A Cummings Tradition

For an 8th great year, Cummings Middle School will sponsor the Red Ant 1 Mile/5K Run on Saturday, January 30, 2016 through Dean Porter Park. View the Red Ant Run information.

BISD Schools Named NCUST Award Finalists

Congratulations to Benavides, Breeden, Castañeda, and Resaca Elementary Schools and Pace and Veterans Memorial Early College High Schools for being named 2016 finalists in the Excellence in Education Awards sponsored by the National Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUST). The national finalists all serve low-income communities with an array of challenges but still boast achievement results that exceed state averages for all students. Each school finalist will host a site visit by leading educational experts in February 2016. In 2015, Ortiz Elementary earned the silver NCUST award and Benavides and Breeden Elementary Schools were bronze award recipients. Paredes and Pullam Elementary Schools were both named to the honor roll.

BISD 9th Grade Band Students Excel

BISD band students earned 43 of the 85 available chairs in the 2015 Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) 9th Grade All-Valley Band. BISD students also earned 11 of the 17 first chairs. The 9th Grade and High School All-Valley Bands will perform on Friday, December 11 at 7 pm at the Donna High School Auditorium. Congratulations to the students on their outstanding musical achievement. View the BISD results by campus.

BISD Elementary UIL Academic Results

Approximately 1,400 students representing all BISD elementary schools competed in the BISD Elementary UIL Competition held on Saturday, December 5 at several division sites including Castaneda, Keller, Ortiz, Palm Grove, Skinner, and Vermillion Elementary Schools. Congratulations to all the student participants, their coaches, and the many volunteers who make this annual UIL competition successful year after year. View the results of the 1st-3rd Place Overall Academic District Champions.

BISD Choir Students Advance

A total of 24 BISD early college high school choir students have qualified to advance to the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Area G audition for chairs in the 2016 TMEA All-State Choir. The Area G audition will be held on Saturday, January 9, 2016 in Rockport-Fulton, Texas. Congratulation to these outstanding student vocalists. View the BISD results by campus.

BISD Band Students Are Area Bound

BISD early college high school band students did it again! A total of 74 students advanced to the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Area G audition to compete for a chair in the 2016 All-State Band. BISD band students dominated the pre-area audition held on Tuesday, December 1 at Rivera ECHS by earning 60% of all available spots. The TMEA Area G audition will be held on Saturday, January 9, 2016 in Corpus Christi. Best of luck to our BISD musicians. View the BISD results by school.

Children’s Flu Shots

Free flu shots for children will be offered on Wednesday, December 16 from 4 to 6 pm at the BISD Health Services Department located at the Central Administrative Building (CAB), 708 Palm Blvd., Suite 111. The vaccines are being provided by On Guard Clinic. For more information, call (956) 548-8191.

10 Years of Holiday Fun

Tickets for the final performance of the Santa and Friends holiday show featuring BISD secondary fine arts students scheduled for Friday, December 4 at 7 pm are sold out. This is the 10th year that the BISD Department of Fine Arts has provided this amazing holiday entertainment to Brownsville students of all ages.

Movie Fun

The 18th Annual BISD Kids at the Movies is scheduled for Tuesday, December 15 at the Cinemark Theater located at Sunrise Mall. BISD special needs students will have the opportunity to watch the film, "The Peanuts Movie", as part of a community-based learning experience that coincides with the holidays. Over 1,000 students are expected to participate.

Elementary Scientists Get Results

Brownsville ISD hosted the 2015-2016 Elementary Science Fair for Clusters 1-4 over two weekends. Students received awards in four categories for each grade level. Awards were presented to the Grand Champion and 1st – 3rd Runners-Up. Thank you to the hosting campuses and middle school sites and the many volunteers who made the BISD elementary science fair possible. View the list of winners.

Apply to STAMP/SPACE Programs

The Brownsville ISD STAMP (Science, Technology, Architecture, Medical Professions) and SPACE (STEM Programs for Aerospace & Careers in Engineering) Programs are now taking applications for the 2016-2017 school year. BISD students may pick applications up from their 8th grade counselors. Students who attend school outside of BISD may download an application packet online at www.bisd.us/stamp or call 956-574-5657.

Hanna Writing Winners

Several Hanna ECHS students placed in the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival Writing Contest. Their teacher is Adriana Tovar. View the winners.

Employers & Educators Meet to Create Supply Chain

BISD Career and Technical Education teachers and local industry and business representatives will meet on Tuesday, November 17 at 8 am at the Historic Brownsville Museum. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss ways to create a pipeline for a skilled, talented workforce for Brownsville, Texas. View the flyer.

GenTx Week in BISD

Brownsville ISD will join school districts across the state in participating in GenTx College Application Week on November 16-21, 2015. GenTx Week is sponsored by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. During the campaign, students at BISD early college high schools will be assisted as they complete college applications during the school day. The goal for GenTx Week is that each participating student will submit at least one college application to any of the 148 public and independent institutions of higher education in Texas, or any institution of higher education they choose. The purpose of GenTx Week is to share information and build awareness of the college application process, provide advice, assist in completing applications, engage parents and community, and help students make decisions and plan ahead. For more information, call BISD Guidance and Counseling at 548-8251.

Cummings Team in Samsung Top Five

A Cummings Middle School team composed of National Junior Honor Society students has been selected as one of the five Texas finalists in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest. Out of more than 4,100 applications, the Cummings entry stood out as one of the top five, earning an award of two Samsung Galaxy Tabs. All teams are vying for an opportunity to win a share of $2 million in technology and prizes for their school. Congratulations to Efrain Amaro, Rudy Nava, Dominique Fraguso, Gaby Resendez, Clarrisa Puentes, Nohelia Contreras, Britney Flores, Ashley Cruz, and Rebecca Alvarez, the teacher sponsor. The Cummings team will now advance to the second phase of the contest by submitting a brief activity plan that will serve as the outline for the team’s project. The activity plan will be used to make a video in phase three of the contest. Congratulations to these outstanding Cummings Red Ants and best of luck as they advance through the next two stages of this competition.

BISD Farmers’ Market

To educate students about nutritious, locally grown food, Brownsville ISD will host a Farmers’ market for Aiken Elementary students in grades kinder through 5th and Besteiro Middle School students with perfect attendance on Wednesday, November 18 from 9 am to 2 pm in the Besteiro gym. The students will use BISD “B” Bucks to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers. View the flyer.

Elementary Scientists Get Results

Brownsville ISD hosted the 2015-2016 Elementary Science Fair for Clusters 1-4 over two weekends. Students received awards in four categories for each grade level. Awards were presented to the Grand Champion and 1st – 3rd Runners-Up. Thank you to the hosting campuses and middle school sites and the many volunteers who made the BISD elementary science fair possible. View the list of winners.

BISD Earns State’s Highest Fiscal Accountability Rating

Brownsville Independent School District officials announced that the district received a rating of “P” for “Passed” under the Texas School FIRST financial accountability rating system. The “Passed” rating is the state’s highest, demonstrating the quality of Brownsville ISD’s financial management and reporting system. View the media release.

Cummings Team in Samsung Top Five

A Cummings Middle School team composed of National Junior Honor Society students has been selected as one of the five Texas finalists in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest. Out of more than 4,100 applications, the Cummings entry stood out as one of the top five, earning an award of two Samsung Galaxy Tabs. All teams are vying for an opportunity to win a share of $2 million in technology and prizes for their school. Congratulations to Efrain Amaro, Rudy Nava, Dominique Fraguso, Gaby Resendez, Clarrisa Puentes, Nohelia Contreras, Britney Flores, Ashley Cruz, and Rebecca Alvarez, the teacher sponsor. The Cummings team will now advance to the second phase of the contest by submitting a brief activity plan that will serve as the outline for the team’s project. The activity plan will be used to make a video in phase three of the contest. Congratulations to these outstanding Cummings Red Ants and best of luck as they advance through the next two stages of this competition.

ENDGAME Star to Visit ECHS

Actor Efren Ramirez, who currently plays Mr. Alvarado in the ENDGAME chess movie and formerly portrayed Pedro in Napoleon Dynamite, will visit with BISD early college high school theater arts and chess students on Friday, November 6 according to the following schedule: • 9:00 am Hanna ECHS at Buchanan Center • 10:00 am Lopez ECHS Auditorium (Porter will bus students to Lopez) • 11:00 am Pace ECHS Auditorium • 12:30 pm Veterans ECHS Auditorium (Rivera will bus students to Veterans)

BAC to Honor Vets

Prior or current members of the U.S. Military are cordially invited to attend a Veterans Day ceremony on Wednesday, November 11 at 11 am at the Brownsville Academic Center gymnasium located at 3308 Robindale Road. For more information, call 956-504-6305.

BISD Earns State’s Highest Fiscal Accountability Rating

Brownsville Independent School District officials announced that the district received a rating of “P” for “Passed” under the Texas School FIRST financial accountability rating system. The “Passed” rating is the state’s highest, demonstrating the quality of Brownsville ISD’s financial management and reporting system. This is the district’s 12th top rating in the School FIRST (Financial Accountability Rating System of Texas), a financial accountability system for Texas school districts developed by the Texas Education Agency in response to Senate Bill 875 of the 76th Texas Legislature in 1999. Major changes to the School FIRST system were implemented by the Texas Education Agency in August 2015 that combined financial indicators with financial solvency indicators, in accordance with House Bill 5, 83rd Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2013. The primary goal of School FIRST is to achieve quality performance in the management of school districts’ financial resources, a goal made more significant due to the complexity of accounting associated with the Texas school finance system. The Texas Education Agency converted School FIRST to a two-tier rating system of either “P” for “Pass” or “F” for Substandard Achievement” for the 2014-2015 rating year.

Public Hearing

Brownsville ISD will hold a public hearing to discuss the district’s state financial accountability rating on Tuesday, November 17 at 5:30 pm in the Boardroom of the Administration Building located at 1900 Price Rd.

BISD Elementary Scientists to Compete

Brownsville ISD will hold the annual Elementary Science Fair on Saturday, November 7 for Clusters 1, 2, and 3 at Besteiro, Stillman and Vela Middle Schools. Cluster 4 schools will hold their science fair on Saturday, November 14 at Lucio Middle School. BISD’s young scientists have entered several hundred projects into this year’s competition. Special thanks to the hosting schools and many judges and volunteers who make this annual student competition successful.

CTE Students Attend Documentary Screening

A total of 800 Career and Technical Education (CTE) students will have the opportunity to view the documentary, “He Named Me Malala,” on Thursday, November 5 at 10 am at the Cinemark Theater in Sunrise Mall. This opportunity was made possible by Michael Rivera, a Rivera ECHS teacher, who applied for funding @DonorsChoose.org which paid for the movie tickets and bus transportation for students and their teachers. Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest ever Nobel Prize laureate. Her advocacy has grown into an international movement. In preparation for the documentary, the CTE teachers have been discussing Malala’s inspirational life and passion for education.

BISD Artists Place in Contest

A total of 17 talented BISD student artists earned places in the annual Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival Art Contest. Special congratulations to Alexandra Poggio from Pace ECHS who won “Best of Show.” The awards ceremony will be held on Sunday, November 8 at 1:30 at the Harlingen Municipal Auditorium at Fair Park. View the list of BISD winners.

BISD Musicians Dominate Region Audition

On Tuesday, October 20, the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Region 28 Orchestra auditions were held at Harlingen High School. BISD early college high school band students competed against 184 of the top players in the region to earn 15 of the 27 available chairs, including 7 of the 11 first chairs. Twelve BISD students will advance to the area audition where they will compete for a chair in the TMEA All-State organizations. The All-Region Orchestra will perform on Saturday, November 21 at the Harlingen CISD Performing Arts Center. View the results by campuses.

Weather Message

Due to inclement weather, school buses may be running a little late today. In some cases, if the routes are flooded, the school buses may return students to their schools. Parents may pick their children up at their campuses at any time if they prefer. BISD is taking every precaution to ensure student and employee safety. This notification is being sent our through SchoolMessenger to all BISD parents.

A&M Business School Reps Meet with BISD Students

Representatives of the Texas A&M University Mays Business School will visit with juniors and seniors at seven BISD early college high schools on November 3-5. Campus visits will be held at the following locations, dates, and times:  Hanna ECHS, Tuesday, November 3, 10:15 - 11:15 a.m.  Porter ECHS, Tuesday, November 3, 2:30 - 3:30 p.m.  Pace ECHS, Wednesday, November 4, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.  Rivera ECHS, Wednesday, November 4, 2:45 - 3:45 p.m.  Lopez ECHS, Thursday, November 5, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.  Veterans Memorial ECHS, Thursday, November 5, 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.  Brownsville ECHS, Thursday, November 5, 3:00 p.m.

BISD Open Enrollment Has Successful Start

Almost 900 students and their parents took advantage of the new BISD Open Enrollment Program which was initiated prior to the start of the 2015-2016 school year. Open enrollment allowed parents to enroll their children, grades pre-kindergarten through 5th, at any of the district’s 37 elementary schools. Parents simply completed a form which included the signature of the sending and receiving principals in order to participate in open enrollment. Parents are responsible for providing their own transportation for students who attend an elementary school other than their zoned schools. BISD Open Enrollment will continue throughout the school year.

Rescheduled Due to Weather

Due to the weather forecast for the next 2 days, the following BISD events have been rescheduled to another date, had time changes or been cancelled: ACT Testing at Hanna ECHS scheduled for Saturday, October 24 - Cancelled Utilizing Technology to Accelerate Language for English Language Learners Training @ CAB Cafeteria - Cancelled TI-Nspire Calculator Training – Rescheduled to Saturday, November 14, 2015 Pace ECHS Theatre/Dance Show – Rescheduled to Thursday, October 29 at 7 pm Business Professionals of America Leadership Conference at Pace ECHS – Rescheduled to Saturday, November 7, 2015 Middle School Solo & Ensemble Contest at Stillman Middle School – Rescheduled to Saturday, December 5, 2015 BISD 8th Grade Middle School football games scheduled on Saturday, October 24 - Cancelled 5A Area G Marching Band Contest – Rescheduled to Wednesday, October 28, 2015 The Pace vs. Donna North Football Game on Saturday, October 24 start time has been moved up to 3 pm. Longoria Elementary Breast Cancer Survivor/Memory Walk- Cancelled Migrant Students Paths to Scholarships @ UTRGV – Rescheduled to October 31, 2015 The Lopez vs. San Benito Football Game on Friday, October 23 start time has been moved up to 6:30 pm. BISD Early Childhood Symposium – Rescheduled to Saturday, March 5, 2016 BISD Brainsville Inventions Competition – Rescheduled to Saturday, January 9, 2016 Additional events may be added, so check back

BISD Families Embrace Extended Day Program

Over 2,000 BISD students are participating in Brownsville ISD's new Extended Day Enrichment Programs offered at 9 elementary schools located in strategic areas of the community. The campuses are Breeden, Canales, Egly, Garden Park, Hudson, Martin, Paredes, Skinner, and Yturria. The program begins at 7:30 am and ends at 5:30 pm weekdays. Academic intervention, tutoring, homework assistance, recreation, art, music, chess, and academic activities are just some of the sessions that are available depending on the individual campuses. A hot, nutritious supper is also provided. Parents are responsible for their children's transportation.

Veterans Memorial Student Named Student of the Week

Devika Raju, a Veterans Memorial ECHS senior who was recently named a 2015 National Merit Semifinalist, was selected as the Channel 5 Student of the Week. View the story here.

BISD Choir Students Dominate

A total of 40 BISD early college high school students earned membership in the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Treble District Choir at auditions held on Saturday, October 17 in Donna, Texas. BISD students will fill two thirds of the 60 available Treble Choir positions. The Treble District Choir and District Mixed Choir will perform at the TMEA District/Region Concert on Saturday, November 14 at 6 pm at the Harlingen Performing Arts Center.

BISD Future Engineers Learn from Boeing Experts

The BISD Career & Technical Education Department and Texas Valley Communities Foundation (TVCOF) will host 5 engineers from the Boeing Company on Friday, October 23 from 9 am to 12 noon and 1 to 3:30 pm at the Texas Southmost College ITEC Campus. The engineers will speak to BISD 9th grade students who are enrolled in the SPACE and STAMP College Prep Engineering Programs at all district early college high schools. The Boeing presenters are: Tony Castilleja, Systems Engineer, Business Development-Space Exploration; Eduardo Lopez, Propulsion Systems Technical Lead Engineer, Space Launch System; Mina Martinez (former Boeing employee, current owner of Prestige Protocols), Business Etiquette and International Protocol Consultant; Mauricio Peña, Safety and Mission Assurance Manager, Commercial Crew Transportation System; and Erika Roesler-Wong, Regional Manager-On Station Support. The students will be divided into small groups where they will have an opportunity to interact closely with the Boeing engineers. The discussion topics will include: The Culture of Boeing, How to Succeed in a Corporation, Etiquette, and College Readiness. Special thanks to these professionals for taking the time to inspire our BISD students and future engineers.

College Reps to Visit Veterans Memorial

Representatives from the Admission Offices of Dartmouth College, Princeton University, Stanford University, and the University of Pennsylvania, in collaboration with the Region One Educational Service Center GEAR UP Program, will visit with BISD counselors on Thursday, October 22 from 9 am to 11:30 am and Veterans Memorial Early College High School parents from 1:30 to 3:30 pm in the school’s auditorium located at 4550 U.S. Military Highway 281. Veterans Memorial is the only BISD school currently participating in the GEAR UP Program. The meetings are designed to give parents and counselors an opportunity to engage in dialogue regarding preparation and access to the selective college admissions process. For more information, contact Celina Barrera-Scott, Veterans Memorial ECHS GEAR Up Counselor, at 574-5931.

Vela Offers Money Management for BISD Seniors

Over 600 BISD seniors from all the early college high schools will attend a free Financial Education Summit hosted by U.S. Congressman Filemon Vela on Tuesday, November 10 from 9 am to 3 pm at the Texas Southmost College Arts Center. Sessions will include Financial Soccer, FDIC Money Smart Modules, and more. Classes in Spanish will be available for parents from 9:30-11:30 am. Students will also have an opportunity to win college scholarships. View the details.

BISD Marching Bands Rock

Five BISD early college high school marching bands, Hanna, Pace, Porter, Rivera and Veterans Memorial, earned the coveted 1st division, superior rating at the 73rd UIL Pigskin Marching Competition held on Saturday, October 17. A total of 24 UIL Region 28 schools competed for ratings from 1 to 5 based on the level of mastery demonstrated in their performances. Two BISD 5A bands, Pace and Porter, earned spots in the 2015 Area 6 Marching Contest to be held on Saturday, October 24 in Calallen, Texas. They will compete to secure a place in the 2015 UIL State Marching Band Championship to be held on November 3. Congratulations to these outstanding BISD band programs. View the results by individual campuses.

BISD Exempt Fundraiser Days

The Food and Nutrition Service has announced the six days that BISD schools may sell food and/or beverages as part of a fundraiser that does not meet the Competitive Foods Nutritional Standards. Each campus principal had the opportunity to select the six days. The selections were compiled and the majority approved the following days. They are: Halloween, October 30, 2015; Thanksgiving, November 20, 2015; Christmas, December 17, 2015; Valentine’s Day, February 12, 2016; Charro Days, February 24, 2016; and the last day of school, June 2, 2016. For more information, call (956) 548-8450.

Change in Assignment

Dr. Esperanza Zendejas has announced an administrative change to the BISD organization. Effective immediately, Dr. Norma Ibarra-Cantu has been named the Interim Principal at Hanna Early College High School. Ibarra-Cantu has been serving as the Dean of Instruction at Lopez Early College High School since 2012. She previously taught English at the high school level for 10 years and has significant experience with special education programs. Bertha Presas will assume duties as an administrator on Special Assignment at Lopez ECHS for the remainder of the school year.

BISD Medical Insurance

United Healthcare is the new third party administrator for the Brownsville ISD employee health insurance plan. Employees should receive their ID cards in the mail. View the information brochure in English and Spanish and the mobile app information in English and Spanish. Call BISD Employee Benefits/Risk Management at 548-8061 for more information.

Our HR Department is Tops!

Governor Greg Abbott has proclaimed Wednesday, October 14 as Texas Education Human Resources Day. Brownsville ISD’s dedicated Human Resources employees play an important role in our educational system. They serve the needs of our students by recruiting and retaining qualified employees in a timely manner to maximize educational excellence. We appreciate their efforts. View the Governor’s proclamation.

It’s Pigskin Time

Make plans to attend the 73rd Annual UIL Pigskin Marching Competition on Saturday, October 17 at two locations this year. The 6A groups will compete at the San Benito High School Stadium at approximately 7 pm. The 5A bands will compete at the Donna High School Stadium at approximately 7:45 pm. Tickets are $8 and can be purchased from any BISD ECHS band director or at the stadium gate on October 17. Seats sold by the band directors are grouped together by campus. Come and support the Hanna, Lopez, Pace, Porter, Rivera, and Veterans Memorial ECHS bands. The students have been preparing since June for this competition and they will entertain you with an evening of outstanding music, dance, and precision. The 2015 Brownsville band UIL presentations are entitled: Hanna-The Caged Bird Sings; Lopez-Primary; Pace-Silk Road Dances; Porter-Amor Indeciso; Rivera-The Bermuda Triangle; and Veterans Memorial-Anomaly-A Show of the Curiously Odd.

Time Changes in Saturday Football

The start times for two Saturday BISD football games have been changed. The Lopez vs. Los Fresnos game will be played at 7 pm instead of 2 pm on Saturday, September 26. The Pace vs. Donna North game on Saturday, October 24 will also be played at 7 pm, not 2 pm. For more information, call BISD Athletics at 548-8261.

BISD Medical Insurance

The BISD third party administrator for the employee group medical insurance is UnitedHealthcare for the 2015-2016 school year. BISD employees will receive their ID cards in the mail very soon. For now, employees may use a temporary ID card which can be downloaded here.

Attention BISD Employees

The schedules for the Section 125 Cafeteria Plan and voluntary products including Cancer, Dental, Disability, Life, Vision and the Biometric Screening are available. For questions, call Employee Benefits and Risk Management at (956) 548-8061. View the Voluntary Product Schedule and Biometric Screening Schedule.

Saluting Our Veterans

Several BISD schools will participate in the 16th Annual Southmost Veterans Day Parade on Saturday, November 7 at 2 pm. The parade will begin at Porter ECHS and proceed down Coolidge Street to Southmost Road concluding at Cromack Elementary School on the corner of Southmost Road and 30th Street. The Southmost Veterans Day Parade was created to honor the brave men and women who have served or are serving in the United State Armed Services. In case of inclement weather, the parade will be held on Sunday, November 8.

BISD Tax Ratification Approved by Voters

Ratification Election (TRE) held on Tuesday, October 6, 2015. The single item ballot asked voters to allow the school district to move .11¼ cents from the Interest & Sinking (I&S) fund that pays for debt to Maintenance & Operations (M&O) that pays for day-to-day operations. The total tax rate will remain the same at $1.15¼ as presented and approved in the budget at the June 25, 2015 BISD Special Called Board Meeting. The voter approved restructuring will not impact the total tax rate but will bring an additional $5 to $6 million net per year in additional state funding to be used for one-time expenditures to improve, repair, and expand district facilities and enhance school security. Moving the .11¼ cents to the M&O will generate more revenue because it is weighted at a higher level than the I&S. View the media release.

Talented BISD Duke Students

Ten BISD students earned State Recognition in the Duke University Talent Identification Program which identifies and supports academically talented students. To qualify as a Duke Scholar, 7th grade students must score 95% or higher on the national norms of a grade-level standardized achievement, aptitude, or mental ability test. A student qualifying for State Recognition is in the top 38% of all participants nationwide. Congratulations to Abryana Hernandez and Miguel Hernandez, Lucio Middle School; Jay Gomez, Ramses Linan, and Lauren Oliveira, Manzano Middle School; and Nathaniel Delgado, Jillian Garza, Jair Gomez, Alessandra Guest, and Luis Hernandez, Stillman Middle School, on their amazing academic achievement.

TRE election day is Tuesday, October 6.

On Tuesday, October 6, 2015, local Brownsville voters will decide whether to approve a measure to restructure the tax rate by moving .11¼ cents from the Interest & Sinking (I&S) fund that pays for debt to Maintenance & Operations (M&O) that pays for day-to-day operations. The total tax rate will remain the same at $1.15¼ as presented and approved in the budget at the June 25, 2015 BISD Special Called Board Meeting. The restructuring would not impact the total tax rate but would bring an additional $5 to $6 million net per year in additional state funding to be used for one-time expenditures to improve, repair, and expand district facilities and enhance school security. Moving the .11¼ cents to the M&O will generate more revenue because it is weighted at a higher level than the I&S. View the release.

What’s for Supper?

The Brownsville ISD campuses that offer student afterschool programs such as Extended Day Enrichment, 21st Century Community Learning Centers, and tutorials also offer supper to students at the end of the school day. The goal of the program is to improve and maintain children’s health and nutrition, promote good eating habits, and integrate nutritious food through organized after school programs. Students only need to provide a school ID to be served. BISD offers supper as part of a continuous effort to provide students with a quality learning environment and the tools necessary to succeed. For more information, call BISD Food and Nutrition Services at 956-548-8450.

Thank You to Our Employees

BISD employees generously donated $351,855.00 to the 2015 United Way of Southern Cameron County Campaign. That is $65,042.96 more than last year. Campus by campus, department by department, BISD employees contributed so that the United Way can continue providing support services to local families. Thank you to our BISD employees for supporting our community.

Supplies for Students

BISD department employees generously donated to the 2nd Annual School Supply Drive sponsored by the Special Programs Department. The top 3 winners are: 1st, Finance/Budget Department; 2nd, Migrant Department; and 3rd, Parental Involvement Department. The supplies will be donated to the campuses with the highest percentage of economically disadvantaged students. Thank you to all BISD department employees for supporting our students.

Employee Sick Leave Bank

The BISD Human Resources Department has announced the opening of the annual Employee Sick Leave Bank enrollment period, October 1-31, 2015, for new members. If a BISD employee or family member has a catastrophic illness, the employee may be able to withdraw days. For current members, the enrollment is automatic. A form must be completed to discontinue membership in the Employee Sick Leave Bank. View the information here. Call (956) 548-8051 or (956) 548-8031 for questions.

Vote for Porter Coach

Porter ECHS Coach Gregory Fortner has been nominated for the BUILT by Nature Assistant Coach of the Week Award, presented by Dairy Max and Dave Campbell’s Texas Football. He is one of the 5 nominees for the weekly statewide award which is decided by fan voting. Vote for Coach Fortner here.

BISD Students Learn About Giving

The Brownsville Herald highlighted the new philanthropy classes being offered at six BISD early college high schools as part of the Career and Technical Education Department Curriculum. Read the story here.

Great Principals, Great Schools

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has proclaimed October 2015 as “Principals’ Month” in Texas. Please join Brownsville ISD in recognizing the contributions that our elementary and secondary school leaders make on student achievement in our school district. View the Governor’s proclamation.

It’s Pigskin Time

Make plans to attend the 73rd Annual UIL Pigskin Marching Competition on Saturday, October 17 at two locations this year. The 6A groups will compete at the San Benito High School Stadium at approximately 7 pm. The 5A bands will compete at the Donna High School Stadium at approximately 7:45 pm. Tickets are $8 and can be purchased from any BISD ECHS band director or at the stadium gate on October 17. Seats sold by the band directors are grouped together by campus. Come and support the Hanna, Lopez, Pace, Porter, Rivera, and Veterans Memorial ECHS bands. The students have been preparing since June for this competition and they will entertain you with an evening of outstanding music, dance, and precision. The 2015 Brownsville band UIL presentations are entitled: Hanna-The Caged Bird Sings; Lopez-Primary; Pace-Silk Road Dances; Porter-Amor Indeciso; Rivera-The Bermuda Triangle; and Veterans Memorial-Anomaly-A Show of the Curiously Odd.

Public Comment on Cummings

The public is invited to comment on the Cummings Middle School Formerly Improvement Required/Focus School Targeted Improvement Plan during a public presentation and hearing at the BISD Board Meeting on October 6, 2015 at 5:30 in the Boardroom located at 1900 Price Road. TEC 39.106 requires a public hearing since Cummings Middle School received an Improvement Required rating in 2014 and Met Standard for 2015 in the state accountability system. Click here to view the Cummings’ Improvement Plan.

100 BISD Students Named AP Scholars

A total of 100 current and former BISD early college high school students earned Scholar Awards in the College Bound Advanced Placement (AP) Program. The breakdown by campuses is: Hanna, 7; Lopez, 9; Pace, 19; Porter, 5; Rivera, 10; and Veterans Memorial, 50. These students have demonstrated college-level achievement through AP courses and exams. Although there is no monetary award, this achievement is acknowledged on any score report that is sent to colleges the following fall. The AP Scholar Award is awarded to students who receive a score of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams. View the complete list of BISD students who earned AP Scholar Awards.

TRE Early Voting Begins on September 21

Early voting will begin on Monday, September 21, 2015 in the Brownsville ISD Tax Ratification Election (TRE). Local voters will have an opportunity to decide whether to approve a measure to restructure the tax rate by moving .11¼ cents from the Interest & Sinking (I&S) fund that pays for debt to Maintenance & Operations (M&O) that pays for day-to-day operations. The total tax rate will remain the same at $1.15¼ as presented and approved in the budget at the June 25, 2015 BISD Special Called Board Meeting. The restructuring would not impact the total tax rate but would bring an additional $5 to $6 million net per year in additional state funding to be used for one-time expenditures to improve, repair, and expand district facilities and enhance school security. Moving the .11¼ cents to the M&O will generate more revenue because it is weighted at a higher level than the I&S. View the release.

A&M Commandant to Visit BISD

Brigadier General Joe E. Ramirez, USA (Ret.), Commandant of the Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets, will visit 3 BISD early college campuses on Tuesday, September 22 to speak to juniors and seniors. He will visit Pace ECHS from 9-10 am, Veterans Memorial ECHS from 10:30-11:15 am, and Porter ECHS from 2-3 pm. General Ramirez will talk to students about postsecondary opportunities, setting goals, following dreams, and making good choices. View the release.

Oliveira Band Earns National Award

The Oliveira Middle School Symphonic Band was named a Commended National Winner in Class AA of the 2015 Mark of Excellence/National Wind Band Honors Contest sponsored by the Foundation of Music Education. In addition, 6 members of the band received Outstanding Soloists awards. Congratulations to Joely Gonzalez, flute; Ivan Castro, obe and clarinet; Alondra Serrato, piccolo; Matthew Padilla, clarinet; Juan Angel Montemayor, alto saxophone; and Anakin Martinez, tenor saxophone. The Mark of Excellence National Wind Band Honors Contest through the Foundation of Music Education seeks to recognize and award outstanding achievement in performance by high school and middle school bands. Directors across the nation submitted CD recordings of their ensembles from the 2014-2015 school year. Adjudicators listened to all of the entries, and provided detailed tape-recorded comments and brief written comments. Winners will also be recognized in regional and/or national publications, and at national and regional conventions. National winners and Commended winners will each receive a trophy. Congratulations to the Oliveira Middle School Symphonic Band students, parents, and their directors, Gasper Garcia, Mike Kuntz, Victor Franco, and Robert Barron.

BISD Employee Medical Insurance

Brownsville ISD provides FREE medical health insurance at a cost of almost $5,000 each year for each full-time employee with affordable drug co-pays and dependent coverage. Brownsville ISD is one of the few remaining districts in Texas that continues to provide medical insurance benefit at no cost to all full-time employees. The district’s third party administrator for the group medical insurance is UnitedHealthcare for the 2015-2016 school year. The open enrollment period will be completed by Wednesday, September 30, 2015. You may enroll for the first time or make changes during this open enrollment. The following changes are allowable: • Dependent Status (Name, SSN, DOB Required) • Name and/or Address Changes • Plan Selection Representatives will be scheduled at each campus, the Administration Building and Central Administrative Building (CAB). All changes must be submitted on a UnitedHealthcare form and returned to the UnitedHealthcare representative no later than September 30. Consult your administrator for the dates and times of presentations or view the list here. If you miss your assigned campus/department enrollment session, you may enroll at the BISD Administration Building lobby until Friday, September 18.

Get Strong

The BISD Wellness Fitness Center will offer strength training to BISD employees. Learn more.

BISD Celebrates International Literacy

Several BISD campuses have registered in support of International Literacy Day on Tuesday, September 8. This year’s theme is “People Power: Start of a Literacy Movement.” BISD schools will celebrate and showcase literacy activities in the next few weeks. Thank you to our BISD employees and students for helping to shine a spotlight on global literacy needs.

Ortiz Manager Named CATCH Champion

Niselda De Leon, the Ortiz Elementary cafeteria manager, has been selected by the CATCH Team (University of Texas School of Public Health, Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, and CATCH Global Foundation) as a 2015 CATCH Texas Champion. Ms. De Leon is one of six CATCH Champions to be honored for efforts to create and support healthy environments for the children of Texas. She will receive her award at the 11th Annual CATCH Texas Champions Awards reception on Thursday, December 3 in Dallas, Texas.

BISD Parent Weather Advisory

Due to inclement weather, BISD buses will be running late this afternoon and schools may hold students until the storm passes. District officials are closely monitoring the weather and all precautions are being taken to ensure student safety.

Splashin' and Dashin' Fun

The BISD Clark Aquatic Center and Wellness Fitness Center will host a Family Splash and Dash on Saturday, October 10 at 9 am. Register now for this fun-filled event. Medals will be awarded to the first 100 participants. Learn more here.

Pace and Veterans Memorial Make Newsweek List

Pace and Veterans Memorial Early College High Schools are among 40 Texas high schools to earn spots on the 2015 Newsweek "Beating the Odds" list of best schools. The list seeks to identify schools that do an excellent job of preparing their students for college while also overcoming the obstacles posed by students at an economic disadvantage. Nationally, on the 2015 Newsweek list of 500 of America's Top High Schools, Pace was ranked #134 and Veterans Memorial was ranked #461.

BISD Volunteer Named SBOE Hero

Kenneth Parks, a volunteer at the BISD Homeless Youth Project, has been selected as a State Board of Education (SBOE) Hero for Children in recognition of his outstanding service to the school children of the Brownsville community. Parks is among 15 volunteers who will be recognized at the SBOE meeting on September 11, 2015 in Austin with a certificate and resolution. He was nominated by Diana Clough, the BISD Homeless Youth Project Coordinator.

BISD Students Pursue SPACE studies

BISD’s STEM Programs for Aerospace Careers in Engineering, better known as SPACE Academy, has begun at all BISD early college high schools with over 40 students participating in its inaugural year. In addition, 100 freshmen have enrolled in the engineering component of the already established Science, Technology, Architecture, and Medical Professions (STAMP) Program. Many of these students have been part of the BISD Middle School Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Programs over the past few years but some students are coming back to BISD from charter and private schools. This first group of students had the opportunity to explore engineering-related and space-related concepts ranging from robots and rockets during the required summer program this July. Other activities, including meeting visiting engineers from the Boeing Aerospace division and skyping with engineers from SpaceX, will take place throughout the school year. It is important that the current 8th grade students planning to enter STAMP or SPACE Academy in high school be enrolled in Algebra I and pass their Algebra I end-of-course exam to make sure they are well-prepared to complete more advanced mathematics courses in high school.

A Message from Dr. Zendejas

I want to extend a warm welcome to our students and families as we begin a new school year. I hope that you have had an enjoyable summer and that you are eager to begin school. Our employees have been busy all summer preparing for your return. BISD is offering several new opportunities at the elementary school level this year including open enrollment and an expanded day enrichment program. The district is also pursuing a Tax Ratification Election which will generate between $5 to $6 million net per year for one time projects without increasing the current tax rate. It is my honor to serve as BISD’s Superintendent. I hope to see you at some of our campus activities in the coming weeks. This is going to be a great school year!

BISD Open for Labor Day

All BISD campuses and offices will be OPEN on Labor Day, Monday, September 7.

Summer Graduation 2015

Everyone is invited to attend the 2015 Summer Graduation honoring graduates from all BISD Early College High Schools on Thursday, August 27 at 7 pm in the Rivera ECHS gymnasium. Potential summer graduates need to contact a campus counselor immediately. Practice will be held on Thursday, August 27 at 10 am in the Rivera gym. Caps and gowns will be available for purchase before the ceremony. An 8x10 graduation photo will be available for purchase for $15.00. KBSD TV will videotape the ceremony.

Longoria Gets New Look

When schools starts on Monday, August 24, students at Longoria Elementary School will get a chance to see their newly remodeled cafeteria for the very first time. Longoria’s stunning, new cafeteria facelift was completed during the summer. The new space was thoughtfully designed by staff from BISD Food and Nutrition Service with students in mind. The new environment sports vibrant colors, modern furniture, and large scale signs that provide a kid-friendly atmosphere for students to dine and relax with their friends. Two BISD elementary schools Garden Park and Putegnat, are also slated for makeovers during the 2015-2016 school year.

A Message to Brite Elementary Parents

Due to road construction, access to Ben Brite Elementary School will be diverted from South Browne Avenue to South Oklahoma Avenue then Hockaday Street via Boca Chica Road. Road construction will continue until December. View the map.

A Note to Parents

Effective immediately, Veterans Memorial ECHS has been closed to all new transfer students due to the school's capacity. For more information, call Pupil Services at 544-3966.

Employee Volleyball

The BISD Wellness Fitness Center will host a meeting for all employees interested in participating in the employee co-ed volleyball league on Tuesday, September 8 at 6:30 pm at the Wellness Gym. Rules and game times will be discussed. Call 698-0194 for more information. View the flyer.

BISD Accountability Results

There was good news for Brownsville ISD in the latest accountability results released by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). All 58 BISD campuses and the district “Met Standard” for 2014-2015. Campuses that received a “Met Standard” rating are also eligible for distinction designations. BISD schools earned a total of 181 distinctions, the largest number in Region One. Fourteen BISD campuses earned 100% of their possible distinctions. Pace ECHS and Veterans Memorial ECHS earned 7 of 7 distinctions placing them on an elite list of only 153 secondaries to achieve this statewide. Distinction designations are awarded to campuses based on achievement on performance indicators compared to a group of 40 campuses of similar type, size and student demographics. Five more BISD elementary schools earned 4 of 5 distinctions and 1 middle school and 2 ECHS earned 6 of 7. Another 22 BISD schools met 100% of the State Performance Safeguards. “Earning any type of distinction under the state accountability system is commendable and should be a source of pride in that community,” said TEA Commissioner Michael Williams in a press release. “It reflects extraordinary work while affirming a strong commitment to students.” Brownsville earned a greater percentage of distinction designations than 10 large urban school districts with comparable student enrollment including Alief ISD, Klein ISD, Plano ISD, Round Rock ISD, San Antonio ISD, and United ISD. Brownsville ISD equaled or outperformed the State in 3 of 4 Target Indexes and outperformed Region One in 2 of 4 Indexes. View the listing of BISD schools that earned 100%. English | Spanish

The TEA Accountability Ratings in 1:41 Seconds

The Texas Education Agency offers a quick overview of the State of Texas Accountability System and what goes into the annual ratings of schools and districts. View the video.

BISD Selected for Texas School Ready Project

Congratulations to Brownsville ISD for being selected as one of four districts in this area to participate in the Texas School Ready (TSR) Project Online+ for the 2015-2016 school year. The funding was awarded with the intention to serve many teachers across the state. The delivery model will include the following: CIRCLE-2 Day Teacher Training-32 indentified BISD PK Teachers: The CIRCLE 2-Day Teacher Training is a face-to-face introduction to the foundational, research-based concepts. Remote Coaching-8 identified BISD PK Teachers for 5 Sessions TSR Online+ provides 5 sessions of individualized, data-driven coaching that is tightly connected with professional development content. Developing Talkers Materials and Training – 32 identified BISD PK Teachers TSR Online+ provides advanced training to teachers in high need districts in the Pre-Kindergarten Response to Intervention (P-RTI) instructional framework and supplemental curriculum, Developing Talkers/Hablemos Juntos. These parallel English and Spanish versions are designed to meet the needs of many aspects of Tier 1 and Tier 2 pre-K oral language instruction. Also open to all of the district's Early Childhood teachers is the CLI ENGAGE platform which provides online professional development modules to the teachers. This online access will open to the teachers during the month of September. The Curriculum and Instruction Department will be providing TSR Online+ and CLI Engage informational sessions. For more information, call the Curriculum & Instruction Department at (956) 547-7350.

Bush Foundation Recognizes BISD Schools

The Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries has awarded grants to nine BISD schools so that they can extend, update, and diversify their book and print library collections with the goal of encouraging students to develop a love of reading and learning, The nine BISD schools receiving $7,000 each and the Media Specialists who wrote the Bush grants are: • Castañeda Elementary – Maria I. Colglazier, Media Specialist • Cromack Elementary – Claudia P. Garcia, Media Specialist • Del Castillo Elementary – Jessica Hedrick, Media Specialist • Hudson Elementary – Pilar Garibay, Media Specialist • Palm Grove Elementary – Abigail Ochoa, Media Specialist • Victoria Heights Elementary – Adolfo Sierra, Media Specialist • Skinner Elementary – Blanca Holmes, Media Specialist • Stell Middle School – Claudia Chirinos, Media Specialist • Lucio Middle School – Norma Sanchez, Media Specialist Since 2002, the Laura Bush Foundation has awarded over $12.5 million to almost 2,500 schools across the country. Congratulations to these BISD schools and their Media Specialists.

BISD to Hold Tax Ratification Election

At the meeting on August 4, 2015, the BISD Board of Trustees voted to call a Tax Ratification Election (TRE) in order to maximize state funding for the district. The BISD tax rate will be restructured. The district must get voter approval to move .11¼ cents from the Interest & Sinking Fund (Debt Service) to Maintenance & Operations. The total tax rate would remain the same at $1.15 ¼ as presented and approved in the budget at the June 25, 2015 BISD Special Called Board Meeting. If the TRE is approved, it will generate between $5 to $6 million net per year in additional state funding to be used for one-time expenditures to improve, repair, and expand district facilities and enhance security. Learn more about the TRE here.

Sub Info

The application to be a substitute teacher in Brownsville ISD is open online. View the information here.

BISD Campuses Apply for TTIPS

BISD campuses that have been designated as "Focus" campuses based on campus performance for the past 2 years are eligible to apply for one of the five TEA Texas Title I Priority School (TTIPS) grants. The intent of the TTIPS grant program is to achieve lasting positive reforms in the state's most struggling campuses through highest-quality implementation of strong evidence-based interventions. These interventions are designed within a framework of one of seven school reform models. In order to apply for these grants, these campuses need to have parents and community members involved in deciding which model to use for their grant reform activities. The following meetings have been set up at eligible campuses: Besteiro Middle School August 4, 2015 at 3:30 pm Cumming Middle School August 11, 2015 at 10 am Oliveira Middle School August 4, 2015 at 4:30 pm Perkins Middle School August 4, 2015 at 4:30 pm Stell Middle School August 3, 2015 at 11 am Aiken Elementary August 4, 2015 at 3 pm Cromack Elementary To be announced El Jardin Elementary August 4, 2015 at 3:30 pm Garza Elementary August 6, 2015 at 5 pm

New STAMP Requirements

The Science, Technology, Architecture, and Medical Professions (STAMP) Program is a district initiative started in 2012-2013. The STAMP entrance requirements for all 8th grade students for the 2016-2017 school year are as follows: • Students must be in the 8th grade and be promoted to the 9th grade. • Students must apply to the program. • Students must pass all state-mandated assessments for promotion. • Students must achieve and maintain exemplary academic status. ** Students must have successfully completed (passed) 8th grade Algebra. ** This is an important addition to the entrance requirements for the STAMP program for the 2016-2017 school year. All 8th grade students who have an interest in applying to the STAMP program for the 2016-2017 school year must take Algebra this current school year. A letter will be sent home to all 8th grade BISD students and parents notifying them of the additional program requirements.

Health Benefits Survey Results

The Employees Benefits Department recently surveyed employees about BISD health benefits including ways to reduce costs. Thank you to the many employees who responded to the survey. View the results.

New Faces, New Places

Dr. Zendejas has announced new campus administrator assignments for the 2015-2016 school year. Elementary Schools Hudson...........................................Rachel R. Ayala Keller...........................................Javier Garza Palm Grove.......................................Carla Pereira Russell..........................................Oscar Cantu, Jr. Putegnat.........................................Dr. Aidee Vasquez Middle Schools Faulk............................................Benita Villarreal Perkins..........................................Beatriz Hernandez Stell............................................Liz Valdez Early College High Schools/Alternative Schools Brownsville Early College High School............Acacia Ameel Brownsville Academic Center......................Felipe Reyes Additional assisgnments will be announced as they become available.

Play Ball

The BISD Wellness Fitness Center invites you to watch a softball game between the Maintenance Rangers and Transportation Scorpions on Thursday, July 23 at 6:30 pm at Porter Early College High School. DJ Longhorn will be the featured commentator.

Oliveira Band Advances to State Finals

Congratulations to the Oliveira Middle School Band for advancing to the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Honor Band State Finals. The Oliveira Band, under the direction of Gaspar Garcia, will compete in the 2015 TMEA CCC State Honor Band competition on July 23 during the Texas Band Masters Association convention in San Antonio, Texas. In 5A, Pace ECHS Band ranked 3rd in area competition and is the 1st runner-up to state. The Lucio Middle School Band ranked as the 1st runner–up in middle school conference CCC and the Besteiro band ranked 3rd in area competition and 1st runner-up to state in the CC conference. Congratulations to our band students, parents, and directors on their outstanding achievements.

Zendejas named Superintendent

At a Special Called Board Meeting held on Thursday, June 25, 2015, the Brownsville ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved Dr. Esperanza Zendejas to lead the Rio Grande Valley’s largest school district. Zendejas was previously named the lone superintendent finalist on June 2. She had been serving as the Interim Superintendent since February 16. View the release

BISD to Offer More Pre-K Access

A total of 10 BISD elementary campuses will offer universal pre-kindergarten programs as the result of House Bill 731. The legislation redirects savings from BISD early graduates towards the funding of additional pre-kinder slots. The 10 campuses are Canales, Egly, Hudson, Martin, Palm Grove, Paredes, Pullam, Skinner, Victoria Heights, and Yturria.

Oliveira to Receive Musical Instruments

Oliveira Middle School will soon receive several musical instruments valued at $37,600, thanks to a generous donation by The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation. With many music programs across the county losing vital funding, the foundation helps under-served schools that do not have adequate funds to purchase or repair instruments. An application for support was submitted by Gaspar Garcia, the Oliveira Band Director, and the foundation found the program to be a worthwhile investment, allowing more students to be able to play and experience the benefits of music education.

Ortiz Sets Example

Ortiz Elementary School was recently highlighted on the Texas Education Agency website as a best practices case study. Ortiz, a High Performing and High Progress Title I Reward School, was recognized for excellence in critical areas such as academic performance, teacher quality, school climate, and leadership effectiveness. View the results of the study conducted at Ortiz Elementary in November of 2014.

BECHS Student Wins Car

Marcela Salazar, a 2015 Brownsville Early College High School, won the 2015 Mazda Hatchback in the BISD Student Attendance Contest drawing held on Wednesday, June 17 at Cardenas Motors in Brownsville. Salazar was one of the 14 finalists, 2 from each high school, who were pre-selected from a pool of eligible students. Interim Superintendent Dr. Esperanza Zendejas drew Salazar’s number at an event attended by BISD students, parents and employees, Cardenas personnel, and local dignitaries. The Cardenas Mazda Car Giveaway was the grand finale to the year-long contest designed to improve student attendance and enrollment. Three additional prizes were awarded to the runners-up. Congratulations to Travis Joel Cortez from Hanna ECHS who won a 40” Smart TV; Katelynn Quezada from Pace ECHS who won a Microsoft Surface Tablet; and Ana Fernanda Martinez from Veterans Memorial ECHS who won Dr. Dre Beats.

ES/MS Grand Prize Bundles Awarded

Twelve BISD elementary and middle school students won grand prize bundles in the Believe in BISD Student Attendance drawing held on Wednesday, June 18 in the Sunrise Mall Food Court. Interim Superintendent Dr. Esperanza Zendejas drew the winning numbers for the bundles which were valued at over $2,000 each. The Canales Elementary School Conjunto performed and Dr. Zendejas and Board Trustees awarded the prizes. Congratulations to Arely Martinez, Castaneda ES; Yahir Segura, Del Castillo ES; Cezar A. Flores, Benavides ES; Alice Marie Hepolito, Sharp ES; Bailey Garza, Benavides ES; Kevin Martinez, Garza ES; Rafael R. Chairez, Pena ES; Felipe A. Vela, Morningside ES; Ruben E. Morales, Faulk MS; Andrea P. Etheard, Perkins MS; Derek Alvarado, Oliveira MS; and Diego Rico, Faulk MS. Another 12 elementary and middle school students received bikes.

Graduation Guideline

We kindly ask our 2015 high school graduates and their families and friends to refrain from bringing foil helium balloons to the Sams Stadium graduation ceremonies. When they are released, foil balloons can wrap around power lines and cause an electrical outage. This occurred during one of the district’s earlier graduation ceremonies according to Brownsville Public Utilities Bureau. Thank you for assisting us. We want to make each BISD graduation ceremony at Sams Stadium a wonderful experience for our 2015 graduates.

BISD Summer Break

Brownsville ISD will follow an abbreviated summer administrative work schedule beginning on Monday, June 15 through Friday, July 31, 2015. The administrative offices will be open from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm on Monday through Thursday and 8 am to 12 noon on Friday. The BISD offices will be closed on Monday, June 29 through Friday, July 3, 2015 for summer break.

Public Meeting to Discuss Budget and Proposed Tax Rate

Brownsville ISD will hold a public meeting on Thursday, June 25 at 5:30 pm in the Administration Boardroom, 1900 Price Road, to discuss the school district’s budget that will determine the tax rate that will be adopted. Public participation in the discussion is invited. View more information.

Four BISD Bands Advance in Region 28

Brownsville ISD bands captured 4 of the 6 top spots at the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Region 28 Honor Band Competition held in Harlingen on Thursday, June 11. Pace ECHS, and Lucio, Oliveira, and Besteiro Middle Schools were selected to advance to area competition in their respective divisions. The Manzano Band ranked 4th and the Stillman Band ranked 5th. Best of luck to the Besteiro, Oliveira, Lucio and Pace bands when they compete in the TMEA Area Honor Band Competition on June 25 in New Braunfels, Texas.

Operation Lone Star Will Offer Health Services in July

Operation Lone Star will offer health services on Monday, July 27- Friday, July 31 at Manzano Middle School, located at 258 W. Alton Gloor Boulevard. Brownsville residents who visit Manzano will receive a range of free health services including immunizations for children, sports physicals, and diabetic, blood pressure, vision and hearing screenings. Operation Lone Star is an annual joint military and civil humanitarian medical mission. The purpose of this collaborative effort is to conduct Medical Innovative Readiness Training Exercises while simultaneously providing free medical services to residents of the Rio Grande Valley. Operation Lone Star has provided free health services to Brownsville citizens for many years. View more information.

One BISD Student Will Win a New Car

One lucky BISD high school student will win a bright red, shiny new 2015 Mazda 3 Hatchback for good attendance on Wednesday, June 17 at 10 am at Cardenas Motors Brownsville, 1500 North Expressway. The Cardenas Mazda Student Attendance Car Giveaway is the grand finale to a year-long contest designed to improve student attendance and enrollment. A total of 14 student finalists, 2 from each high school, were pre-drawn at an earlier date to ensure their eligibility. Dr. Esperanza Zendejas, BISD Interim Superintendent, will draw one of the 14 numbers making one finalist the instant owner of a new car. Additional prizes will be awarded to the 1st-3rd Runners-up. Local dignitaries, Mazda and Cardenas representatives, and BISD students and personnel will be in the audience to show their support. The Rivera Early College High School Drumline will perform. BISD sincerely thanks Cardenas Mazda for generously supporting our students and schools by donating the 2015 Mazda 3.

Good Attendance Earns Rewards for ES/MS Students

Several BISD elementary and middle school students will win grand prize bundles in the Believe in BISD Student Attendance Contest drawing to be held on Wednesday, June 17 at 3 pm in the Sunrise Mall Food Court. A total of 96 finalists, 2 per school, were pre-drawn at an earlier date to ensure their eligibility. Interim Superintendent Dr. Esperanza Zendejas, will draw the numbers for the winners of the prize bundles which contain items such as a bike, Smart TV, Dr. Dre Beats, computer tablet, etc. Each prize bundle is valued at $2,000. The Canales Elementary School Conjunto will perform and BISD Board Trustees will help award the prizes. Good attendance pays off in BISD!

BECHS Wins Big Idea Award

The Brownsville Early College High School was one of 3 schools in the United States to win the first “Big Problems, Big Ideas” competition, a national program launched by The Taylor Wilson Family Foundation to encourage students to propose solutions to some of the issues that continue to challenge schools across the country. The winning schools each received $3,500. View the media release.

Fire Poster Contest Winners Recognized

Representatives of the Brownsville Fire Department recognized BISD elementary and middle school students who placed in the annual Fire Prevention Poster Contest at an awards ceremony held on Wednesday, June 8 in the Central Administrative Building cafeteria. The event was hosted by the BISD Fine Arts Department. View the students’ names and their awards.

Hanna Student Chosen for Science/Technology Congress

Cody Perez, a junior at Homer Hanna Early College High School of Brownsville, has been nominated to attend the Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders in Boston, MA on June 28-June 30, 2015. The Congress is an honors-only program for high school students who are passionate about science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM). The purpose of this event is to honor, inspire, motivate and direct the top students in the country who aspire to be scientists and technologists, to stay true to their dream and, after the event, to provide a path, plan and resources to help them reach their goal. View the media release.

Eat For Free at BISD

Summer is here but the meals continue! BISD Food and Nutrition Services will provide free meals to children 0-18 years of age at several designated school and community sites in Brownsville. The free meals are not limited to BISD students. Anyone 18 years of age or younger is welcome to eat for free. The program begins at most locations on Tuesday, June 9. To encourage participation, children can also enter a contest to win great prizes. Chances to win are multiplied when children eat two meals a day at any of the designated sites. Drawings will be held every Monday beginning June 15 until June 29. Adults may purchase a meal at the nominal cost of $2.00 for breakfast and $3.50 for lunch. Fresh fruit, cold milk, healthy breakfast, and nutritious lunches are all available for free. Call (956) 548-8450 to learn more. View the BISD Summer Feeding sites, dates, and times. English | Spanish

Zendejas Named Lone Finalist

The Brownsville ISD Board of Trustees has named Dr. Esperanza Zendejas as the lone superintendent finalist at the Regular Board Meeting held on Tuesday, June 2, 2015. Zendejas has been serving as the Interim Superintendent since February 16, having replaced Dr. Carl Montoya who assumed the leadership position in Judson ISD. State law requires a 21-day waiting period following the naming of a lone finalist before the Board can officially extend a contract. View the media release.

Student Athletes Earn Cavazos Scholarships

Congratulations to the BISD student athletes who received Johnny N. and Nena S. Cavazos Athletic Scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each. The 2015 Cavazos Scholarships were awarded to 5 students from each BISD high school at the BISD Board Meeting held on Tuesday, June 2. Mr. and Mrs. Cavazos generously funded an athletic endowment that has provided funds to graduating districts athletes for several years. View the 2015 Cavazos Scholarship recipients.

Boys Coach of the Year

Rivera ECHS Football Coach Tom Chavez and Rivera ECHS Soccer Coach Salvador Garcia are finalists for the boys coach of the year honors at the eighth annual RGVSports.com and Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame awards ceremony set for Tuesday, June 9. Read the article in the Brownsville Herald here.

View the BISD Graduations Live Online

The 2015 BISD Early College 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. This will also give military personnel from Brownsville who are on active duty an opportunity to see their loved ones graduate. The commencement ceremonies held at Sams Stadium will be streamed live beginning at 7:30 pm according to the schedule listed below. Hanna ECHS................................Tuesday, June 9 Veterans Memorial ECHS….Wednesday, June 10 Pace ECHS……………………Thursday, June 11 Lopez ECHS……………………..Friday, June 12 Porter ECHS…………………...Saturday, June 13 Rivera ECHS………………...….Sunday, June 14

9 BISD Students Earn Duke Notice

Congratulations to the 9 BISD seventh grade students who earned State Recognition in the Duke University Talent Identification Program. To qualify as a Duke Scholar, students must score in the 95th percentile or higher on the national norms of a grade level standardized achievement, aptitude or mental ability test. A student qualifying for State Recognition is in the top 25% of the Talent Search Pool. Congratulations to our 9 BISD Duke Scholars. View the list.

State Board Honors Veterans Memorial Brothers

Brothers Juan Daniel and Noe Isai Rangel, students at Veterans Memorial ECHS, were named 2015 Student Heroes by the State Board of Education (SBOE). The announcement was made on Thursday, May 28 by the Texas Education Agency. The brothers saved the life of their friend and classmate when he suffered a medical emergency by quickly transporting him to the school nurse’s station. The students will be recognized by SBOE Representative Ruben Cortez, Jr. at the Veterans Memorial graduation on Wednesday, June 10 at Sams Stadium. View the media release.

BISD Creates Alumni Hall of Fame

Beginning this school year, Brownsville ISD is establishing a new tradition of annually honoring district alumni who have distinguished themselves in various areas including academics, the arts, community or public service, their chosen profession, or sports. The 2015 BISD Alumni Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized at a special reception held in their honor on Friday, May 29 at 5 pm at the Holiday Inn. A NASA flight officer, physicians, CEOs, judges, and educators will be among those recognized by the district.

BISD Commencement Season Begins

Wearing traditional caps and gowns, Brownsville ISD graduates from all seven Early College High Schools will attend the 2015 Baccalaureate Ceremonies on Sunday, May 31 in the Rivera ECHS gymnasium. BECHS, Hanna, Porter, and Rivera graduates will attend the 3 pm ceremony and Lopez, Pace and Veterans Memorial graduates will attend the 6 pm ceremony. Dr. Guy Bailey, President of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, will serve as the keynote speaker. Brownsville ISD traditionally holds Baccalaureate ceremonies as a farewell to the graduating class. The district's commencement ceremonies will be held on June 9-14.

Rivera Cluster Hosts STEM Exhibition

Elementary schools in the Rivera ECHS Cluster will present a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Exhibition on Saturday, May 30 from 9-11 am in the Brownsville ISD Administration Building parking lot at 1900 Price Road. Students in grades kindergarten through fifth grade will exhibit their work. The Rivera Cluster elementary STEM initiative is designed to align elementary schools to their feeder middle schools that already have a STEM program in place. The Rivera elementary students are implementing their existing science curriculum, but project based learning with a STEM emphasis has been added. Students from the Rivera Cluster secondary schools will be on hand to provide grades 6-12 information on STEM programs and Early College High School. The community is invited to attend. View the media release.

Ortiz Earns Silver Award

Ortiz Elementary School won the Silver 2015 National Excellence in Urban Education Award. The announcement was made at the National Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUT) awards ceremony held in Dallas, Texas on Thursday, May 21. Dr. Esperanza Zendejas and Melissa Werbiski, Ortiz's principal, accepted the award which included $2,500. Benavides and Breeden Elementary were named Bronze award recipients and Paredes Elementary was named to the Honor Roll. The BISD schools were among 24 schools selected from across the United States as finalists for these distinguished national awards. The national finalists all serve low-income communities with an array of challenges but still boast achievement results that exceed state averages for all students. Congratulations to the Ortiz, Breeden, Benavides, and Paredes students, parents, and employees for earning these prestigious national honors.

Jump Cancelled

Due to inclement weather, the 22nd Annual BISD Jump Rope for Heart Scheduled for Friday, May 22 has been cancelled.

No Picnic on Friday

Due to inclement weather, the Honors Day Picnic scheduled for Friday, May 22 has been postponed. For questions, call Lucio Mendoza at 547-4113.

Wellness is Hot Stuff!

Employees are welcome at the BISD Wellness Fitness Center during the summer. View the hours of operation and activities.

Weighing Less and Feeling Better

The BISD Weight Loss Challenge is over and participants lost over 2,700 pounds this school year according to preliminary calculations released by Personalized Prevention, the district’s wellness provider. Congratulations to the employees from the Hanna Cluster and Egly Elementary, Perkins Middle School, and Cummings Middle School for losing the most weight.

Good Luck

Best of luck to BISD’s high school Special Olympic athletes and coaches who will be competing at the State Summer Special Olympics Games in Track and Field in Arlington, Texas this weekend.

$63,000 Awarded to 9 BISD Campus Libraries

Nine BISD schools, Cromack, Castañeda, Del Castillo, Hudson, Palm Grove, Skinner and Victoria Heights Elementaries and Lucio and Stell Middle Schools, received grants of $7,000 each from the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries to add to and update their book and media collections. BISD schools received 9 of the 12 grants awarded within the Rio Grande Valley. Studies have shown that the quality of a school library has a major impact on the test scores and the academic success of children. Mrs. Bush, a former teacher and librarian, has long championed the importance of reading as the foundation of all learning. Congratulations to our Library Media Specialists who prepared the grant applications. Over half of all BISD campuses submitted applications.

BISD Chess Teams Compete Nationally

Several Brownville ISD Teams competed at the K-6 Championship National Chess Tournament held in Nashville, Tennessee on May 7-10. Congratulations to the Hudson Elementary Coyotes K-1 and K-5 teams for placing in the Top 10. View all results.

2015 BISD Superintendent's Scholarships Announced

Interim Superintendent Dr. Esperanza Zendejas has announced the winners of the 2015 Superintendent’s Scholarships. A total of 88 graduating BISD seniors will each receive $1,000 to attend the college of their choice. The scholarship funds were raised at the 12th Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament hosted by Dr. Zendejas at the Rancho Viejo Resort on Saturday, May 9, 2015. Scholarship recipients were selected by a committee of local community members and district personnel. Over 250 student applications were reviewed. “The support of our sponsors has made this tournament one of the largest in the entire Rio Grande Valley. I sincerely thank the many businesses and organizations that generously donated to this event in order to provide scholarship funds for our 2015 high school graduates. It was a great golf tournament benefiting a worthy cause, our students,” said Zendejas. View the release.

Another Great Year for VITA students

A total of 195 students from Hanna, Pace, Lopez, Rivera, Porter, Veterans Memorial, and Los Fresnos High Schools participated in this year’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program sponsored by the United Way of Southern Cameron County. The VITA students spent countless hours preparing and e-filing income tax returns for working families that qualified for the Earned Income Tax Credit. These student volunteers and their sponsors filed 3,810 returns at no cost to the families. The families received $4,636,070.00 in Earned Income and other tax credits. The total refunds received were $7,073,120.00. Every penny went to the families because there were no tax preparation or refund anticipation fees. This is the sixth year that Porter ECHS, under the direction of Albert Velez, has offered free income tax services. Special thanks to BISD’s VITA students for assisting the Brownsville community through this United Way program.

Veterans Student Wins Scholarship to Study in Italy

A team from Veterans Memorial Early College High School competed in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) held on May 10-15 in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. One team member, Aleida Olvera, a Veterans junior, won one of only two scholarships from the Fondazione Bruno Kessler Foundation to study in Trentino, Italy. This scholarship will allow Aleida to participate in a three-week summer research project to learn about and participate in programming a database to receive medical information from patients with wearable sensors. Aleida will be hosted by the University of Trentino. Her parents are Saul and Abigail Olvera.

Rivera Athlete Named Texas Player of the Year

Isidro Martinez, a Rivera ECHS senior, was selected as the Gatorade State Boys Soccer Player of the Year for Texas. His selection is based on his athletic production, impact in the 2014-2015 season, and his demonstrated high academic achievements, and exemplary personal character, including volunteerism, sportsmanship and community leadership. Congratulations to this outstanding Rivera student. View Isidro Martinez’s credentials.

3 BISD Schools Named to Best List

Three BISD Early College High Schools, BECHS, Veterans Memorial and Hanna, earned medals in the National U.S. News and World Report 2015 Best High Schools ranking. BECHS received a gold medal for its #18 spot on the list of best Texas high schools. Both Veterans Memorial ECHS at #168 and Hanna ECHS at #188 earned silver medals on the Texas list. Schools are differentiated with gold, silver and bronze medals with gold indicating the greatest level of college readiness. A total of 6,517 high schools were awarded medals nationwide. View the individual rankings for BECHS, Veterans Memorial, and Hanna.

We Appreciate Our Internal Auditors

Governor Greg Abbott has proclaimed May 11-15, 2015 as Internal Audit Week in Texas. Our Internal Auditors provide invaluable expertise and contributions to Brownsville ISD. We appreciate the role they play in establishing and enforcing overall standards for excellence. View the Governor’s proclamation.

Honoring Our School Nurses

National School Nurse Day is Wednesday, May 6. Brownsville ISD salutes it school nurses on School Nurse Day and every day for all they do to support our students. All BISD campuses have one or more licensed nurses who monitor and care for the health and well-being of district students. View the 2015 Nurse Day proclamation signed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

6 Teachers Earn Rotary Endowment

The Brownsville Rotary Club has released the names of 6 BISD teachers who have been selected for the annual Rotary Endowment for Teaching Excellence. Congratulations to Shirley Munoz, Brownsville ECHS; Ronda Lewis, Oliveira MS; Mary E. Ayala, Ortiz ES; Louis Leal, Keller ES; Juanita Casanova, Pullam ES; and Alejandro Rivera, Hudson ES. All 2015 Rotary winners are BISD teachers. For over 20 years, the Brownsville Rotary Club has sponsored a teaching excellence endowment to recognize and reward local teachers. The 2015 BISD endowment recipients will receive recognition and a check at the Rotary luncheon on Wednesday, May 6.

5 BISD Students Named Gates Scholars

The Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) Program has announced the Class of 2015 high school recipients and 5 BISD students are on the list. Congratulations to Kevin Berlanga, Porter ECHS; Keila Garcia and Rebeca Gonzalez Farias, Brownsville ECHS; Tanya Llanas, Pace ECHS; and Karina Mireles, Rivera ECHS. Each of the BISD students will be awarded a scholarship that can be used to pursue a degree in any undergraduate major and selected graduate programs at accredited colleges or universities. Established in 1969, the GMS programs is funded by a $1.6 billion grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. View the media release.

Student Summer Activities

The BISD Athletic Department has released the 2015 summer recreation schedule. For more information, call Mark Guess, BISD Athletic Program Administrator, at 548-8261.

Oliveira Band Students Receive Special Scholarships!

The Lagunitas Music Foundation has awarded $10,000 in summer music scholarship funds to the Oliveira Middle School Band Program in memory of William Carroll. This scholarship will be used to send Oliveira Dolphin band members to summer music camps at various universities throughout Texas. Three band programs in the United States have been selected for this award. Wheeling High School, Wheeling IL (Brain Logan, Director); St. Charles East High School, St. Charles, IL (Jim Kull, Director); and Oliveira Middle School, Brownsville, TX (Mike Kuntz, Director). These schools were selected because Bill Carroll taught all three of these band directors when they were Bill’s students at Buffalo Grove High School. View William Carroll’s biography.

Helping People Communicate

May is Better Speech and Hearing Month. Brownsville ISD recognizes the hard work and commitment of the Special Services employees who work at the Regional School for the Deaf as well as those who work with students at our campuses. Thank you for your service and dedication.

9 Named Title I Reward Schools

Nine BISD campuses have been identified by the Texas Education Agency as high-performing and/or high-progress Title I schools for 2014-2015. Congratulations to Benavides, Breeden, Castañeda, Champion, Gonzalez, Ortiz, Peña, and Yturria Elementary Schools for earning both distinctions and Canales Elementary for earning a high-progress distinction. A high-performing reward school is identified as a Title I school with distinctions based on reading and math performance. A high-progress reward school is identified as a Title I school in the top 25% in annual improvement and/or a school in the top 25% of those demonstrating ability to close performance gaps (based on state accountability system safeguards in the 2013-2014 school year). For 2014-2015, TEA has identified a total of 192 Texas campuses as high-performing and 218 Texas campuses as high progresses. View the media release and list of BISD schools.

Vela Celebrates a Quarter of a Century

Filemon B. Vela Middle School will host a 25th anniversary celebration for current and former employees, students, and the community on Saturday, May 2 from 10 AM – 12 Noon in the cafeteria. U.S. Congressman Filemon Vela, Jr., the son of Judge Filemon Vela who is the school’s namesake, will serve as the keynote speaker. Vela Middle School first opened in August of 1990 as Paredes Line Ninth Grade School. In January 1992, the school was officially named for Vela, a U.S. District Court Judge.

Summer Programs

The BISD schedule of summer academic programs is now posted on the BISD homepage. Find out the dates, times, and locations of programs available to students this summer. View the summer schedule here.

Our Student Artists Rock!

The annual BISD Elementary Art Competition Exhibit is currently on display at the BISD Administration Building. Come and see the exceptional art produced by our district’s many talented elementary student artists. A reception will be held on Friday, May 1 from 4-6 pm in the BISD Administration Lobby. For more information, call the Fine Arts Department at 982-3730.

Top Market Schools

The Spring Stock Market Game (SMG) results are in and Faulk Middle school swept 1st – 3rd Places. The Fall results were 1st Place –Skinner Elementary; 2nd Place –Perkins Middle School; and 3rd Place –Skinner Elementary. The SMG Awards Ceremony will be held on Friday, May 15 at the Valley Federal Credit Union in Brownsville. Congratulations to the BISD campus winners.

BISD Teacher is NASA Bound

Cindy Cho, a teacher at Manzano Middle School, has been selected from applicants across the nation for the prestigious LiftOff Summer Institute to be held at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. This program, sponsored by NASA’s Texas Space Grant Consortium, selects teachers from across the U.S. and gives them the opportunity to increase their knowledge of space education through the LiftOff Professional Development Summer Institute. Learn more.

Celebrating Rivera!

See the amazing Rivera Raiders 2015 UIL State 6A Soccer Team in action on Tuesday, April 28 at 7 pm at the Brownsville Sports Park. The City of Brownsville is sponsoring a community celebration and exhibition game. The State Champs will play against Rivera soccer alumni. Admission is a $3.00 donation. View the flyer.

Hanna OAP Advances to Region

The Hanna ECHS One Act Play (OAP) Troupe qualified to advance to Region competition at the Area Meet held at the PSJA Southwest Performing Arts Center on Saturday, April 18. This places Hanna in the top 24 of 6A high schools in Texas. Three Hanna students were among the top 18 actors of the day with Sebastian Cisneros awarded the Best Actor title. The Region IV Competition will be held on Thursday, April 23 at Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio. Admission is $10 for the entire day. Hanna ECHS will perform “Water by the Spoonful” at 3 pm. Congratulations to Joe Rodriguez and the Hanna Theatre Arts students.

Aquatic Fun

The BISD Wellness Fitness Center has two upcoming events. The 2nd Annual Employee Wellness Swim Competition will be held on Saturday, May 2 and an Employee Water Volleyball Tournament is scheduled for Thursday, May 7. View the information: Water Volleyball Tournament | Swim Competition

Employee Transfers

All BISD employees are eligible to apply for a transfer. Interested employees may apply beginning on Monday, April 27. The deadline is Friday, May 8. For questions, call BISD Human Resources at 548-8031 or 548-8051. View the guidelines in English and Spanish.

BISD AR Schools

Breeden Elementary earned 1st Place and Benavides Elementary placed 2nd in the District Accelerated Reader (AR) Proficiency Program at the end of the fifth six weeks. The program, sponsored by the BISD Library/Media Services Department, encourages students to attain proficiency rather than points in order to gain literacy skills. Both schools earned the opportunity to send 50 students to a Party Palooza Event. Breeden can also pay to send additional students. BISD campuses are showing significant AR gains but there is still room for the AR Proficiency Program to grow.

Rivera Raiders Soccer Action

The Rivera Raiders (26-0) vs. North Mesquite Stallions (22-3-1) State Semifinals game on Friday, April 17 at 7:30 pm will be broadcast via livestream at NFHSNetwork.com. The winner will advance to play in the State Finals Game on Saturday, April 18 at 6:30 pm. That game will be broadcast via livestream at FoxSportsSouthwest.com. You can catch all the action of these two exciting games at these two sports websites.

Mother Daughter Zumba

The BISD Wellness Fitness Center, in conjunction with Healthy Communities of Brownsville, will host the 2nd Annual Mother Daughter Tutus & Tiaras Zumbathon on Friday, May 8 from 6-8 pm. View the details.

Two DI Teams Qualify for Globals

Eight BISD Destination Imagination teams competed on Saturday, April 11 in Dallas at State Competition. The Gonzalez Elementary team, Mystical Mustangs, earned 1st Place in the Feary Challenge and qualified to advance to Global Competition in Knoxville, Tennessee on May 19. Hudson Elementary’s Improv Team, DI Runners, placed 6th and also qualified to advance to Global Competition. Teams from Keller, Paredes, Peña, and Ortiz Elementary Schools and Manzano and Stillman Middle Schools also earned places at the state DI event. See all results.

Hanna OAP Named Bi-District Champ

The Hanna ECHS One Act Play advanced to Area Competition during the Bi-District Competition held at the PSJA Memorial Performing Arts Center in Alamo on April 11. Hanna received Best Lighting Award, Best Backstage Technical Award, and 3 students were honored among the top actors of the day. Congratulations to Instructor Joe Rodriguez and the Hanna theatre art students. The Area Competition will be held on Saturday, April 18 at the PSJA SW Performing Arts Center in Pharr starting at 12 Noon. Admission is $5.00. View the schedule for the Area performance times.

Hanna Drummers Score at Nationals

The Hanna ECHS Indoor Drum Line earned 7th Place at the National 2015 Winter Guard Championships held in Dayton, Ohio on April 11. The team represented Texas, an honor held by only two other Texas high schools since 1993. The Hanna drummers gave an exceptional performance which advanced them from the preliminary round to semi-finals to the championship finals. View the final national results.

BISD High School Choirs Shine at Region

BISD 2015 high school choirs gave some of the best performances in the Rio Grande Valley at the UIL Region 28 Concert and Sight Reading Contest. A total of 12 BISD choirs earned UIL Sweepstakes trophies and 9 choirs earned top UIL awards. Congratulations to these outstanding students, teachers, and parents on these stellar choir performances. View the results by campus.

BISD Summer Administrative Schedule

Brownsville ISD will follow an abbreviated summer administrative work schedule beginning on Monday, June 15 through Friday, July 31, 2015. The schedule is:

7:30 am - 5:30 pm - Monday through Thursday
8:00 am – 12 noon – Friday

BISD administrative offices will be closed Monday, June 29 through Friday, July 3, 2015.

Let’s Play Volleyball!

Packets for the BISD Employee Volleyball League are available on Monday, April 13 and Tuesday, April 14 from 10:30 am – 7:30 pm at the BISD Wellness Fitness Center. View the announcement for more information.

BISD Earns High Marks in Finance

Brownsville ISD recently received top commendations from two national accounting organizations. The Government Finance Officers Association awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the district’s Comprehensive Annual Finance Report (CAFR) for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014. This Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in government accounting and financial reporting and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment for BISD. The Association of School Business Officials International also awarded a Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting for the same fiscal year. This award notes BISD’s commitment to fiscal integrity and high quality financial reporting. Congratulations to the employees in the BISD Finance Department for making these national awards possible.

Porter Named ECHS!

It's official! Texas Commissioner of Education Michael Williams announced the final approval of 44 new Early College High Schools (ECHS) designations for the 2015-2016 school year and BISD's Gladys Porter High School is one of them. All BISD high schools, a total of 7, are now designated as Early College High Schools. View the Texas Education Agency Medial release.

BISD Schools Promote Dia Events

Brownsville ISD’s elementary campuses are busy preparing for this year’s El Dia de los Niños/El Dia de los Libros (Children’s Day/Book Day) events which will culminate on Thursday, April 30. All 37 BISD elementary campuses will host activities with over 6,700 early childhood students participating, including students in the Cameron County Head Start Programs. The BISD event is a collaboration between four departments, Library and Media Services, Bilingual Education, Special Services, and Federal Programs. Food and Nutrition Services will also join in the Dia celebration by providing multi-cultural themed desserts. Each child enrolled in BISD’s three-year-old through kindergarten programs will be awarded the book titled, “You Are My I Love You/Tú Eres Mi Te Querio.” The book’s author, Dr. Maryann Cusimano Love, will participate in several of the BISD Dia events on April 30 and May 1. Library media specialists across BISD are already generating excitement about their Dia activities which are designed to celebrate the importance of literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

Two BISD Educators Earn H-E-B Accolades

Theresa Villafuerte, the principal of Gallegos Elementary School, was named a statewide semi-finalist in the 2015 H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards. She was one of 50 principals who competed in the regional judging process. As a semi-finalist, Villafuerte received a certificate and a $500 H-E-B gift card. Nancy Waterhouse, a Skinner Elementary BI Unit Teacher, was selected as a state semi-finalist in the Teacher Leadership category. Ms. Waterhouse was awarded a certificate and a $250 H-E-B gift card. Congratulations to these two outstanding BISD educators.

BISD Visual Artists Rock!

BISD secondary student artists submitted 502 entries to this year’s BISD Fine Arts Department Art Contest. The middle school division earned 181 ribbons, including 3 Best of Show Awards. The high school division received 150 ribbons, including 3 Best of Show Awards. Venessa Mata, artist and art teacher at Lincoln Park School, judged the middle school entries and Jessica Salazar-McBride, artist and Beyond Art Gallery director, judged the high school submissions. The art will be displayed until Saturday, April 4 at the 39th Annual Secondary Art Exhibit at the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art. Congratulations to our creative BISD secondary artists.

Breeden and Lucio Earn Awards

Two BISD schools won the district’s March Madness Student Attendance Contest on Friday, March 6, 2015. Congratulations to Breeden Elementary and Lucio Middle School for having the highest attendance rate on the Friday before Spring Break. Both schools earned cash incentives.

Brownsville ISD Among the Best in Music Ed

For a second consecutive year, Brownsville ISD has been nationally recognized as one of the 2015 Best Communities for Music Education (BCME) in the United States. The announcement was made by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation. BISD was one of the 388 districts selected from thousands of districts that were considered for this prestigious designation. Only 36 school districts in Texas earned this distinction. Now in its 16th year, the Best Communities of Music Education program evaluates schools and districts based on funding, staffing of highly qualified teachers, commitment to standards, and access to music instruction. The NAMM Foundation, with the assistance of researchers at The Institute for Educational Research and Public Service of Lawrence, Kansas (an affiliate of the University of Kansas), evaluate participants on these factors. Designations are awarded to districts and schools that demonstrate an exceptionally high commitment and greater access to music education.

Summer School On-Line Apps

The 2015 BISD Summer School on-line applications are now open to current, full-time BISD employees through Tuesday, April 7 at 5 pm. Late applications will not be accepted. For more information, call the BISD Human Resources Department at 548-8031 or 548-8051. Follow this link to the on-line application. Summer School Vacancy List: Certified Positions | Classified Positions | Important Dates

Thank You, Milligan!

Milligan College, located in Johnson City, Tennessee, has granted 8 Betty Goah Scholarships to Rio Grande Valley students, including 6 students from BISD. The BISD scholarships total $648,000. In the past 6 years, Milligan College has awarded over $4.3 million in scholarships to BISD students. Tim Snyder, BISD Career and Technical Education Administrator and Milligan alumni, has facilited this generous scholarship award. Milligan has a full-time enrollment of about 1,000 students.

Middle School Choirs Are Tops

BISD middle schools continue to excel! At the Region 28 UIL Concert and Sightreading Contest, BISD middle school choirs brought home 21 sweepstakes titles, 5 more than last year. A total of 13 BISD choirs also improved their ratings from last year. Congratulations to these students, teachers, and parents on their performances and results. View the results by campus.

Porter Business Students to Participate in National Leadership Conference

Top students from Porter Early College High School Prep will be attending the Business Professionals of America (BPA) 2015 National Leadership Conference, “Imagine, Believe, Become,” in Anaheim, California, May 5 – May 10, 2015. Porter ECHS chapter members, Cileo Ascencio, Rafael Gomez, Jr., Francisco Rodriguez, and Armando Silva, will join over 5,000 other conference delegates from across the nation to participate in national level business skills competitions, work-shops, general sessions, and the national officer candidate campaigns and elections. Besides having the opportunity to excel, the students will experience Anaheim, California. View the entire release.

Let’s Play Football

Brownsville ISD, in conjunction with the Brownsville Parks and Recreation Program, is pleased to announce the 2015 NFL Flag Football schedule for 4th and 5th grade BISD students. All games will be played after school at the Brownsville Sports Park. Students must be enrolled at participating elementaries. For more information, call Fred Tamez, BISD PE/Health Specialist, at 698-0149. View the list of established teams and games.

Hanna Drumline Wins State Championship

The Hanna ECHS Indoor Drumline has been labeled as the 2015 Winter Guard International (WGI) Champion for Texas by placing first at the WGI Houston Regional Competition on March 7, 2015, qualifying the drumline to attend the National Championships in Dayton, Ohio on Thursday,April 9. Hanna will represent the State of Texas in the Scholastic World Class Division, the highest classification of scholastic competition in this activity. In the entire history of the activity, since 1993, only 2 other Texas high schools in the World Class Level have earned this honor. Currently, Hanna Early College High School is ranked third on the national scale in the WGI activity. Congratulations to the students, parents, and directors of this outstanding ensemble. Best of luck to the members of the Hanna ECHS Indoor Drumline as they advance to national competition and represent Hanna, the City of Brownsville, and the entire State of Texas! View the national rankings.

2 BISD Cafeterias Get Facelifts

Students at Martin and El Jardin Elementary Schools were greeted with a pleasant surprise when they returned to their schools on Monday, March 16 after Spring Break. Their school cafeterias received stunning new makeovers while they were away. The fresh, new cafeterias are modern, vibrant and look very similar to popular chain restaurants. They provide a kid-friendly atmosphere for students to dine and relax with friends. The students love their new spaces which were carefully designed by the BISD Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) staff with students in mind. FNS previously renovated the Villa Nueva Elementary cafeteria over this year’s winter break and Canales, Cromack, and Vermillion Elementary cafeterias were remodeled last year. Plans are to continue improving the cafeterias at older BISD campuses as funds become available.