Board Adopts A Sound, Balanced Budget

Great news! The Brownsville ISD budgetary process has come to a successful conclusion. The Board of Trustees adopted the 2013-2014 district operating budget at a Special Called Meeting held on Friday, June 21. In addition to being sound and balanced, the $529 million BISD budget includes long overdue pay raises of 2%-5% for all employees without drawing from the district’s local fund balance. Board trustees and administration also ensured that the budget included funds to maintain current teacher/student ratios, expand the middle school STEM program, and provide at risk middle school counselors. Badly needed infrastructure projects and bus fleet upgrades were also addressed in this budget. BISD is scheduled to receive about $15 million in state funding next year. Approximately $11 million will be absorbed by the employee salary increases.

GED Re-Testing

Registration for GED re-testing will be held on Monday, June 25, Tuesday, June 26 and Thursday, June 27 at 4:30 pm at the GED Testing Center located in Portables #24 and #25 across from Sams Stadium. Cost for each re-test is $25.00. Call 698-0052 for more information.

BISD Students Post Gains on New Tests

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) recently released the 2013 passing rates for the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) for Brownsville ISD. This is the second year for the state’s new testing program which is designed to measure post-secondary success. The state of Texas reported relatively stable End-of-Course (EOC) results this year. However, Brownsville ISD’s passing rates for 2013 showed significant increases in 4 EOC subject areas when compared to 2012 rates. English I Writing posted the largest overall gain at 10% followed by an 8% jump in English I Reading. Algebra I increased 5% and World Geography improved 3%. BISD also surpassed the state English I Writing passing rate of 54% with a rate of 56%. District students in grades 6-8 registered gains of 9% in science, 6% in social studies and 3% in both reading and math. Under state law, students in grades 5 and 8 must pass STAAR reading and math tests in order to be promoted to the next grade under the state’s Student Success Initiative. At the 3rd-5th grade level, BISD students gained 8% in math, followed by 4% in science and 3% in both reading and math.

BISD Employee Salary Increases

At the Regular Meeting held on June 18, 2013, the Board of Trustees approved the 2013-2014 Employee Compensation Plan including the following salary increases: Campus Staff (Administrators/Teaching Staff/Other Staff) 3.00% Increase Paraprofessional Staff (Certified Interpreter/Educational Aide/Auxiliary) 5.00% Increase Administrators Pay Grade 1-4 3.00% Increase Administrators Grade 5 and above 2.00% Increase

The Beat Goes On

Great News! School may be out but BISD student successes continue. BISD middle schools earned 3 of 4 available area spots in the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) regional competition on June 12 at Harlingen South High School. In the CCC Conference, the Lucio Band, under the direction of Emiliano Camarillo, ranked first and advanced to the area round. The Vela Band, directed by Mario Sarmiento, also advanced to the area hearing. In the CC Conference, the Besteiro Band, directed by Lucy Treviño, earned a top spot and advanced to the area hearing as well. The TMEA area competition will be held on June 27 in San Antonio. Only 2 bands in each conference will be selected to advance to the final state hearing in July at the Texas Band Masters Convention. Kudos to the Faulk, Garcia and Manzano Bands that also represented BISD with outstanding performances.

GED Testing

GED Testing is available for first-time testers and re-testers at the GED Testing Center located in Portables #24 and #25 across from Sams Stadium. Registration for first – time testers will be held on Monday, June 17 at 1 pm in Spanish and on Tuesday, June 18 at 1 pm in English. Registration for all re-testers is Monday, June 17 – Wednesday, June 19 at 8 am. Those interested must attend one of the scheduled registration sessions and provide current identification. The cost for GED testing is $105.00 for all five tests due upon initial registration. Each re-test costs $25.00. For more information call 698-0052.

Getting Set for the Next School Year

Dr. Carl A. Montoya has announced changes for the 2013-2014 school year as a result of vacancies and/or reassignments: Area Assistant Superintendent/Support Services - Vacancy Chief Financial Officer - Mary Garza (Interim) Grants Administrator - Dr. Linda Gallegos Pupil Services Administrator - Randy Park (Interim) Cummings Middle School - Bertha Presas Lucio Middle School- Aimee Garza-Limon Brownsville Learning Academy - Dr. Edward Ude Canales Elementary - Vacancy El Jardin Elementary - Marina Flores Longoria Elementary - Myrta Garza (Interim) Paredes Elementary - Nicole Clint Yturria Elementary - Sandra Cortez Sharp Elementary - Vacancy

Announces Initial HB5 Assesment Requirement

Under House Bill 5 (HB 5), passed by the 83rd Texas Legislature and signed by the governor, high school students are now required to pass five State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®) end-of-course exams to meet the new graduation requirements. The five assessments under HB 5 include Algebra I, English I (combined reading/writing), English II (combined reading/writing), biology, and U.S. history. The Texas Education Agency will be advising school districts and charters that students must pass all five of these end-of-course assessments to be eligible to graduate from a Texas public high school. As a result, students who have taken a required assessment - but have not yet passed - will still need to demonstrate satisfactory performance on that exam to meet the state's graduation requirements. View the entire release.

Going for the Gold!

BISD athletes from Hanna, Lopez, Pace, Porter, Rivera, and Veterans Memorial High School and the Triple T Program earned medals at the Special Olympics Summer Games held in Arlington, Texas on May 23-26.

BISD Students Recognized by Kids Voting USA

Brownsville ISD students were recognized in the June 2013 Kids Voting USA publication for participating in the Brownsville Spring 2013 Art and Multimedia Contests. The contest theme was “My Duty as a Citizen.”

32 Accept UTB Offer

The University of Texas at Brownsville has released the names of 32 BISD seniors who have accepted offers to join the University Scholars Program. The renewable scholarship includes tuition, most fees, $500 for books each semester, and possible housing, based on distance and circumstances. The estimated value of the UTB University Scholarship is $40,000 for 4 years.

Notice of Public Meeting

Brownsville ISD will hold a public meeting at 1:00 pm on Friday, June 21, 2013 in the Administration Building Board Room located at 1900 Price Road. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the school district’s budget which will determine the tax rate that will be adopted. Public participation in the discussion is invited.

Pace Graduation Update

The Pace High School graduation scheduled for 7:30 pm today at Sams Stadium has been relocated to the Rivera High School gym due to current and anticipated inclement weather. Each graduate will be able to have four people attend the graduation due to space limitations. KBSD will stream the Pace graduation live on Cable Channel 17 and the BISD homepage.

View BISD Graduations Live Online

The BISD high school graduations that are 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 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 at Sams Stadium will begin at 7:30 pm according to the schedule listed below. Pace High School . . . . . . . . . . . . . Friday, June 7 Lopez High School . . . . . . . . . . . . Sunday, June 9 Porter High School . . . . . . . . . . . Monday, June 10 Rivera High School. . . . . . . . . . . Tuesday, June 11 Hanna High School. . . . . . . . . . .Wednesday, June 12 Veterans Memorial HS. . . . . . . .Thursday, June 13 Brownsville ISD is pleased to make this service available to our community.

Eat for Free at BISD

Summer 2013 is quickly approaching! This year BISD Food and Nutrition Service is kicking off a multi-media promotional campaign that will bring attention to Food and Nutrition Service summer feeding program, Seamless Summer Option. The Seamless Summer Option is a continuation of the National School Lunch Program and will maintain the same meal service rules and claiming procedures used during the regular school year. The program is open to the public and will provide meals to children 18 years and younger at no cost. Adults may purchase a meal at the established rate of $3.25 for lunch and $2.00 for breakfast. The summer feeding program begins June 10th and will run through August 16th. The program will provide a wholesome breakfast served from 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM. Lunch will shortly follow from 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM. Everyone is highly encouraged to attend and enjoy nutritious meals throughout the week. Meals are not limited to BISD students; anyone 18 years and younger is welcome to participate. Did we forget to mention, the meals are free?!

2013 Memories

Yearbooks are currently on sale at BISD high school campuses. Get your copy before the end of the school year. Prices range from $75-80.

Hanna High School Teacher selected for LiftOff Summer Institute

Griselda L. Galvez, a teacher from Hanna High School in Brownsville Texas, has been selected again from across the nation for the prestigious LiftOff Summer Institute to be held at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas this summer. For the first time, the program is partnering with NASA Johnson Space Center Office of Education and the Middle School Aerospace Scholars project. Teachers from across the U.S. will increase their knowledge of space education through the LiftOff Professional Development Summer Institute. LiftOff is a collaborative effort of Texas Space Grant Consortium members and affiliates, NASA, and industry. Teachers apply for LiftOff and are selected competitively. The workshops are organized around an aerospace or space science theme drawn from NASA’s diverse engineering and scientific research programs. The theme for LiftOff 2013 is Rockets to Robots. The program combines the strengths of collaborators to enrich teaching and learning of science, mathematics, technology and engineering.