellness Center Open for Business

The BISD Wellness Center will be open to employees and students during the summer months for zumba, weights and cardio training. View the schedule

67 Grads Receive Superintendent's Scholarships

Superintendent Dr. Carl A. Montoya has announced the winners of the 2012 Superintendent’s Scholarships. A total of 67 graduating BISD seniors will each receive $1,000 to attend the college of their choice. Over $67,000 in scholarship funds was raised at the 9th Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament hosted by Dr. Montoya at the Rancho Viejo Resort on Saturday, May 12, 2012. Scholarship recipients were selected by a committee of local Brownsville leaders and district personnel. Over 160 student applications were reviewed. “The participation of our local businesses and community organizations has made this tournament one of the largest in the Rio Grande Valley. I sincerely thank our sponsors for enthusiastically supporting our students and enabling them to continue their education,” said Montoya. In the last 9 years, the Superintendent’s Scholarship Golf Tournament has provided $569,000 in scholarships to 467 deserving BISD graduates. Dr. Carl Montoya will personally award the 2012 Superintendent’s Scholarships to the following recipients on Tuesday, May 29 and Wednesday, May 30 at their respective high school campuses. View all Superintendent's Scholarship recipients.

Summer Fun

With the school year rapidly coming to an end, the BISD Athletic Department has some exciting summer recreation opportunities available to students in basketball, volleyball, weight lifting, tennis, track, golf and swimming. For more information, call 548-8261. View the 2012 BISD Summer Recreation Schedule.

Rivera Student Selected

Nancy C. Herrera, a Rivera student, earned a $1,000 scholarship from the Association of Migrant Educators of Texas. Congratulations to Ms. Herrera!

Scientists at Work

Young BISD scientists from schools across the district will participate in the 2012 BISD Elementary Science Fairs to be held on Saturday, May 20. Due to the large number of student participants, four schools will serve as science fair sites, Besteiro/Aiken, Martin, Garcia and Stillman. Schedule of Events: Judges’ Orientation/Breakfast . . . . 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM Judging Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM Public Viewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM Award Presentations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:30 PM -2:30 PM Take Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:30 PM Best of luck to all students who will be competing in the BISD Elementary Science Fairs.

BISD Artists Are Tops!

BISD student artists earned 160 medals at the Jr. Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) held on May 12 in McAllen. Out of 10 competing school districts, Brownsville ISD brought home the highest number of medals. View the Jr. VASE results.

District Summer Work Schedule - Revised

The summer work schedule begins Monday, June 25, 2012 and will continue through Friday, August 3, 2012. Work hours will be Monday - Thursday from 7:30 am - 5:30 pm (1 hour lunch) and 8:00 am - 12:00 pm on Fridays. Please note: Wednesday, July 4 is a holiday on the 2012-2013 calendar, work hours for this week will be from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.

BISD Students Earn Tech Devices

A total of 28 BISD secondary students were the lucky recipients of ipads or Dell laptop computers from the Brownsville Partners for Postsecondary Success. District secondary students who attended the recent BISD College & Career Night held on April 30 at the CAB who met the participation guidelines were included in a drawing for the latest tech gadgets. Click here to view the entire list of recipients.

Three District Educators Honored with Rotary Endowment

For 20 years, the Brownsville Rotary Club has honored teachers in Brownsville schools for their teaching excellence. The chosen teachers receive a plaque and a cash award of $1,000. The cash is to be used for their continuing education, classroom materials or any other educational use the teacher wishes to improve his/her skills in the classroom. This year’s BISD recipients of the Brownsville Rotary Club Endowment Scholarship for Teaching Excellence are: Cindy Medrano…Stillman Middle School Delfina Cisneros…Longoria Elementary School Maggie Lucio…Hanna High School Congratulations to these outstanding educators. They received their awards at a recent Brownsville Rotary Club Meeting.

H-E-B , UTB and BISD Celebrate Participants of Read 3 Family Literacy Workshop

On Friday, May 11, H‐E‐B, the University of Texas at Brownsville and the Brownsville Independent School District celebrated 103 families who completed the Read 3 Family Literacy Workshop, six weeks of classes designed to help parents and 3 and‐4‐year‐olds get prepped for success in kindergarten. Mayor Tony Martinez delivered the keynote address at a ceremony at UTB, one of the lead partners in the H‐E‐B program. Similar to a high school or college graduation, each family walked across the stage and received a certificate of completion with the UTB seal. The ceremony was designed not just to recognize the families’ accomplishment in completing the program, but also to bring them onto a college campus and give them the experience of crossing a stage so they can envision that future for their children. View Release.

Hanna Chess Trio Scores

The Hanna High School Girls Chess Team recently placed first at the Kasparov Chess Foundation All-Girls Chess Championships held in Chicago, Illinois. The members of the award-winning Hanna team are Ivana Santos, Kathleen Prebble, and Lauren Rogers. In individual placement, Santos placed 9th, Prebble placed 17th and Rogers placed 18th. Congratulations Hanna Eagles!

Stell Middle School State Finalist for 7th Annual Texas Quiz Show

AUSTIN, TEXAS, Saturday, May 5, 2012 — Baker Middle School topped the competition at the Texas Quiz Show history tournament at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. Corpus Christi ISD’s Baker Middle School team of Sophie Susser, Holden Hopkins, Nam Dimas, and Douglas Hagemeister bested Walsh Middle School in the seventh and final match of the day. The Baker team was coached by Ms. Cissy Smith. A total of eight schools from across the state competed in half-hour matches; the other schools fielding teams were State Champion Runner-Up, Walsh Middle School (Round Rock ISD); State Semi-Finalists, Harpool Middle School (Denton ISD) and Sloan Creek Middle School (Lovejoy ISD); State Finalists, Terrace Hills Middle School (El Paso ISD), Mineola Middle School (Mineola ISD), Stell Middle School (Brownsville ISD), and Beyond Appearances Home School (College Station). The Texas Quiz Show State Tournament is hosted by the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum and sponsored by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It was held in conjunction with TSHA’s Texas History Day, a yearlong education program that culminates in an annual state-level history fair for students in grades six through twelve. View release.

Thank You

The Board of Trustees and Superintendent Dr. Carl Montoya congratulate this year’s retirees and employees who have reached service milestones. They will be honored at the annual 2012 employee awards celebration, “Party at the Pyramids.” Wednesday, May 9, 2012 Brownsville Events Center 1 Events Center Blvd. Note: No reserved seating. 5:00 PM…Pyramid Portals Open 5:15–6:15 PM…Feasting & Entertainment 6:15–8:30 PM…Awards Ceremony Worthy of King Tut & Queen Nefertiti Note: To facilitate parking, two BISD buses will transport guests between the Brownsville Events Center and Paredes Elementary School every few minutes beginning at 5:00 PM. The shuttle service will continue for one hour after the celebration. BISD police and security officers will be on duty at all parking areas throughout the evening.

Houston Superintendent Will Visit Brownsville ISD on Tuesday

Brownsville ISD will welcome Dr. Terry Grier, Superintendent of Houston ISD; Harvin Moore, HISD Board Member; and representatives from the Neuhaus Education Center on Tuesday, May 8 from 11 am – 4 pm. The visitors are touring the district to learn more about the initiation and maintenance of BISD’s reading reform initiative, especially as it pertains to students in grades pre-kinder through third. The guests will tour both Benavides and Gallegos Elementary Schools to see campus reading and dyslexia programs in action. They will also participate in a round-table discussion with principals and central office staff.

Hanna Teacher Selected for LiftOff Summer Institute

Griselda L. Galvez a teacher from Hanna High School in Brownsville, Texas has been selected from across the nation for the prestigious LiftOff Summer Institute to be held at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas this summer. Teachers from across the U.S. will increase their knowledge of space education through the LiftOff Professional Development Summer Institute. View release.

BISD Will Receive $1.7 Million from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) will present BISD with a check for $1.7 million to outfit 129 school buses with pollution - control equipment to reduce students' exposure to particulate matter on Monday, May 7 at 10 AM at Keller Elementary School. The grant from the TCEQ's Texas Clean School Bus Program will fund diesel particulate filters for older diesel school buses. “Brownsville ISD is pleased to be selected as a beneficiary in this program,” said Superintendent Carl A. Montoya, Ph.D. “Retrofitting a good portion of our bus fleet provides significant benefits to our children and community in the form of cleaner air. We are also grateful to our local lawmakers for promoting these initiatives.”

Ten BISD Students Earn Duke Accolades

Ten BISD seventh grade students received State Recognition for their performance on the SAT or ACT from the Duke University Talent Identification Program. These ten BISD middle school students had impressive test scores. Faulk Middle School Christina Alvarez Stell Middle School Yamile Sandoval Vela Middle School Izar Trevino Oliveira Middle School Cierra Wiebe Lucio Middle School Kirstyn Gonzalez Stillman Middle School Andrew Ayala Alondra Garcia Gabrielle Panuelos Katelyn Rodriguez Brenda Torre

Watch it Live

Tonight’s BISD Board Meeting will be streamed live on the internet beginning at 5:30 pm. Follow this link to watch the Board Meeting.

Gates Awards for BISD Trio

Three talented BISD seniors have been selected for the 2012 Class of Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS). Congratulations to Cynthia Ibarra, Pace High School; Paloma Rodriguez, Brownsville Early College High School; and Rodrigo Fernandez, Rivera High School, on this outstanding achievement. GMS annually selects 1,000 students nationwide to receive a good-through-graduation scholarship to use at the college or university of their choice. Recipients are also provided with personal and professional development through leadership programs along with academic support throughout their college career. The GMS Program, established in 1999, was initially funded by a $1 billion grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. A total of 96 students were selected from Texas.

Change in Employee Dental Insurance

BISD employees are advised that effective May 1, 2012, all district employees who currently have a dental plan with Delta Dental will be rolled over to the Humana Dental Plan. Read the letter from the Employee Benefits/Risk Management Department.

BISD Earns Award

Brownville ISD was honored for its support and commitment to the Neighbors In Need of Services (NINOS), Inc. Head Start/Early Head Start Program at the “Stars of Excellence” Banquet held in Harlingen at the Casa De Amistad on April 26.

2012-2013 Employee Transfers

The employee transfer period will begin on Monday, April 30. The deadline to submit a transfer application is Friday, May 11 before 5 pm. All employees are eligible to apply for a transfer. Any employee wishing to be considered for a transfer must use this time to do so. Certified and classified employees must submit an on-line transfer application before 5 pm on Friday, May 11. It is the employee’s responsibility to meet this deadline. For more information, please go to www.bisd.us/employment/Default.asp.

Pace Student Honored with ExxonMobil Texas Science and Engineering Fair Award

Alberto Garcia, a Pace High School senior, was recognized for his innovation and scientific prowess at the ExxonMobil Texas Science and Engineering Fair, held March 29-April 1 in San Antonio. Albert earned fifth place in senior-division behavioral and social sciences for his project “Fail-You Go to Jail.” View the Media release.

Stell MS to Represent South Texas Region at 7th Annual Texas Quiz Show State Contest

Stell Middle School earned the right to represent the South Texas region by besting other teams in the 2012 Texas Quiz Show regional tournament hosted by the University of Texas at Brownsville. By placing first in their region, the team from Stell Middle School led by their campus coordinator, Martín Leal, will move on to the State Contest to be held at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum’s Texas Spirit Theater on Saturday, May 5, 2012. The Texas Quiz Show is an academic competition about all things Texas intended to provide middle schools with by the Texas Legislature. View the media release.

BISD Dominates 2012 Middle School Region Choir!

Thirteen Rio Grande Valley school districts competed at the Region 28 Middle School Region Choir auditions held on Saturday, April 14 at Garcia Middle School. The Fine Arts Department is pleased to announce that BISD schools took 207 or 70% of the available 297 chairs. The annual Middle School Region Choir Concert will be held on Saturday, April 28 at 5 pm at Donna High School. Congratulations to our middle school students and their directors on this spectacular achievement. View all results.

A Message to Parents

BISD students will be STAAR/TAKS testing on April 23-26. The new STAAR is a timed test. Student attendance on these days is critical. Please stress the importance of rest, proper diet, and a positive attitude so that our children do their very best. It is also important that students arrive to school on time. Please note that no cell phones or electronic devices are allowed on BISD campuses during testing. As per the Texas Education Code, “Any irregularities in test security or confidential integrity may result in the invalidation of student results.” Thank you for your support of our students and school district.

BISD Schools Welcome A&M President

Texas A&M University President R. Bowen Loftin will visit with students at two BISD high schools, Veterans Memorial and Porter, on Monday, April 23. Loftin will emphasize the importance of pursuing a college degree when talking with students. Dr. Loftin was named the 24th president of Texas A&M on February 12, 2010.

Track Athletes Seek Regional Success

A total of 47 BISD high school students have qualified to advance to the Regional Track and Field Meet to be held on April 27-28 at Alamo Stadium in San Antonio. Hanna Boys & Girls: Jonathan Gonzalez, Esteban Ibarra, Jonathan Marks, Ricky Camargo, Jorge Trejo, Juan Cardenas, Esequiel Celleros, Anthony Rodriguez, Jose Herrera, Tony Flores, Saira Gonzalez, Perla Yanez Lopez Boys & Girls: Meme Vera, Edward Naranjo, Beatriz Castillo Pace Boys & Girls: Hiram Morales, Daniel Munoz, Evelyn Rodriguez, Yesenia Ruiz Porter Boys & Girls: Joel Garza, Arturo Medina, Angel Flores, Jose Luis Barcenas, Ernest Atkinson, Mario Villa, Oscar Gonzalez, Ashley Torres, Chrystia Cruz, Genesis Romero, Erin De La Garza, Ashely De Los Santos, Patty Larazolo. Rivera Boys & Girls: Jocquil Evans, Michael Galvan, Christina Rivera, Keila Rodriguez, Monica Salazar, Teira Sellers, April Chapa, Desarey Endsley, Natali Gonzalez, Karla Avila Crystal Perez, Aurelia Garcia, Samantha Diaz, Brandy Endsley. Veterans Memorial Boy and Girl: Pedro Castillas, Michaela Arteaga Best of luck to our BISD athletes!

To Infinity and Beyond

Brownsville ISD proudly announces the implementation of a 2012-2013 Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) Infinity Project Magnet Initiative. The program will begin with 100 eligible sixth grade students from each BISD middle school and will grow one grade level per year for the next 3 years. The STEM Infinity Project reinforces math and science through technical, mechanical, civil, environmental, and biomedical engineering. Students apply concepts through hands-on design projects such as building speakers, robots, rockets, and prosthetic legs. Upon completion of the program, students are well prepared to succeed in STEM coursework. Applications must be submitted to the respective 5th grade counselor at each elementary school by Friday, April 27. For more information about eligibility criteria and requirements, including a student application, download a brochure here.

Garcia Destined for Globals

The Garcia Middle School Destination Imagination (DI) Team, DI Gators, will represent BISD at the DI Global Finals to be held on May 23-26 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Garcia students will join over 125,000 students from across the United States and more than 30 countries at the competition. The DI Gators are advancing after a 4th place win at the "Floating with Creativity" DI State Competition held on April 13-14 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Nine BISD teams competed with over 400 teams from across Texas at the state meet. View the BISD state results.

Attention BISD Employees

Information regarding the BISD Voluntary Transfer of Days is now available. No one expects emergencies but when they come, it is a relief to know that the Voluntary Transfer of Days Program is available to any employee who is not a member of the district's Sick Leave Bank. This program is to be used in the event of catastrophic illnesses or injuries. It is another benefit available to BISD employees. Contact the BISD Employee Benefits Department at 548-8061 for more information. Download the Voluntary Transfer of Days guidelines, application, withdrawal application, and licensed practitioner statement here.

Former BISD Teacher Earns National Accolades

Scott Charlesworth-Seiler, a former BISD teacher who began his career at Martin Elementary in 1982-84, is one of 5 teachers nationally to be inducted this year into the National Teachers Hall of Fame in Emporia, Kansas. He and four other inductees will be honored next month in Washington, D.C. and then again in Emporia. Charlesworth-Seiler, who has fond memories of Martin, will include photos of the Brownsville elementary school in a permanent display at the Hall of Fame. The National Teachers Hall of Fame recognizes and honors exceptional career teachers, encourages excellence in teaching, and preserves the rich heritage of the teaching profession in the United States. Learn more at www.nthf.org.

Top UIL Marks for Middle School Bands

Brownsville ISD had 21 middle school bands participate in the 2012 UIL Middle School Concert and Sight Reading contest held on April 10-12 at Lopez High School. A total of 18 BISD bands earned UIL awards. Ten of the bands were awarded UIL Sweepstakes trophies while 8 improved their ratings from last year. The BISD Fine Arts Department also provided an evaluation performance for 10 middle school bands that were not eligible for UIL competition. This evaluation performance provided students with an opportunity to critically analyze their mastery of the TEKS of the instrumental music curriculum. In total, 31 BISD middle school bands, serving approximately 2,600 students in grades 6-8, were evaluated either internally or through UIL competition. BISD has always had a strong band program and these latest results clearly show the district’s continued commitment to excellence. View all results

High Standards for BISD Dancers

BISD held a Dance Evaluation Contest on Saturday, April 12 at Veterans High School. All 6 district high schools and 5 middle schools participated. The dance groups were evaluated by 3 college dance professors in the areas of lyrical modern, contemporary, ballet, tap, and jazz. BISD has raised its standards so in order to evaluate dance students at the same level as students in band and choir. No other Texas district uses an evaluation system like this for fine arts dance education. This is the 5th year that this evaluation has been conducted and BISD students have shown amazing progress. The rating scale is 1 - Superior, II – Excellent, and III – Good. View this year’s evaluation results. Amazing Manzano

Amazing Manzano Artists

Four Manzano Middle School students placed in the 2012 Texas Junior Duck Stamp Competition. Congratulations to Valeria Ruelas, 2nd Place; and Cesar Davila, Edwardo Martinez, and Marcos Vasquez, Honorable Mention Awards. The Aransas National Wildlife Refuge coordinated the event.

Live Soccer Tournament Action

The Region IV Class 5A Boys and Girls Soccer Tournament being held at the Brownsville Sports Park can be viewed live here today, Friday, April 13, beginning at 12 noon. The Lopez Lobos will play San Antonio Reagan on Friday at 4:30 pm. BISD supports the Lobos! Click here to watch all the soccer action.

Goooal!

Everyone is invited to attend the UIL Region IV Soccer Tournament on Friday, April 13 and Saturday, April 14 at the Brownsville Sports Park. Admission is $7 for adults and $4 for students with a school ID card. See you at the games. View the schedule of matches here.

BISD High School Bands Hit 100%

BISD high school bands made history once again when all six earned sweepstakes trophies at the 2012 UIL High School Band Concert and Sight-Reading Contest held at the UTB/TSC Arts Center recently. BISD’s strong band programs have posted consistent, improved results for 7 consecutive years. This is the first time that all district bands have achieved a 100% success rate. It is well-known that success in instrumental music directly correlates to the development of higher level thinking. Kudos to our BISD band students, parents and directors. View all results.

Employee Health Screenings

Brownsville ISD has almost completed the employee health screenings. Everyone is to be commended for increasing this year’s participation rate to a new high. Kudos to Gallegos Elementary and Brownsville Learning Academy for 100% participation. There will be one final make-up screening at the Central Administrative Building (CAB) on Wednesday, April 11 from 6:30 am - 12 Noon and at Food & Nutrition Services on Thursday, April 12 from 6:30 am - 12:00 Noon for any employee who missed an opportunity at their campus or department. Participation in these final screenings will be logged in at the employee’s work location. Thank you for taking advantage of the district’s health screenings. Wellness is Hot Stuff in BISD!

Porter Students Save Tax Prep Fees

Tax season for the Porter High School Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Club has come to a successful end. A total of 26 student volunteers, certified as Basic Tax Preparers, completed 107 returns saving $10,000 in tax preparations fees for taxpayers whose adjusted gross income was $49,000 or less. Income credits hit $140,833.00 and refund amounts totaled $259,081.00. Porter High School is the only Brownsville school to offer this free financial assistance. Students rigorously trained for 12 consecutive weeks and attended a mandatory 8-hour training conducted by an Internal Revenue Service agent and UTB business and accounting professors. This is VITA’s third year of operation and best year to date. In 2010, the Porter VITA site was audited by the IRS and received excellent marks making it a model program in Texas. The VITA club and site services are sponsored by Alberto Velez, a Porter business teacher.

Veterans Theatre Making History

The Brownsville Veterans Memorial High School One Act Play cast will advance to 32 4A Area Competition on Tuesday, April 10 at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi. Six Veterans cast members received individual awards at the district competition held in Mission on April 3. View the results.

Area Soccer Playoffs

Best wishes to our Boys Soccer Teams from Lopez, Porter and Rivera High Schools as they compete in the 5A Area competition on Thursday, April 5. Brownsville ISD schools have a proud soccer tradition and have earned a distinguished reputation in the state. We are very proud of our soccer athletes. Dr. Carl A. Montoya Superintendent of Schools

Two BISD Schools Advance in OAP

Both Lopez and Porter High Schools will advance to Area One Act Play (OAP) competition to be held on Saturday, April 14 at Veterans Memorial High School in Brownsville. This ranks the Lopez and Porter drama departments among the top in Texas. Juan Balzaldua from Rivera and Isle Zacharias from Lopez won the Best Actor and Best Actress awards out of 70 participants. BISD made history when four high schools, Hanna, Lopez, Porter and Rivera, advanced to the District One Act Play competition on March 31. The four schools performed to packed audiences. View all OAP results.

BISD Administrators Invited to Summit

Two BISD high school principals, Teri Alarcon from Hanna High School and Dawn Hall from Brownsville Early College High School, have received personal invitations to participate in the upcoming VistaSummit: Focus on Education to be held on Tuesday, April 17 at the University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg. The VistaSummit, the second to be held in the Rio Grande Valley, will bring together a specific group of educational leaders and community partners. The goal of the summit is to develop a regional action plan with fundable projects centered on the region’s greatest asset – its people. Alarcon and Hall were invited to participate in a candid, intimate dialogue with national experts and foundation and philanthropic leaders about the future of education in the Rio Grande Valley. “It is an honor for Brownsville ISD to have two high school principals included in the upcoming VistaSummit. Ms. Alarcon and Ms. Hall are extremely knowledgeable and will have much to contribute to this dialogue about education in our Valley,” said Dr. Carl A. Montoya.

Two BISD Teachers Publish Children’s Book

Two BISD teachers, Jerry Cervantes and John Aguilar, wrote and illustrated a children’s book, “Hilda Bee’s Special Home.” Cervantes is a music teacher at Brite Elementary School and Aguilar teaches visual arts at Garcia Middle School. Their book about acceptance was spotlighted in the Wednesday, March 28 Education Extra in the Brownsville Herald. Click here to read the story.

Employee Health Screenings

Brownsville ISD has almost completed the employee health screenings. Everyone is to be commended for increasing this year’s participation rate to a new high. Kudos to Gallegos Elementary and Brownsville Learning Academy for 100% participation. There will be one final make-up screening at the Central Administrative Building (CAB) on Wednesday, April 11 from 6:30 am – 12 Noon for any employee who missed an opportunity at their campus or department. Participation in this final screening will be logged in at the employee’s work location. Thank you for taking advantage of the district’s health screenings. Wellness is Hot Stuff in BISD!

Attention BISD Employees

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Representative, Yenicia Dominguez, is available to assist you with any group health questions or concerns. She is located in the Employee Benefits Department in the Central Administrative Building (CAB), Suite #103, from 8 am – 5 pm weekdays, or you may contact her at 698-0112.

On-Line Summer School Application Now Open

The 2012 on-line summer school application is now open. The application will be open from 8 am on Tuesday, March 27, 2012, until 5 pm on Tuesday, April 10, 2012. You may apply on-line by going to http://www.bisd.us/employment/Default.asp.

Bus Delays

Please be advised that some buses will be delayed today, Tuesday, March 27. Every effort is being made to minimize the delay. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience, support and understanding.

Summer School Apps Delayed

The opening of the Summer School Application has been delayed until Tuesday, March 27, 2012. We apologize for the delay. For questions, please contact the Curriculum & Instruction Department at 548-8121.

BISD One Act Play Success

Four high schools, Hanna, Lopez, Porter and Rivera, have made BISD history by qualifying to advance to the District One Act Play Competition next week. A total of eight campuses competed and only these four BISD campuses will advance, ensuring that a BISD school will earn the District Championship title. Congratulations to Juan Bazaldua from Rivera who was named Best Actor and Monica Ramos from Porter who was selected Best Actress out of 54 participants at the 5A Zone A contest. At the 5A B contest, Seth Johnson from Hanna earned Best Actor and Ilse Zacharias from Lopez earned Best Actress out of 73 participants. At the 4A Zone contest, William Abete earned Best Actor and Celia Lozano was named Best Actress. Both students are from Veterans Memorial. Veterans Memorial will also advance to the 4A District Competition. The 5A District competition will begin at 1:15 pm on Saturday, March 31 at the Pace High School Theatre. The 4A District Contest is scheduled for Tuesday, April 3 at 1:30 pm at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium. Everyone is invited to attend both contests. These successes prove that the theatre arts program is alive and well in BISD.

Middle School Choirs Are Tops in Region

BISD middle school choirs dominated the UIL Region 28 Concert & Sight Reading Competition held on March 7-8 in Brownville. A total of 12 BISD choirs earned the top sweepstakes rating making Brownsville ISD number one in the region. Click here to see all results.

Leadership Alliance Project is Accepting Application

Brownsville ISD is pleased to announce the new Leadership Alliance Project which is open to current BISD teacher and administrator applicants with mid-management/principals certificates and 5 years teaching experience for teacher applicants and 3 years administrative experience for administrative applicants. Applicants must submit a completed application by Friday, March 30, 2012 through the Certified Personnel webpage. Prepare yourself for a learning experience that will make you a higher performing BISD instructional leader. Click here to view flowchart or submit an application.

Attention BISD Employees

Summer School 2012 applications will be available online on Monday, March 26 at 8:00 AM and will close on Monday, April 9 at 5:00 PM.

Meeting Cancellation

The March 20, 2012 Regular Meeting of the BISD Board of Trustees has been cancelled due to scheduled holidays. The next Regular Board Meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 3, 2012.

BISD Students Advance to State

Brownsville ISD had a total of 36 middle and high school science and engineering projects that will advance to state competition as a result of the Rio Grande Valley Regional Competition held on Saturday, March 3 at the UTB/TSC campus. BISD students faced tough competition this year from schools as far away as Laredo and Corpus Christi but still managed to have two 2nd Runner-Up winners from Pace and Manzano. The Exxon/Mobil State Science & Engineering Fair wil be held in San Antonio on March 30-April 1. Click to view results.

Two BISD Schools Earn Grants

Two Brownsville ISD high schools, Porter and Rivera, have been preliminarily selected by the Texas Education Agency to receive College and Career Preparation Technical Assistance, Cycle 2 grants for 2012-2014. The grants will provide online college preparation assistance to students, parents and high school counselors. Porter High School has been awarded $150,000 and Rivera High School received $147,840. Both schools will select an approved provider for assistance tools and resources for college and career planning. A total of 32 Texas high schools made the grant list. One other Rio Grande Valley high school from Edcouch-Elsa ISD was also selected.

BISD Spellers Advance

A total of 8 top BISD spelling finalists will compete at the 24th Annual Rio Grande Valley Regional Spelling Bee to be held on Saturday, March 3 at 9 am at Texas State Technical College in Harlingen. The 8 spellers were finalists in the BISD Spelling Bee held on February 12 at Gallegos Elementary School. The winner of the RGV Regional Bee will advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee to be held in Washington, D.C. on May 27-June1, 2012. Everyone is welcome to attend the Regional Spelling Bee and support our BISD finalists: Omar Hussain Hudson Elementary School (BISD Spelling Bee Champ) Jenna Garcia Manzano Middle School (BISD Spelling Bee Runner-Up) Bianca Lopez Paredes Elementary School Jakob Medina Brite Elementary School Isai Calderon Pena Elementary School Laritzza Hernandez El Jardin Elementary School Abigail Morales Champion Elementary School Ivan Villanueva Ortiz Elementary School

Hanna Educator Named H-E-B Finalist

Graciela Guzman, a Hanna High School English teacher, is one of five Rio Grande Valley teacher finalists in the 2012 H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards. She was surprised in her classroom on Friday, March 2 by H-E-B representatives bearing balloons, flowers, cake, and a check for $1,000. Hanna also received $1,000. As a finalist, Ms. Guzman will represent the border region in the statewide competition for larger cash awards. View the media release.

Regional Fair on Saturday

Brownsville ISD has a total of 147 student projects, 85 from middle school and 62 from high school, advancing to the 52nd RGV Regional Science & Engineering Fair to be held at the UTB/TSC campus on Saturday, March 3. The middle school projects will be located in the ITEC Building and the high school projects will be in the Garza Gym. Judging will be held from 9 am to 1 pm. Public viewing for middle schools is from 2:30-3:30 pm and the high schools public viewing will be held from 3-4 pm. The awards ceremony for both groups will take place in the Jacob Brown Auditorium from 4:15-5:30 pm. Students who earn the top 3 places in each of the 17 categories will advance to the Exxon/Mobil State Science & Engineering Fair in San Antonio on March 30-April 1.

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Celebrate Brownsville Public Schools!

Brownsville ISD invites you to “Imagine, Explore, Discover” our public schools during the district’s celebration of Texas Public Schools Week, March 5-9, 2012. Each day, our students acquire new skills as they imagine, explore and discover new information, engaging their minds and bodies, building their educational foundations and futures. Our students are proud of their work and accomplishments and wish to share their discoveries with the entire Brownsville community. “Public schools in Brownsville and throughout the state of Texas are committed to laying the foundation for a solid education for each of our students,” shared Dr. Carl Montoya, Superintendent. “Join us, as we share our map for a great education. We invite you to attend one or more of our upcoming Open House events.” BISD Open House Schedule, 5:30-7:30 pm: Monday, March 5 Middle Schools Tuesday, March 6 High Schools Thursday, March 8 Elementary Schools

Trio Named Alliance/Merck Scholars

Three 2011 BISD graduates have been selected to receive Alliance/Merck Ciencia Scholarships of up to $42,500 in college and summer research internship support over the next 4 years. This year’s recipients are Peter Guerrero, a graduate of Pace High School, John Martinez, a graduate of Lopez High School, and Daniela Naylor, a graduate of Hanna High School. The awards mark the third round of Alliance/Merck Scholarships for Hispanic students pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers. The scholarships are limited to students in Brownsville, Los Angeles, California and Elizabeth, New Jersey. View the entire media release.

8 Teams Advance in DI

South Texas Bridge held the Destination ImagiNation Regional Tournament in
Pharr, Texas on February 18. Approximately 140 teams, 20 from BISD, competed in the tournament. A total of 8 BISD teams earned 1st place and are eligible to compete in the state competition which will be held on April 13-15 in Corpus Christi, Texas.

BISD First Place DI Teams
Garden Park Elementary School
Designers, Inc.
DI Informers

Stell Middle School
Zipperz
Monkey See, Monkey Do
.
Pullam Elementary
School Exploding Imagination

Garcia Middle School
DI Gators

BECHS
Scorpionators

Sharp Elementary
School Mighty Owls

New Visual Arts Record

BISD visual arts students from all 6 high schools participated in the Regional Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) held in McAllen, Texas on February 18. A record 23 BISD students will advance to the State VASE Competition to be held in Bryan, Texas on April 13 and 14. View all BISD Regional VASE results.

Commissioner Defers 15% Policy

Commissioner of Education Robert Scott announced today he is deferring implementation of the new 15 percent grading requirement connected to the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness end-of-course examinations. He took this action after receiving input from parents, educators and State Board of Education members, as well as statutory clarification from state leaders. Read the entire media release.

Open Enrollment for Sick Leave Bank

If an immediate family member has a catastrophic illness, employees may be eligible to withdraw days from BISD Voluntary Sick Leave Bank. For more information, call 548-8051. View or download Voluntary Sick Leave Bank Guidelines. Packets are available here.

Gold Award for ACE

BISD Adult Continuing Education (ACE) has been notified by Texas LEARNS that the program received Gold Level recognition for meeting all performance measures in Adult Education and English Literacy Civics for the 2010-2011 school year. Texas LEARNS oversees Adult Education for the state and is responsible for monitoring progress for the federal government and the Texas Education Agency. The district’s ACE program has been submitted to the U.S. Department of Education by Texas LEARNS this year as one of three outstanding adult education programs in Texas.

State Winter Game Results

Brownsville ISD was represented by 42 Special Olympics athletes at the 2012 Special Olympics State Winter Games held in Austin on February 11012. View the individual results.

NCLB Report Cards Now Available

Section 1111(h)(2) of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires each local education agency (LEA) that receives Title I, Part A funding to disseminate specific LEA- and campus-level data to 1) all LEA campuses, 2) parents of all enrolled students, and 3) to make the information widely available through public means such as posting on the internet, distribution to the media, or distribution through public agencies. To view state, district and campus level NCLB report cards please use the following link: http://www.bisd.us/ARE/NCLB%20Links%20(Report%20Cards).html If you require hard copies, please contact the Assessment, Research and Evaluation Department at 554-2806.

STAMP Meetings

Students who have been accepted into the new STAMP College Prep Program, opening in the 2012-2013 school year, and their parents must attend one of three important meetings at the Veterans Memorial High School auditorium on March 21-24 to learn about the required summer programs, transportation services, and course selections. For more information, call Michelle A. Seney, STAMP Administrator, at 574-5618 or email maseney@bisd.us. View the letters in English/Spanish.

Lockdown at Hanna High School

Hanna High School implemented a soft lockdown today at approximately 9:15 am after the campus administration received a tip about a possible bomb threat. BISD police officers quickly responded to the scene and were able to determine that it was a false alarm. One Hanna student has been detained. The lockdown was lifted at approximately 9:40 am. Letters will be sent home with students today with additional information about the incident.

Brownsville ISD has been chosen as one of five regional finalists in the 2012 H-E-B Excellence in Education Early Childhood Awards Program. As a finalist, BISD will receive a check for $5,000 and is eligible to win an additional $25,000. As part of the selection process, a team from H-E-B will visit the district on Monday, February 20. The H-E-B Excellence in Education Early Childhood Award is designed to support public or private schools or not-for-profit learning agencies that focus on the care and education of children under the age of five. The purpose of the award is to offer support to help create or enhance Kinder Readiness programs that prepare children to enter Kindergarten socially and academically ready to learn. The 5 regional finalists will each be presented with a check for $5,000 to apply towards the enhancement of existing Kinder Readiness activities or creating new programs for the target population. The overall state winner will be announced and awarded an additional $25,000 grant to apply towards enhancing existing Kinder Readiness programs or creating a new program for the target population.

The Texas Education Agency recently announced that Brownsville ISD has been preliminarily selected to receive a grant for the 2011-2013 Texas Literacy Initiative (TLI) grant program. BISD is one of 30 districts chosen statewide and four from the Rio Grande Valley. The purpose of the TLI grant program is to improve school readiness and success in the areas of language and literacy for disadvantaged students in targeted school districts who will use the model of Literacy Lines to implement the Texas State Literacy Plan (TSLP). The goals of the grant program are to (1) increase the oral language and preliteracy skills of participating preschool children; (2) improve the performance of participating K–2 students on early reading assessments; (3) increase the percentage of participating students who meet or exceed proficiency on the state English language arts assessments in grades 3–12; (4) increase the use of data and data analysis to inform all decision making in participating districts, campuses, classrooms, and early learning settings; and (5) increase the implementation of effective literacy instruction through Literacy Lines.

BISD Named H-E-B Finalist

Brownsville ISD has been chosen as one of five regional finalists in the 2012 H-E-B Excellence in Education Early Childhood Awards Program. As a finalist, BISD will receive a check for $5,000 and is eligible to win an additional $25,000. As part of the selection process, a team from H-E-B will visit the district on Monday, February 20. The H-E-B Excellence in Education Early Childhood Award is designed to support public or private schools or not-for-profit learning agencies that focus on the care and education of children under the age of five. The purpose of the award is to offer support to help create or enhance Kinder Readiness programs that prepare children to enter Kindergarten socially and academically ready to learn. The 5 regional finalists will each be presented with a check for $5,000 to apply towards the enhancement of existing Kinder Readiness activities or creating new programs for the target population. The overall state winner will be announced and awarded an additional $25,000 grant to apply towards enhancing existing Kinder Readiness programs or creating a new program for the target population.

Survey for Dual Enrollment

All BISD teachers who are interested in teaching dual enrollment classes next school year are invited to take a survey located on the BISD homepage under “Resources.” The district is looking for teachers who are interested in attending UTB with possible assistance with tuition costs.

BISD Students Earn Accolades

Eight BISD high school students, the largest number in Texas, have been named Exemplary Migrant Students by the University of Texas at Austin Continuing Education Program. These BISD students will be honored during the 2012 Exemplary Migrant Student Recognition Ceremony to be held on Monday, April 2, 2012 in Austin. A total of 40 students from throughout the state will be recognized.

20th Anniversary of Principal for a Day

Brownsville ISD will host its popular Principal for a Day (PFAD) activity on Friday, February 17, 2012. Each BISD campus has invited a business or community leader to serve as a guest principal for the entire morning. Started in 1992, Brownsville’s PFAD has enabled hundreds of local leaders to experience the joys and challenges of school administration. The guest principals will begin the day at their assigned schools where they will shadow the campus administrator and participate in a variety of school activities. The day will conclude with a luncheon at the new Breeden Elementary School where participants will share stories about the morning they spent in the principal’s office. Over the years, many Brownsville PFAD guest principals, inspired by their experiences, have continued their involvement with BISD schools.

The Tradition Continues

For 95 years, Brownsville ISD has provided a quality education for our community’s children. The addition of more public school students and schools has not changed the district’s mission. Each BISD campus from the original Putegnat Elementary School to the new Daniel Breeden Elementary School has a fascinating history.

What ’s Happening at the BISD Museum

The BISD Museum, located at the Central Administrative Building (CAB), is currently featuring a colorful display on Charro Days. Drop by and see how BISD students and employees have celebrated Charro Days over the years. The BISD Museum is also currently soliciting donations of old BISD campus yearbooks. If you would like to make a yearbook donation, contact Hilda Williams at 698-1752 or email hswilliams@bisd.us.

Porter Students Offer Tax Preparation Help

Porter High School is a free tax assistance site for families or individuals earning $49,000 or less on Tuesdays from 4-7pm. Students in business classes taught by Alberto Velez have been trained to prepare the tax forms. The initiative is sponsored in conjunction with the United Way of Southern Cameron County. Free tax assistance will be available at Porter from January 24-February 21. No appointment is necessary.

Sign Up for Early Notification Program

At the regularly scheduled board meeting held on January 17, 2012, the BISD Board of Trustees approved the Early Notification of Voluntary Resignation Incentive Program. The time frame available for employee request will run from January 23, 2012 to February 22, 2012 for Special Assignment/District-wide Administration, Professional Hiring Schedule Employees, and Classified Personnel.

The District will again offer an Early Notification Incentive Payment in the amount of:

Classified Employees
20% of current gross salary up to $5,000

Professional Hiring Schedule Employees
15% of current gross salary up to $10,000

Special Assignment / District-Wide Administration
10% of current gross salary up to $7,500

Any employee opting for the Early Notification Resignation Incentive Payment must hand deliver a signed Letter of Resignation and a signed Waiver and Release Agreement to the BISD Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources office beginning January 23, 2012 at 8:00 AM and no later than February 22, 2012 at 5:00 PM. Click here to download the employee letters in English and Spanish, the resolution in English and Spanish, and the employee agreement in English and in Spanish.

Local Readers’ Vote on Favorites

Four BISD employees and two campuses earned recognition in the 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards sponsored by The Brownsville Herald. Congratulations to Principal Mary Solis, Veterans Memorial HS; Teacher Dora Chanes, Aiken Elementary; Music Teacher Joe Salinas, Sharp Elementary; Coach Mario Cisneros, Pace HS; and Vela MS and Hanna HS.

Update on W-2 Forms

All current BISD employees will receive their W-2 forms by Tuesday, January 31, 2012. The W-2 forms for former BISD employees will be mailed by Tuesday, January 31, 2012.

Middle Schools Dominate

BISD middle school band students swept the 2012 Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Region 28 band auditions held on Saturday, January 21 at Rivera High School. The BISD students earned an amazing 155 All-Region Band chairs, 11 of the 16 1st chair positions. For the second consecutive year, all 11 BISD middle schools earned chairs. Congratulations to the middle school band students and their directors. View the schools and number of chairs earned.

Early Notification Program Begins Monday

At the regularly scheduled board meeting held on January 17, 2012, the BISD Board of Trustees approved the Early Notification of Voluntary Resignation Incentive Program. The time frame available for employee request will run from January 23, 2012 to February 22, 2012 for Special Assignment/District-wide Administration, Professional Hiring Schedule Employees, and Classified Personnel. The District will again offer an Early Notification Incentive Payment in the amount of: Classified Employees 20% of current gross salary up to $5,000 Professional Hiring Schedule Employees 15% of current gross salary up to $10,000 Special Assignment / District-Wide Administration 10% of current gross salary up to $7,500 Any employee opting for the Early Notification Resignation Incentive Payment must hand deliver a signed Letter of Resignation and a signed Waiver and Release Agreement to the BISD Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources office beginning January 23, 2012 at 8:00 AM and no later than February 22, 2012 at 5:00 PM. Click here to download the employee letters in English and Spanish, the resolution, and the employee agreement.

APQC Education offers valuable services to school districts in South Texas

Houston – The American Productivity and Quality Center, a Houston-based non-profit organization, is pleased to announce the addition of three school districts from South Texas to the APQC Education North Star Community. These three school districts – Harlingen CISD, Brownsville ISD and McAllen ISD – are joining the Community after winning scholarships made possible by a $90,000 grant from the Meadows Foundation and matching grant funds from APQC Education.

“Our district is pleased to partner with the APQC Education North Star Community. Brownsville ISD will benefit from the expertise this organization will provide. Other school districts have seen significant improvement and we look forward to similar results,” said Dr. Carl A. Montoya, Superintendent of Brownsville schools. View media release.

Attention 2012-2013 STAMP College Prep Applicants at Veterans Memorial

The January pre-test scores in English and math have been eliminated from the list of STAMP College Preparatory Program pre-requisites. BISD will use your STAAR or EOC scores instead. Remember that you are required to maintain an 80% passing rate in each subject (reading, English, math, and science). All 8th grade algebra I students must maintain a 70% passing rate and 9th grade algebra I students must maintain an 80% passing rate. The end-of-year report cards of all STAMP applicants will be reviewed to ensure that this criteria has been met. For questions, contact Michelle A. Seney at 574-5618 or maseney@bisd.us.

Helping our Kids Shine

Texans benefit every day from the tireless work and countless hours dedicated by a group of more than, 7,300 men and women in communities across the state. These public servants are elected to serve by local constituents and receive no compensation for their efforts. These men and women are the school board members of Texas. January is School Board Recognition Month and Brownsville ISD will take this opportunity to thank our local leaders for devoting time to support public education and serve our local schools. “Even though we are making a special effort in January to show appreciation to our board members, we realize their contributions reflect a year-round commitment,” said Dr. Carl Montoya BISD superintendent. “They selflessly give of themselves to ensure that decisions directly affecting our local schools are made by representatives of this community. In these challenging times, they face difficult choices and shoulder critical responsibilities. Their ultimate goal is always focused on the future success of every student enrolled in the district,” Montoya said. View our trustees, years of service on the board, and occupations.

Ortiz Earns 2012 H-E-B Grant

Ortiz Elementary School is one of 12 statewide recipients of an H-E-B “Healthy Campus” grant which carries an award of $15,000. The three-year grant will be used to enhance existing health and fitness programs at Ortiz or to add new ones. Last school year, Ortiz earned an H-E-B “Fit Campus” award for $10,000 that was used to educate children, parents, and staff about nutrition and fitness. Congratulations to the Ortiz Cougars! View the media release.

All-State Honors for BISD

A total of 29 BISD fine arts music students, the largest number in the region, earned top chairs at the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Area G auditions held on Saturday, January 7. Choir students competed in Rockport-Fulton, Texas and band students competed in Alice, Texas. Students earned chairs in the 2012 All-State Band, Choir, Jazz Ensemble and Orchestra which ranks them in the top 2% of music students in Texas. They will perform at the TMEA Conference in San Antonio on Saturday, February 11. These 29 BISD students advanced through district, region and area auditions competing against students from Houston, Corpus Christi, Laredo and the Rio Grande Valley to earn a place at the state level. Congratulations on a job well done! View the results by high school.

Notice of Public Hearing

Brownsville ISD will hold a public hearing for the 2010-2011 Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) Report during the regular Board Meeting scheduled for January 17, 2012 at 5:30 PM in the Boardroom of the Administration Building located at 1900 Price Road. Texas Education Code, Chapter 39, requires school districts to publish an annual AEIS Report Summary that includes district and campus performance, a report of violence or criminal incidence, and post-secondary performance. The presentation will include an overall district profile, including demographics, performance objectives, and finances. Parents, community members and other interested persons are invited to attend. View the announcment in English and Spanish.

Region One Area HS Completion Rates on the Rise

Across the Region One service area, gains in the percentage of high school graduates has increased while the number of students who have dropped out of high school has steadily declined, according to the 2009-2010 Texas Education Agency AEIS (Academic Excellence Indicator System) Report. Brownsville ISD is one of 37 school districts and 10 charter school systems in a seven county area along the Texas-Mexico border that is served by the Region One Education Services Center. See the entire news release.

Cummings Middle School Update

Regular school operation and classroom instruction has resumed at Cummings Middle School on Friday, January 6. School counselors are available at the campus to offer their services to students and staff. Brownsville ISD will also offer counseling services on Saturday, January 7 from 9 AM–1:00 PM at the Central Administrative Building (CAB) located at 708 Palm Boulevard for students, parents, employees, and community members who wish to talk to a school counselor.

Policy Suspension

The BISD Board of Trustees recently approved a resolution to suspend portions of Policy EIE (Local) for the 2011-2012 school year only. The suspended portions require students in grades 5 and 8 to meet the passing standards of the applicable state-mandated assessment for those grade levels in order to be promoted to the next grade. The policy resolution was necessary since state passing standards for 5th and 8th grade STAAR reading and math tests will not be established for the 2011-2012 school year. View the resolution.

Lopez Recognized for ACT Increase

Lopez High School earned a Texas 2011 College Readiness Award for significantly increasing ACT Composite scores over the past five years, increasing or maintaining participation in the ACT, and improving student college readiness. View the entire list of awardees.

Go Vikings!

As Interim Superintendent of Brownsville public schools, it is my privilege to recognize and congratulate the Pace Vikings varsity football team on their success during the 2011 season. The Vikings, with head coach Rene Medrano, are 9 and 2 this season. It is the school’s first trip to the Area playoff round as a 5A school and comes following a 42-21 win in the Bi-District at PSJA last Friday. The Vikings are preparing for a Division 2 Area playoff game Saturday against Alexander High School of Laredo. I encourage the support of this football team and invite Brownsville fans to fill the stands on Saturday afternoon at 4 pm at Veterans Memorial Stadium in McAllen. See you there and good luck to our Vikings.

Dr. Carl A. Montoya
Interim Superintendent

Payday on Friday

All BISD Monthly Salaried (MS) and Monthly Hourly (MH) personnel will be paid on Friday, November 18, 2011. Bi-Weekly (BW) personnel will be paid on Wednesday, November 23, 2011. Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday.

Dr. Montoya Named Lone Finalist

During the regular Board Meeting held on Tuesday, November 15, 2011, Trustees of the Brownsville Independent School District named Dr. Carl A. Montoya as the sole finalist for the position of Superintendent of Schools. Section 552.126 of the State Government Code requires that the Board of Trustees give public notice of the name or names of finalists being considered at least 21 days prior to a final vote.

Montoya has served as the district’s Interim Superintendent since June 8, 2011. He was appointed to the position after Brett Springston resigned to take the superintendency in Bartlett ISD. Montoya had been serving as the Area Assistant Superintendent for the Rivera cluster schools at the time. View the media release.

Tour the New Hanna Facility

The new Hanna High School Performing Arts Instructional Facility is nearing completion. Click here to take a 360 panoramic virtual tour of the auditorium which is located by the resaca in front of the school. Click here to take a 360 panoramic virtual tour of this new facility.

District’s Fitch Ratings

As part of its continuous surveillance efforts, Fitch Ratings took the following rating action on Brownsville Independent School District. View the public release.

Pace Trumpeter Ranked Top in Texas

Jose Carlos Izquierdo, a Pace High School senior, has been selected as the 2011 State Champion All-State 1st chair Trumpet. Jose competed against 80 of the best high school trumpet players in the state to earn this title. He will perform as the lead trumpeter when the All-State Jazz Band performs at the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) convention in San Antonio in February.

3 More BISD Alliance/Merck Scholars Announced

Three new BISD students have joined the ranks of district students benefiting from the Alliance/Merck Ciencia (Science) Hispanic Scholars Program. This brings the total of BISD scholars to four. The Merck Company Foundation provides funding for this program through a $4 million grant to support Hispanic student access to higher education and degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Over a span of five years, 50 promising Hispanic students from Brownsville, Texas; Elizabeth, New Jersey; and Los Angeles California will be awarded $42,500 in college scholarships and internship support to pursue STEM degrees. BISD seniors are urged to apply for these scholarships. Contact your head/senior counselor or Pilar Janis, Higher Education Counselor, at 548-8251. View the Alliance/Merck criteria or the entire list of current Brownsville Alliance/Merck scholars.

Attention BISD Employees

On Monday, November 7, 2011, Brownsville ISD was advised that the Social Security numbers of employees who are enrolled for disability insurance were inadvertently posted by prior department administration in April 2011 on the Employee Benefits/Risk Management (EB/RM) website; a site accessible to the public. Once notified, the information was immediately removed. The information posted contained the employee name, estimated monthly salary, selected disability plan, disability premium, and employee ID number. Although this does not violate HIPPA regulations, the district understands the importance of safeguarding personal information and sincerely apologizes for this oversight. BISD is working closely with its EB/RM staff to ensure that sensitive data is more securely maintained. District employees who are impacted will be contacted individually by the Employee Benefits/Risk Management Department. The district encourages all impacted employees to be proactive by closely monitoring their credit reports. BISD employees may also call (956) 548-8061 for more information. Any additional information and/or updates related to this issue will be posted on the BISD homepage.

Solid Gold Performance

The Texas Education Agency has released the 2011 Gold Performance Acknowledgements (GPA). BISD campuses earned a total of 169 acknowledgments in all. The GPA System acknowledges districts and campuses for high performance on indicators other than those used to determine accountability ratings. These indicators are in statute (Texas Education Code) or are determined by the Commissioner of Education. Congratulations to BISD schools for earning these significant academic indicators. View the campus results.

BISD Choir Students Shine at Region and Pre-Area

Brownsville ISD choir students earned top marks at the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Region and Pre-Area auditions held on November 5. Brownsville students earned 47 of the 80 chairs, including 7 of 8 first chairs. During afternoon auditions, BISD students earned 23 of 40 available slots to advance to the Area Audition, including 6 of the 8 first chairs. The Area Auditions will be held on January 7 in Rockport-Fulton.

Region Choir:
Hanna: 21, 3 first chairs
Lopez: 4
Pace: 1
Porter: 3
Rivera: 12, 3 first chairs
Veterans: 6, 1 first chair


Pre-Area Choir Advancing to Area Auditions
Hanna: 8, 1 first chair
Lopez: 3, 1 first chair
Pace: 1, 1 first chair
Porter: 1
Rivera: 8, 2 first chairs
Veterans: 2, 1 first chair

Hanna Shares Best Practices

The Texas Center for Student Success (TCSS) will visit Hanna High School during the 2011-2012 school year to learn about successful intervention and acceleration best practices. The results will be posted on Project Share as a learning tool for other educators and administrators. Specifically, TCSS will look at Hanna’s distributed leadership, community involvement and instructional strategies used in the ELAR/Social Studies Departments. The TCSS is part of the Institute for Public School Initiatives at the University of Texas at Austin. It is funded by the Texas Education Agency. The TCSS team annually identifies exemplar campuses across Texas and disseminates their intervention and acceleration best practices with other schools and districts along with relevant research and resources.

Lopez Students to Experience College

Six Lopez High School seniors, George A. Garcia, Jose I. Garcia, Armando Garza, Imelda Guerrero, Jose R. Leal, and Melissa Vera, have been selected to participate in a 3-day Celebration of Diversity Weekend at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Lopez students will have the opportunity to spend a day in the life of a Carnegie Mellon student and experience the diverse academic, extracurricular and cultural facets of the campus and Pittsburgh. Lopez students will be matched with current college students who will be their ambassadors throughout the weekend and they will also network with the faculty and staff at a special reception.

Best Wishes to Veterans Memorial Band

On behalf of the BISD Board of Trustees and administration, I wish the Veterans Memorial Charger Band the very best of luck when you take the field at the UIL 4A Competition on Saturday. Your long hours of preparation and practice will be rewarded at the Calallen contest. In a very short time, the Charger Marching Band has established a tradition of excellence. You are already recognized as a musical powerhouse in South Texas. Everyone in our district and community is proud of you and your accomplishments.

Go Chargers!
Dr. Carl A. Montoya
Interim Superintendent of Schools

Band Students Set Another Record

High school band students from BISD earned 23 of the 29 available chairs at the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Region 28 Orchestra audition held at Harlingen High School on October 25. BISD students earned 8 of the 10 first chairs. Fourteen of these students will advance to the TMEA Area audition where they will compete for a chair in the TMEA All-State organizations. These totals are significantly higher than last year and set a new all-time record for our district. The All-Region Orchestra will perform on Saturday, November 12 at the Weslaco Central Middle School Auditorium. View the results by high school.

Your Vote Counts

Morningside, Peña and Ortiz Elementary Schools are competing in the Clorox Company’s “Power A Bright Future” grant program to help fund new or ongoing programs that allow children to play, create and explore. The schools are in separate categories so adults and children 13 and older can visit www.PowerABrightFuture.com to vote once a day for all 3 from October 24-December 9. The programs that receive the most votes will earn awards of $25,000 - $50,000. New this year, voting can be done by text message. Find your school’s keyword in its nomination listing and text that to 44144.

16 Schools Named Higher Performing

Sixteen BISD schools earned spots on the 2011 Higher Performing Schools in Texas list compiled by the National Center for Educational Achievement (NCEA). The list identifies those elementary, middle and high schools in Texas that have consistently outperformed their peers with similar student populations over a three-year period (the 2008-09, 2009-12, and 2010-11 school years). View the entire media release.

Secondary
Brownsville Early College High School
Hanna High School
Lucio Middle School
Stillman Middle School


Elementary
Castaneda
Egly
Gallegos
Gonzalez
Morningside
Ortiz
Paredes
Perez
Putegnat
Russell
Southmost
Yturria

2 BISD Seniors Are Commended

Brownsville ISD is pleased to announce that two high school students earned “Commended” status in the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program. Congratulations to Siena C. McFetridge from Hanna High School and Jose R. Leal from Lopez High School. High school students enter the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (CPSAT/NMSQT).

Seven Top BISD Students

Seven top BISD high school students earned recognition in the National Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP). The district’s 2011-2012 recipients are:

Hanna
Pablo Mayen – Scholar
Danielle Soto – Scholar
Sarah Rios-Honorable Mention

Porter
Carlo Alessandro Celballos - Honorable Mention

Pace
Cyntyhia Ibarra-Scholar

Lopez
Armando Garza-Scholar
Jose Leal-Scholar

The National Hispanic Recognition Program identifies nearly 5,000 outstanding Hispanic students each year. The program sends a list of all recognized students to subscribing colleges and universities.

BISD Recognized in International Publication

The spotlight shined on Brownsville ISD in an article in the newsletter of the International Dyslexia Association. View the article.

College Ready, College Connected, College Completed!

Brownville ISD is taking a bold, dynamic step in the creation of the Science, Technology, Architecture and Medical Professions (STAMP) College Preparatory Program scheduled to open in August 2012 at Veterans Memorial High School. Click here to learn more.