Update on Teacher Paychecks

On Tuesday, September 15, 2009, the BISD Board of Trustees approved a revised teacher hiring schedule that includes increases from the federal stimulus package. Paychecks issued to teachers on September 25, 2009, will be based on the revised amounts. For details, see the complete hiring schedule which is posted on the district’s homepage.

The September paycheck will also be the first to include subdivided teacher stipend payments. Most teaching stipends will now be paid in 12 monthly installments.

Lone Star Tour for All South Texas Students

High school students and their parents are invited to visit with representatives from Princeton University, Vanderbilt University, Rensselaer and the University of Chicago.

Thursday, September 24, 2009
7:00 PM
BISD Boardroom
1900 Price Road

University counselors will discuss the college application process, including high school transcripts, extracurricular activities, essay writing, letters of recommendation as well as the selection process.

For more information, contact Pilar Janis at 548-8251.

Attention Migrant Families

If you and your children have
• Moved outside BISD boundaries
• Sought or secured work in agriculture, fishing and/or meat processing
within the last three years, your children may qualify to receive additional educational support services from the Migrant Education Program.

Visit the BISD Migrant Office
Central Administrative Building, 708 Palm Blvd., Suite 106
Monday – Friday
8:00 AM–5:00 PM

Children whose families are identified as migrant may be eligible to receive school supplies on a first-come, first-serve basis.
For further information, call 548-7919.

Congratulations to Aldine

The Aldine Independent School District (AISD) outside Houston won the 2009 Broad Prize for Urban Education. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan made the announcement today, September 16, 2009, in Washington, D.C. at the Congressional Auditorium in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center.

Brownsville ISD, as the 2008 winner, was represented by Interim Superintendent Brett Springston, Board President Rolando Aguilar and John Clark, President of the Brownsville Chapter of the Texas Classroom Teachers Association.

Aldine ISD was one of the finalists last year when Brownsville ISD won the Broad Prize.

Click here for the full press release

Blue Ribbon for SouthmostElementary

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has officially announced
that 314 schools, including Brownsville’s Southmost Elementary, have
been selected as 2009 National Blue Ribbon Schools. The schools -
264 public and 50 private - will be honored at an awards ceremony on
November 3, 2009, in Washington, D.C.

“These Blue Ribbon Schools have shown that all children can learn with appropriate supports,” Duncan said. “They are producing outstanding results for their students. Some have shown dramatic improvements in places where students are overcoming the challenges of poverty, and others serve as examples of consistent excellence that can be a resource for other schools. They are places where improved teaching and learning benefits every student, and where students are challenged to meet high expectations with the active support of teachers, parents and the community.”

"Southmost Elementary is the first school in the history of Brownsville ISD to earn this national distinction. Congratulations to Principal Jimmy Haynes, his students, parents and employees. You make our district proud," said Interim Superintendent Brett Springston.

Texas has a total of 26 Blue Ribbon Schools this year and two are from the Rio Grande Valley, Southmost Elementary and Bowie Elementary in Alamo, Texas.

Time to Pass the Prize

The winner of the 2009 Broad Prize for Urban Education will be announced on Wednesday, September 16, 2009, in Washington, D.C. at the Congressional Auditorium in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will make the announcement at 11:00 am Eastern Standard Time. Brownsville ISD, as the 2008 winner, will be represented by Interim Superintendent Brett Springston, Board President Rolando Aguilar and John Clark, President of the Brownsville Chapter of the Texas Classroom Teachers Association.


This year’s five finalists are:

Aldine Independent School District, near Houston, Texas

Broward County Public Schools, Fort Lauderdale, Florida|

Gwinnett County Public Schools, outside Atlanta, Georgia

Long Beach Unified School District, California

Socorro Independent School District, El Paso, Texas
Best of luck to the new Broad finalists. Sincere thanks to Eli and Edythe Broad for their generous support of Brownsville’s students and school district. The $1 million in Broad Prize scholarships enabled 51 BISD graduates to pursue their college education this year.

For more information about The Broad Prize, visit www.broadprize.org.

College Bound

Brownsville ISD will host University Day on Thursday, September 17, 2009, from 9:15 AM-12:30 PM at the Brownsville Event Center. Representatives from approximately 70 colleges and universities will be available to talk to seniors and graduating juniors from BISD high schools as well as area public and private schools.

Auction Postponed

The BISD Public Auction scheduled for Saturday, September 12, 2009, has been postponed due to inclement weather. It will be rescheduled at a later date.

Final Enrollment Day on Friday, September 11, 2009

Any BISD employee who missed the regular district medical insurance enrollment period may enroll at the Employee Benefits / Risk Management Department on Friday, September 11, 2009, from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. The department is located at the CAB, 708Palm Blvd., Suite 103. Please note that this is a mandatory enrollment.

A Notice To Full-Time BISD Employees

Brownsville ISD provides group medical insurance with Mutual Assurance Administrators, Inc. (MAA) as the third party administrator and Texas True Choice as the network provider for 2009-10. The open enrollment period to make changes to your coverage is August 31-September 10, 2009.

The following changes are allowable:
• Dependent Status
• Name and/or Address Changes
• Plan Selection
• Beneficiary Change

If you participate in the CORE PLAN, your co-pays are:
30 DAY SUPPLY
Generic Drugs....................$10
Brand Drugs.......................$30
90 DAY SUPPLY (MAIL ORDER ONLY)
Generic Drugs...................$-0-
Brand Drugs.......................$75

If you want to make a change, you must fill out a change form and return it to the MAA representative who will visit your campus or department. Consult your administrator for the dates and times or check www.bisd.us. You may also hand deliver change forms to the BISD Employee Benefits/Risk Management Department, Central Administrative Building (CAB), Suite #103, 708 Palm Boulevard, by September 10, 2009.

•Please note that this is a mandatory enrollment. You must meet with a representative if you wish to continue with your current health benefits.

• If you miss your assigned campus/department enrollment session, you may attend at another BISD location. A make up day will also be held on Thursday, September 10 at the Administration Building and CAB from 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.

SAME RATES AS LAST YEAR: Core High State
Employee Only - 0 - $155.08 $304.62
Employee and Spouse $276.82 $569.86 $880.52
Employee and Children $276.82 $569.86 $880.52
2 Employees and Children $232.98 $569.86 $789.94
Employee and Family $462.96 $848.74 $1,257.70

Enrollment for voluntary and optional insurances such as vision, dental, and cancer, etc. will be announced soon.

For questions, contact the BISD Employee Benefits/Risk Management
Department at 548-8061


Click here for the enrollment schedule.

Labor Day Holiday

All BISD campuses and offices will be closed Monday, September 7, 2009 for Labor Day.

Regular district operation will resume on Tuesday, September 8, 2009.

View Grades Online

Parents are invited to use the district’s GradeSpeed Program to access grades online. Grades for students, elementary and secondary, are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by computer by logging on www.bisd.us. Simply contact the campus to set up a GradeSpeed account or to obtain more information.

Annual Compulsory Attendance Notice

It is the desire of the Brownsville Independent School District to provide each student with the opportunity to receive a free and appropriate public education and to inform parents about compliance with Texas Compulsory School Laws.

A student is truant if he/she has 10 or more days or parts of days of unexcused absences within a six month period or three days or parts of days of unexcused absences within a four week period.

As per State Law (SB1432), it is the parent’s duty to monitor attendance and require students to attend school. Failure to comply will subject parents to legal prosecution. Parents are required to schedule a conference with school officials to discuss excessive absences.

Students and parents will be summoned before a Justice of the Peace for violation of Compulsory Attendance Laws where sanctions may involve court costs, fines, and/or community service.

Know the Rules

During the first two weeks of school, each BISD student will receive a 2009-2010 Student Code of Conduct/Student-Parent Handbook. This booklet, available in English and Spanish, explains the standards for student conduct and provides general information on 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 this booklet thoroughly in order to better understand district expectations.

BISD Middle Schools are implementing a Standardized Dress Code for a second consecutive year. Components include:

Shirts or blouses:
-School color
-Long or short sleeves
-Collar/turtle neck
-Must be tucked into pants or skirts
-Logo spirit shirts in school colors are permissible
-Sagging, baggy, tagged, or gang affiliated attire not permitted
-No tank tops are allowed

Pants:
-Solid in khaki, straight pants, or blue denim jeans
-Girls may wear skirts, long shorts or capri pants in khaki
-Worn at the waist
-No baggy or too tight pants
-Hemmed at an appropriate length
-No frayed or cut cuffs
-Belts are permissible, not woven nor with initials nor hanging down
-Walking shorts that come to tops of knees are permissible
-Skirts must be in school color or khaki

Shoes
-Safe
-No flip flops

Back to School Rally

All BISD employees are invited to celebrate the start of a new school year.
Back to School Rally

Wednesday, August 19, 2009
6:30 PM
Rivera High School Gym • 6955 FM 802

Master of Ceremonies: Tony Forina

Dress casually and enjoy an evening of inspiration, laughter, music and fun with your friends and colleagues.

Telephone Numbers for New Schools

Thomas W. Keller Elementary
(956) 547-4400

Raquel Pena Elementary
(956) 547-7100

Mittie A. Pullam Elementary
(956) 547-3700

BISD is Going Green

Green will be much more than a color when the district begins recycling paper products this school year. By September 1, 2009, BISD will take the first steps in what will be a comprehensive green initiative. Five grants totaling $110,000 are the backbone for BISD’s new 3Rs Program: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The grants were awarded earlier this year by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in cooperation with the lower RGV Development Council.

These grant funds enabled the district to purchase resource materials from Keep America Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful for use by elementary and secondary teachers. All district efforts will be strongly supported by a curriculum of integrated study units aimed at teaching students recycling methods and waste reduction. The green initiative will also incorporate TAKS/TEKS objectives and involve student groups in tracking the volume of paper products that are actually recycled.

The BISD Warehouse Department stands ready to distribute 2,500 blue plastic recycling bins to campuses and departments. Paper products deposited in the bins will be transferred to 150 rolling receptacles designed to work in conjunction with a new collection truck also funded by grants. The paper products will be shredded and transported to a local recycling center. Any revenues generated by district recycling efforts will be used to defray the costs of recycling.

Plans are already in the works to expand the 3Rs Program to include cardboard, aluminum cans, and plastic in the near future.

Middle School Distribution of Class Schedules

All BISD middle schools will host campus student sessions which will include opportunities for students and their parents to pick up 2009-10 class schedules and to receive other important information about standardized attire and scheduled “Meet the Teacher” nights.

6th Grade
Thursday, August 20, 2009
8:00 - 11:00 AM

7th & 8th Grade
Thursday, August 20, 2009
1:00 - 4:00 PM

On Thursday, August 20 and Friday, August 21, middle school counselors will be available at the campuses. All requests for schedule changes must be made during these days.

Transportation Information

Letters regarding school bus stops and bus assignments will be mailed to the homes of eligible students on August 14-17, 2009. If your address has changed or you do not receive a notice, contact your child's school. The BISD Transportation Department will set up a telephone hotline to answer questions on August 20 & 21, 2009 from 7:00 AM-6:00 PM. Call 698-2356 or 698-0274 to speak to a representative.

41 BISD Schools Earn Exemplary/Recognized Ratings

It’s official! A total of 41 schools or 84% of all district campuses are rated either Exemplary or Recognized. The Texas Education Agency confirmed the number this morning with the annual statewide release of the 2009 school accountability ratings. Fifteen BISD elementary schools and the Early College High School earned this year’s top Exemplary rating. Twenty-five elementary and secondary schools were ranked Recognized. Last year, BISD had a total of 37 schools, 4 Exemplary and 33 Recognized.

BISD schools earning Exemplary titles are Aiken, Benavides, Egly, Gallegos, Gonzalez, Hudson, Martin, Morningside, Ortiz, Paredes, Perez, Putegnat, Southmost, Victoria Heights, and Yturria Elementary Schools and the Early College High School.

BISD secondary schools achieving 2009 Recognized status include Pace and Rivera High Schools and Besteiro, Lucio, Perkins, Stell, Stillman and Vela Middle Schools. Recognized elementary schools are Brite, Burns, Canales, Castañeda, Champion, Cromack, Del Castillo, El Jardin, Garden Park, Longoria, Palm Grove, Resaca, Russell, Sharp, Skinner, Vermillion, and Villa Nueva.

Results are based on the latest scores from the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS). To achieve a rating of Exemplary, a campus must have a 90% passing rate for all students in reading/English language arts, writing, mathematics, social studies, and science for all applicable subpopulation or must have met the student Texas Projection Measure (TPM) standard where applicable.

To earn a Recognized label, a campus must have a 75% passing rate for all students in reading/English language arts, writing, mathematics, social studies, and science for all applicable subpopulations or must have met the student Texas Projection Measure (TPM) standard where applicable.

Eight other BISD campuses were identified as Academically Acceptable. Scores for the 3 BISD alternative schools are returned to the students’ home campuses.

“Each school year brings us more reasons to celebrate. Brownsville ISD continues to earn state and national recognition based on the exceptional work of our students, parents, teachers, support staff, and administrators. We have a strong, unwavering focus on student academic progress and these ratings reflect our dedication to student achievement,” said Interim Superintendent Brett Springston.

The Start of a New Year

BISD Campus Administrators’ Inservice for principals, assistant principals, deans, and facilitators.
Day 1 Thursday, August 6, 2009 SRN # 89190805 Day 2 Friday, August 7, 2009 SRN # 89190806
Registration is 7:30-8:00 AM. Holiday Inn 3777 N. Expressway Sessions begin promptly at 8:00 AM. Dress is casual and breakfast, lunch and refreshments will be provided. For more information, call Professional Development at (956) 548-8250.

Welcome to Our New Teachers

BISD New Teachers' Inservice and Dinner

Day 1
Thursday, August 13, 2009
SRN # 89190801


Day 2
Friday, August 14, 2009
SRN # 89190802
Registration & Continental Breakfast: 7:30-8:30 AM
Sessions begin promptly at 8:30 AM.

Central Administrative Building
708 Palm Blvd.
Lunch will be provided both days.

New teachers, campus principals and assistant/area assistant superintendents are invited to dine with Interim Superintendent Brett Springston and the Board of Trustees at the New Teacher Dinner on Thursday, August 13 at 5:30 PM at the Holiday Inn, 3777 N. Expressway.

For more information, call Professional Development at
(956) 548-8250.

New Vaccine Requirements

Changes to school immunization requirements take effect on August 1, 2009. The changes primarily affect students entering kindergarten and seventh grade. All immunizations must be completed by the first day of school attendance. For English and Spanish information, click here.

High School Summer Bridge for 2013 Grads

Summer Bridge sessions will be available for prospective BISD 8th grade students who are projected to attend high school. The GRAD 2013 Program is a twelve day program designed to transition 8th grade students into high school. Students will be teamed with their projected core area 9th grade teachers (English, Math, Science, and Social Studies). Additional high school credit opportunities will be available not to exceed 2 credits.

Registration at each high school site–July 20–24 from 9:00 AM–12:00 Noon.

CALENDAR
First Class Day........Monday, July 27
Last Class Day...Tuesday, August 11C
lass Sessions........Monday – Friday

Tentative DAILY SCHEDULE
Breakfast.................7:30 – 8:00 A
MPeriod 1...................8:00 – 9:15 AM
Period 2.................9:20 – 10:35 AM
Period 3...............10:40 – 12:00 PM
Lunch..................12:00 – 12:45 PM
Period 4.................12:45 – 2:00 PM
Period 5...................2:05 – 3:15 PM



Attendance in the GRAD 2013 Summer Bridge Program does not guarantee promotion to the 9th grade.

SITES: Hanna High School, Lopez High School, Pace High School, Porter High School, Rivera High School, and Brownsville Early College High School

TRANSPORTATION:Transportation will be provided from the zoned middle school campuses to the respective zoned high school or respective BISD high school magnet school. Home campus pick-up time will be approximately 7:20 AM. Drop off time will be approximately 3:30 PM.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL:
Hanna High School.............Melissa Gutierrez..............(956) 548-7600
Lopez High School..............Benita Cortez...................(956) 982-7400
Pace High School................Tom Turbeville..................(956) 548-7700
Porter High School..............Sandra Gomez..................(956) 548-7800
Rivera High School..............Fernando Medina..............(956) 831-8700
Brownsville Early College........Roni Rentfro.................(956) 698-1476

The Start of a New Year

BISD Campus Administrators’ Inservice for principals, assistant principals, deans, and facilitators.
Day 1Thursday, August 6, 2009SRN # 89190805
Day 2Friday, August 7, 2009SRN # 89190806
Registration is 7:30-8:00 AM.Holiday Inn3777 N. ExpresswaySessions begin promptly at 8:00 AM.Dress is casual and breakfast, lunch and refreshments will be provided.For more information, call Professional Development at (956) 548-8250.