Latest Pflugerville ISD News
Hendrickson vs. Lake Travis Football Game Expected to Sell Out
A capacity crowd is expected Friday when the Hendrickson Hawks host three-time defending state champion Lake Travis in a pre-district game. Advanced tickets are on sale at Hendrickson and Lake Travis High Schools this week, and fans from both schools are encouraged to purchase tickets before the end of the day Thursday.
HHS is selling tickets Wednesday 1-4 p.m. and Thursday 8 a.m.-noon. HHS will not sell advance tickets on Friday. Contact Hendrickson (594-1150) or Lake Travis (533-6058) for more information.
Once the stadium capacity is met, ticket sales will end. It is possible a limited amount of tickets may be available at the gate Friday night, but once the game is sold out, fans will be turned away before they enter the stadium parking lot. Fans are encouraged to car pool because parking will be limited.
Game Information
Hendrickson vs. Lake Travis
Friday, September 3
Hendrickson High School
2905 FM 685, Pflugerville
Kick-off is scheduled for 7:30
Gates open at 6 p.m.
PISD High School Drumlines Compete in OmniBank Marching Band Challenge
The Pflugerville and Connally drumlines will be featured in the Seventh OmniBank Marching Band Challenge on Thursday, September 2. The Challenge will be aired during halftime of the Dallas Cowboy preseason game against Miami beginning at 7 p.m. on KEYE TV and Telemundo Austin.
Following the airing of the game, you can vote for your favorite band at weareaustin.com/marchingbandchallenge. Voting ends at noon on September 4. A finalist will be announced on Tuesday, September 7 on the KEYE 10 p.m. newscast.
Round 1 of the Challenge was won by McCallum High School. Round 2 went to Lehman High. The three finalists will battle it out on a special airing on Sunday, September 12 at 10:30 a.m. and 11 p.m. Voting begins when the show begins and ends on September 14 at noon. The overall winner will be announced on Thursday, September 16 on the KEYE TV 10 p.m. newscast.
Registration Still Available for Fifth Annual Pflugerville Education Foundation Schoolhouse Scramble Golf Tournament
Registration opportunities are still available for the Pflugerville Education Foundation's Fifth Annual Schoolhouse Scramble Golf Tournament. Scheduled for Sept 19, at the Golf Club Star Ranch, the tournament is the start of the Annual Giving Campaign to raise funds for teachers and students in Pflugerville ISD.
Since starting in 2006, PEF has distributed more than $200,000 into the classroom and programs in PISD. PEF is governed by independent volunteer Board of Directors including business and community leaders, parents and alumni in the greater Pflugerville community.
For additional information on registration for the tournament, or to learn how to get involved with or contribute to the Pflugerville Education Foundation, visit the PEF website or contact Zenda Johnson, zenda.johnson@pflugervilleisd.net, (512) 594-0095.
Pflugerville ISD 2010-11 Budget & Tax Rate Approved
The Pflugerville Board of Trustees at its August 19 meeting approved a $151.6 million operating budget for 2010-2011. Trustees voted to maintain the District's current operating tax rate of $1.04 per $100 of assessed property value. The separate bond debt repayment tax rate also remains unchanged at $0.42. The combined property tax rate for Pflugerville ISD taxpayers will be $1.46 per $100 of assessed property value. The owner of a home with an average taxable value of $145,860, after exemptions, will pay $2,129.56, down $65.47 from last year.
The budget included a step increase for teachers averaging $500 and a 1.5% of pay range midpoint raise for other District staff. Also included in the budget is the start-up cost for the District's 18th elementary campus--Riojas Elementary School.
Plan Ahead! PISD Football the Hottest Tickets in Town
Pflugerville ISD is home to outstanding sports teams, and some of the most sought-after football tickets in town are for the District's three high schools.
With this in mind, Pflugerville ISD reminds fans that the only way to ensure the best seats in the stadium is to buy tickets in advance and plan to arrive early for the game. Advance tickets will only be sold Monday through Thursday at each high school for their game that week. Game day ticket sales are available on a first come basis at the main gate and the game likely will sell out early.
The District will only sell the number of tickets that the stadium stands will hold. When capacity is reached on the home side (total advance and gate sales), fans wishing to enter the stadium will be directed to the visitor side to buy tickets there and must remain on their assigned side of the stadium throughout the game.
Once the home side is full, only fans that purchased advance tickets still will be allowed in on the home side. There are different tickets for the home and visitor sides of the stadium. When possible, the District will designate a "home" section on the visitor side for overflow. Anyone who leaves the stadium for any reason must pay to re-enter; this includes season ticket holders, students, and volunteers.
The District asks fans to help keep the games safe and enjoyable for everyone by parking only in designated areas, keeping the aisles and walkways clear, leaving umbrellas at home and following the directions of faculty, staff and law enforcement on site. No outside food or drink may be brought into the stadium.
As a reminder, PISD students must show their Student Identification or a copy of their class schedule, along with their ticket, to enter the home side of the stadium. District staff must show their identification and have a ticket to enter the game. Loitering will not be permitted before, during, or after the game in the parking lot or on any District property. By working together, District staff and fans can keep Pflugerville ISD football the best game in town.
For PHS tickets, call 594-0550; for CHS tickets, call 594-0850; and for HHS tickets, call 594-1150 to find out the times that tickets are sold at each campus.
Pflugerville Board of Trustees Named Region XIII Board of the Year
Board now in contention for Texas State Board of the Year
The Pflugerville ISD Board of Trustees was recently named the 2009-10 Region XIII School Board of the Year. The PISD Board, then comprised of Dr. Carol Fletcher, Board President; Elva Gladney, Vice President; Paul. J. King, Secretary; Dr. Cynthia Graves, Trustee; James Hamann, Trustee; Jimmy Don Havins, Trustee; and Vernagene Mott, Trustee is now in contention for Texas State School Board of the Year.
The Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) School Board Awards Committee will review 11 Regional Honor Board winners and select five to be named as 2010 Honor Boards. The five selected Boards will be interviewed at the TASA/TASB Convention in Houston and spotlighted during the Second General Session. At the ceremony, one of the Boards will be named 2010 Outstanding School Board.
"This is a well-deserved honor for our Board of Trustees," Superintendent of Schools Charles Dupre said. "They are a remarkable example of leadership for our district, and they truly exemplify the criteria TASA lays out for an Honor Board."
TASA created the School Board Awards competition in 1971 to recognize those School Boards that demonstrate outstanding service to the children of Texas. TASA's School Board Awards Committee uses the following criteria to select the Honor and Outstanding Boards: the Board's policy-making procedures; adherence to adopted Board policies; support for educational performance in accordance with state-established standards; support for educational improvement projects; commitment to a code of ethics; provision of financial support for the school system; participation in workshops and other performance improvement programs; placement of the welfare of children served by the school system above personal or political motives; public relations efforts, including community awareness; and evidence of harmonious and supportive relationships among Board members.
Pflugerville School District Meets Federal Accountability Standards
Pflugerville ISD today announced the District as a whole and 24 of its 25 campuses - 98 percent - met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) as defined by the federal No Child Left Behind education law.
To earn the label "Meets AYP" a district and its individual schools had to test a minimum of 95 percent of their students, with at least 73 percent of the students passing the Reading/English Language Arts test and at least 67 percent passing the Mathematics exam on the annual Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS). This represented a six-percentage point increase in the Reading performance target and a nine-percentage point increase in the Math target for 2010.
Westview Middle School missed AYP in the area of Special Education math performance.
Pflugerville students showed gains in the African American, Hispanic and Economically Disadvantaged groups in Math, Science and Social Studies, and across the board the District saw growth or maintained performance in 21 of 25 TAKS measures.
PISD also improved its Commended Performance measures - 15 of 25 measures either remained steady or improved. Students who achieve Commended Performance have performed at a level that is considerably above the state passing standard and have shown a thorough understanding of the knowledge and skills at the grade level tested.
Twenty of 25 Pflugerville ISD schools received the top two ratings of Exemplary or Recognized when the Texas Education Agency (TEA) announced state accountability ratings.
The number of PISD schools rated Exemplary increased from three to five, with Kelly Lane Middle school and Murchison, Pflugerville, Rowe Lane and Timmerman elementary schools earning that distinction. 15 schools were rated Recognized: Windermere Primary; Brookhollow, Caldwell, Copperfield, Highland Park, Northwest, River Oaks, Spring Hill and Windermere elementary schools; Dessau, Park Crest, and Pflugerville middle school; and Hendrickson and Pflugerville high schools. The remaining campuses are Academically Acceptable.
PISD Food Services Receives Grants for New Programs
PISD Food Services will receive $68,500 in Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) grant funds this year for its nutrition education programs Go For More! and Chef Patricks Pals. Food Service Director Geoff Holle applied for the funds in April, hoping that the TDA would recognize the innovation of these programs.
These resources will do a great deal of good in our district, Holle said. Were thrilled that our efforts will be supported.
Go For More! is a PISD-exclusive program through which ARAMARK provides elementary school students with free second-helpings of fruits and vegetables to students who purchase a school lunch. Piloted at test locations in the 2009 school year, ARAMARK expanded the nutrition program to all PISD elementary schools last year with great success. The district food service department estimates that fruit and vegetable consumption increased as much as 33% last year with Go For More!
The other program receiving grant funds is Chef Patrick Pals a nutrition education program that is aimed to be fun and relevant to students. Chef Patrick's Pals brings nutrition to life with interactive demonstrations that allow a hands-on experience for participants. These demonstrations show the importance of making healthy food selections while showing them how easy it can be to create wonderful food. This live show toured PISD elementary schools in Spring 2010, and ARAMARK hopes the grant funds will allow the program to continue with new demonstrations and education materials.
The grant money comes from two different programs: The TDAs Best Practices and TDAs Nutrition Education Grant. Both grants are a result of action taken by the 81st Texas Legislature to provide funding to organizations to help combat childhood obesity and promote healthy eating habits among Texas children.
Pflugerville ISD School Meals Information for the 2010-11 School Year
Pflugerville ISD's Food and Nutrition Services program has been hard at work this summer preparing for an exciting new school year. Here's the back-to-school information you need to know before sending your kids into the cafeteria.
The 2010-2011 prices for school meals are as follows: Elementary School: $1.50 for breakfast; $2.25 for lunch. Secondary Schools: $1.50 for breakfast; $2.50 for lunch. Reduced-priced meals are $0.30 for breakfast; $0.40 for lunch.
Pflugerville ISD will be converting to a new "Gold Standard" menu on September 22nd. These new menus including a large variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and meet the Gold Standards for school meals as defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's HealthierUS Schools Challenge. Please visit our website for more information
Families must apply EVERY year for free or reduced-price meal status. You can do this by filling out a paper application from your child's school or filling out an online application. Applications must be turned in before October 7th. Return them before September 24th and you can help your child's school win a free waffle bar at breakfast.
Get the most up-to-date information from PISD Food Services by visiting the department's website.You can see online menus, download the latest child nutrition newsletter, and sign up for the PISD Food Services mailing list.
You can manage your child's school meal account online at www.mylunchmoney.com. From this website you can track your child's spending history and budget your child's meal expenses.
The Pflugerville ISD Food Services Department has moved buildings and is now located behind the city's fire department building at: 201-B East Pecan Street, Pflugerville, TX 78660. The general phone number has also changed: 512-594-0430.
Planned Technology Outage
On Saturday August 7, PHS, TES, SHES, PMS, OC, CEC, BES, PCMS, CWES, WPS and WES will have network and phone services disrupted as a result of power upgrades being performed at the PHS site. In addition, phone service (only) will be disrupted at the Admin building. The electrical work is expected to start at 7 AM and should be completed by 4 PM. All technology equipment is fine, but will not work due to the power upgrades at PHS. We do not expect any disruption of emergency (911) services and fire alarm/security system monitoring during this period.
On Saturday August 14, we are undergoing major network moves and upgrades in the network center and will affect all network and phone services as a result of the moves and upgrades. We will not start until 5 PM Saturday and hope to have everything back up and running by 8 AM Sunday morning. We do not expect any disruption of emergency (911) services and fire alarm/security system monitoring during this period.
Pflugerville Schools Continue to See Gains on Texas Assessment of Knowledge & Skills Tests
The Pflugerville school district met or exceeded Recognized levels on all 25 Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) performance indicators, according to results released today by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Fifteen campuses were designated Recognized, up from 10 in 2009, and five were rated Exemplary, two more than last year.
"Pflugerville's promise to our students and our community is that the District will prepare Each Child for Their Future in Our World, and I believe the gains our students have made in the last few years show we are closer than ever to fulfilling that promise," Superintendent of Schools Charles Dupre said. "We know there is still much work to be done, but our teachers and campus leaders are doing a tremendous job focusing on the needs of individual children and helping them to achieve at the highest level possible. "
Pflugerville students showed gains in the African American, Hispanic and Economically Disadvantaged groups in Math, Science and Social Studies, and across the board the District saw growth or maintained performance in 21 of 25 TAKS measures.
PISD also improved its Commended Performance measures - 15 of 25 measures either remained steady or improved. Students who achieve Commended Performance have performed at a level that is considerably above the state passing standard and have shown a thorough understanding of the knowledge and skills at the grade level tested.
PISD received a rating of Academically Acceptable for 2010, but has submitted an appeal to the Commissioner of Education. The District believes it should receive a rating of Recognized. PISD missed a Recognized rating as a result of its Completion Rate, which reflects the percent of students who graduate on time or continue for a fifth year in high school. A completion rate of 85 percent is required for a Recognized rating; TEA calculated the District's completion rate at 84.9 percent. PISD submitted documentation that could impact its completion rate, and upgrade its district rating to Recognized.
Exemplary Campuses
- Kelly Lane Middle School*
- Murchison Elementary
- Pflugerville Elementary*
- Rowe Lane Elementary
- Timmerman Elementary
Recognized Campuses
- Hendrickson High School*
- Pflugerville High School*
- Dessau Middle School*
- Park Crest Middle School
- Pflugerville Middle School*
- Brookhollow Elementary*
- Caldwell Elementary
- Copperfield Elementary
- Highland Park Elementary*
- Northwest Elementary
- River Oaks Elementary*
- Spring Hill Elementary
- Windermere Elementary*
- Windermere Primary*
- Parmer Lane Elementary*
Academically Acceptable Campuses
- Connally High School
- Westview Middle School
- Dessau Elementary School
- Delco Primary School
- Wieland Elementary School
The accountability ratings are based on spring 2010 student performance on the TAKS, as well as on dropout and completion rates for students. The ratings assigned by TEA are based on as many as 35 indicators, with the lowest score determining the district's rating in one of four categories: from highest to lowest - Exemplary, Recognized, Academically Acceptable and Academically Unacceptable. This year, based on legislative requirements, Texas continued the use of the Texas Projection Measure (TPM), a measure that estimates student success on the TAKS at a future grade. While TPM was not utilized for the District to achieve at the Recognized level for TAKS performance, twelve PISD campuses benefitted from the use of TPM to calculate campus accountability ratings, as denoted by the asterisks (*).
Texas public school students are tested in five subject areas: reading/English language arts, writing, social studies, mathematics and science. Each Texas public school campus and district is measured by the performance of all tested students and for African-American students, Hispanic students, white students and economically disadvantaged students, if a campus or district has a sufficient number of students in a particular student group to qualify. This gives 25 TAKS-related performance measures for PISD, a district with ever-increasing diversity.
District Leaders in Technology, Career and Technical Education Named
The Pflugerville Board of Trustees at its July 22 meeting appointed Victor Valdez Executive Director of Technology and Planning and Ryan Merritt Director of Career and Technical Education.
Valdez has been Director of Technology in Manor since 2005. In 2010, he was named Texas Computer Education Association Technology Administrator of the Year. Prior to Manor, Valdez worked in San Antonio's Northside school district as a web technologist. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in business administration, and earned a bachelor's degree in government from The University of Texas.
Merritt returns to PISD, where he was a teacher for four years before being named Coordinator of Career and Technical Education in 2008. Most recently he served as Coordinator of College and Career Readiness in Lake Travis for the last year. Merritt earned a master's degree in business administration in 2009 and holds a bachelor's degree from The University of Houston. He is a veteran of the US Air Force.
PISD Night at Dell Diamond
For the fourth consecutive year, Pflugerville ISD will celebrate the beginning of another school year with an employee appreciation gathering at a Round Rock Express baseball game. PISD is inviting the community to join District employees at the Dell Diamond as the Express takes on the Sacramento Rivercats on August 9 at 7:05 p.m.
Please use this order form to secure your tickets. The deadline to order is August 4 orders received after the deadline are subject to availability.
Pflugerville ISD Police Department Receives Award of Excellence
As the Pflugerville ISD Police Department completes its second full year of operation, it is increasingly apparent that people are taking notice. One of the most recent recognitions came in early July at the Texas School-Based Law Enforcement (TxSBLE) Conference in Corpus Christi.
The PISD PD received the School-Based Law Enforcement Award of Excellence, presented to the District, "in recognition of its dedication, commitment and collaborative efforts for being proactive in the prevention of school violence throughout its schools and the community. "
"What better link can citizens have between community policing and safe schools than a school-based law enforcement program rooted in a positive, meaningful school and law enforcement partnership? Pflugerville Independent School District has done just that at a time when budgets are tight and expectations for service are high," said Curtis Clay, Director of Programs and Outreach for the Texas School Safety Center.
The District's Police Department was built on a unique model of community policing founded in partnership with the City of Pflugerville. The Department was created through an ongoing Interlocal Agreement with the City that established the PISD Police Department as a separate organization within the Pflugerville Police Department. This requires a commitment to consistent safety and security for all campuses, good working relationships among campus administrators and law enforcement, and support from both the School Board and the City Council.
PISD is served by 16 officers, including two SROs at each of three high schools, one SRO at each of five middle schools, one detective, one K-9 unit, two sergeants and a police chief. Administrative support is shared between the City and the District and PISD has assigned a staff member to serve as the day-to-day liaison with the City police Department. PISD PD plans to add an officer to Provan Opportunity Center next school year.
The TxSBLE Conference is presented annually by the Texas School Safety Center at Texas State University as an opportunity for school-based law enforcement officers, school resource officers, school administrators, educators, parents and security personnel to receive training on best practices in school safety and security.
The Texas School Safety Center designed the Conference to focus on timely and relevant topics such as emergency operations, gang awareness and intervention, dating violence, incident command system and other current trends. It also uses the Conference as an opportunity to recognize outstanding school safety individuals and organizations, including Pflugerville ISD PD, for their efforts to keep schools and communities safe.
Students Successful at UIL Academic State Meet
Congratulations to the following PHS and HHS students and coaches for their success at the UIL Academic State Meet. Of 768 competitors from across the state, these students were among the top 12 in their respective events.
| Name | School | Grade | Event | Place | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Canzonetta | PHS | 12 | Social Studies | Qualifier - Top 12 | Karen Hense |
| Sylvia Omozee | PHS | 10 | Poetry | Finalist - Top 6 | Elizabeth Waldrop |
| Hayley Munguia | PHS | 11 | Ready Writing | Qualifier - Top 12 | Tim Regal |
| Allison Varney | PHS | 11 | Lincoln Douglas Debate | Qualifier - Top 12 | Jennifer Arnold |
| Chris Workman | PHS | 10 | Persuasive Speaking | Finalist - Top 6 | Jennifer Arnold |
| Victoria Stowe | HHS | 10 | Feature Writing | Qualifier - Top 12 | Kari Riemer |
| Meghan Overheim | HHS | 12 | Persuasive Speaking | Qualifier - Top 12 | Kirsten Nash |
| Lindsey Butler | HHS | 10 | Informative Speaking | Finalist - Top 6 | Kirsten Nash |
| Maggie Solice | HHS | 10 | Cross Examination Debate | Quarterfinalist, 4th place speaker |
Leeann Solice |
| Hudson Davis | HHS | 11 | Cross Examination Debate | Quarterfinalist, 2nd place speaker |
Leeann Solice |
Front Row (l-r): Hayley Munguia, David Canzonetta, Sylvia Omozee, Allison Varney, Lindsey Butler, Meghan Overheim, Maggie Solice, Hudson Davis, Victoria Stowe (Chris Workman - not pictured)
Back Row (l-r): Coaches Karen Hense, Elizabeth Waldrop, Jennifer Arnold, Kirsten Nash, Kari Riemer (Tim Regal & LeeAnn Solice - not pictured)
Gipson Receives TASSP Award
Hendrickson High School Assistant Principal Willie Gipson recently received the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (TASSP) 2010 Outstanding Assistant Principal Award for Region 13.
TASSP recognizes outstanding principals and assistant principals for the twenty region Education Service Centers in the state. School administrators are nominated and chosen by their peers within their regions. Nominations are based upon exemplary performance and outstanding leadership. As Region 13 winner, Gipson is eligible to compete for the state title of Texas Assistant Principal of the Year.
Gipson has served as an Assistant Principal at all three PISD high school. He came to Pflugerville ISD in 1992 as an AP at Pflugerville High School, and then joined the Connally High staff in 1996. When a family move took him to Frisco in 1998, Gipson went to work for Frisco ISD as an AP at Wakeland High. The Gipson family moved back to Pflugerville in 2008 and he joined the Hendrickson High staff
Gipson has served on the Board of Directors for TASSP in both Region 10 (near the Dallas area) and Region 13.
As regional winner, Gipson was recognized during the Opening General Session of the annual TASSP Summer Workshop at the Austin Convention Center.