Aldine ISD’s Partner to Partner Newsletter

September 2012, Edition

Dear Education Partner:

The 2012-2013 school year is off to a great start thanks to our staff’s hard work and attention to detail. I have visited several schools and am pleased to see students already accustomed to the routines and procedures needed to ensure maximum learning time.

As we look ahead, 2012-2013 will be another exciting year filled with opportunities and challenges for students and staff. One of those challenges is student population growth in the district. Our population is now at 65,640 (as of Sept. 18), which is 1,000 students more than projected.

One of the highlights this year is the opening of General Benjamin Oliver Davis Jr. High School, which is the first new high school to open in Aldine ISD in 33 years. We will hold a formal dedication ceremony on Oct. 28.

We are also pleased to announce a new opportunity for students and staff. The Aldine Scholarship Fund (ASF) will become part of the Aldine Education Foundation (AEF). ASF was founded in 1991 by a group of individuals who donated a few dollars to provide college scholarships for Aldine students. Since that humble beginning, the fund has grown to more than $2 million and 937 AISD seniors have received scholarships thanks to ASF.

The expanded Foundation will not only continue to provide scholarships for students to attend Lone Star College, but it will also provide scholarship opportunities for students to attend other colleges and universities around the state and nation. AEF will also provide grants for teachers to help fund innovative projects.

Seth Sharr and Terry Williams serve as co-presidents of AEF. We will hold a kickoff breakfast on Thursday, Nov. 8 at 7 a.m. at the Hyatt North Houston Hotel (425 N. Sam Houston Parkway). Look for more information about the AEF on the district’s website and in communications sent directly to you. Individuals, businesses or corporations who would like to support the Aldine Education Foundation should call (281) 985-6078.

Thank you for your continued support and I look forward to seeing you out in the community this year.

Sincerely,
Wanda Bamberg Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

District Highlights

• The Aldine Alumni Allstars, a new non-profit organization committed to benefitting students in the district, recently donated more than $4,000 in school supplies to 38 students at Oleson Elementary School. Graduates of any Aldine ISD high school are welcomed to join the organization. For more information, contact Joey DeCloutte at (281) 731-5457.

• Aldine ISD Trustees set the tax rate for the 2012-13 school year during their Sept. 18 Board meeting. Trustees set the tax rate at $1.328388 ($0.195000 for interest and sinking and $1.133388 for maintenance and operations). The tax rate will remain the same as it was for the 2011-12 school year. A notice of the tax rate appeared in the Houston Chronicle, Northeast News and The Leader newspapers. The tax rate will allow the district to maintain and oversee the public schools in Aldine ISD, to pay outstanding bonds in the succeeding years and other lawful purposes.

• Hill Intermediate School placed fourth in the world in the 2012 Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge. Hill students read 1,290,609 minutes over the summer. Worsham Elementary placed ninth in the world with 1,057,259 minutes read and Odom Elementary placed 10th with 1,015,633 minutes read. Overall, Aldine students read a total of 12,756,426 minutes over the summer.

The Nation’s Best!

On Sept. 8, more than 600 volunteers participated in the annual Reach Out to Dropouts Walk. Aldine ISD Trustees, administrators, teachers and community members got up early to travel throughout the district to knock on doors looking for students who had not returned this school year. Their efforts were not wasted. On the day of the Walk, 21 AISD students decided to return to school immediately and 50 more committed to re-enroll. We will continue to encourage students who have left us to return.