Sixth Annual BRAGGING RIGHTS 2012-2013 Navigating to Excellence 12 Texas school districts create pathways to success Hereford Greenville Lake Dallas Midland Abilene El Paso Barbers Hill San Marcos Bryan Angleton Calallen McAllen School and Public Law in Texas Legislative Litigation Employment Law Board Governance Election Law EEOC Charges Charter School Law Employee Grievances Constitutional Issues Redistricting Special Education Disability Law School Finance Construction Real Estate Many lawyers will offer to handle your legal services. At Thompson & Horton, we are uniquely qualified to do more – we strive to be your partners in accomplishing the mission of educating Texas school children. We represent your voice in Austin, because looking out for you and the needs of educators in Texas are our main goals. We are the only firm that adds value to your district by helping to shape and influence the law in areas critical to your success, such as public-school funding, state legislative policy, and special education legislation. 3200 Southwest Freeway, Suite 2000 • Houston, Texas 77027 • (713) 554-6767 www.thompsonhorton.com SIxth Annual BRAGGING RIGHTS 2012-2013 table of contents Abilene ISD Angleton ISD Barbers Hill ISD District cranks up the WHOA day of service Elementary school plants student experience projects teach life lessons, foundation for growing 7 with top-notch magnet 10 good citizenry 14 and learning programs by Jennifer LeClaire by Autumn Rhea Carpenter by Karen Adler Bryan ISD Calallen ISD El Paso ISD High school Journalism District spearheads Alpha Initiative treats Department moves into program that offers dual- truancy as an invitation to 18 the Digital Age 21 credit courses for students 25 reconnect with by Shelley Seale across region at-risk youth by Elizabeth Millard by Bobby Hawthorne Greenville ISD Hereford ISD Lake Dallas ISD District has the community Health Science Technology Parent involvement center seeing red — and it’s not Education offers real-world strengthens families to 28 what you’d expect 32 experience, skills 35 strengthen students by Autumn Rhea Carpenter by John Egan by Raven L. Hill McAllen ISD Midland ISD San Marcos CISD District puts cutting-edge Small district in West District feeds the future technology into hands of Texas creates world-class with mobile meals 39 all students at all schools 43 transportation call centers delivery program by Raven L. Hill by Ford Gunter 49 by Jeff Carmack From the editor Publisher Ted Siff 5 Editor in Chief Jim Walsh Editorial Director Katie Ford Advertising Sales Manager Jim Johnson Director of Marketing and Customer Relations Stephen Markel Design Phaedra Strecher Office Services Ambrose Austin (ISSN 0563-2978 USPS 541-620) Bragging Rights 2012-13 • Volume LVIX, Issue 3 1601 Rio Grande Street, #455 • Austin, Texas 78701 • Phone: 512-478-2113 • Fax: 512-495-9955 www.texasschoolbusiness.com ISSN 0563-2978 USPS 541-620 Published monthly, except for July/August and November/December, and for the Best in Class issue published in August and the Bragging Rights issue published in December (12 times a year) by Texas School Business Magazine, LLC, 1601 Rio Grande Street, #455, Austin, TX 78701. Periodical Postage Paid at Austin, Texas and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Texas School Business,1601 Rio Grande Street, #455, Austin, TX 78701. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: © Copyright 2012 $28 per year; $52 for two yrs; $72 for three yrs. Group rate: 10 or more, $18; single issues, $4.50. Texas School Business Magazine LLC TEXAS SCHOOL BUSINESS . Bragging Rights . 2012-2013 3 Fibrebond’s innovative construction method uses precast concrete buildings to shorten the time from architectural design to project completion. BUILDING BETTER SCHOOLS FIBREBOND | 800.824.2614 | 1300 Davenport Drive | Minden, LA 71055 | www.fibrebond.com Sixth Annual BRAGGING RIGHTS 2012-2013 From the editor I say this every year, but I’m going to say it This year’s panelists were: again: Producing the Bragging Rights issue is • Linsae Snider, executive director, Texas such an inspiring and rewarding experience! School Public Relations Association This year we had so many stellar nominations from which to choose. Administrators and • Suzanne Marchman, director of communi- teachers from all corners of the Lone Star cations and media relations, Texas Asso- State submitted a wide range of success ciation of School Administrators; and stories, making it difficult for us to choose only 12 programs to highlight in this annual issue. • Clyde Steelman, executive director, ESC However, we managed to narrow it down, and Region 11. we are honored to share these exemplary A big “thank you” to our panelists and to all Katie Ford programs with you. the people who nominated such brag-worthy We could not have produced this issue with- programs. We are humbled and honored to out the keen insights and observations of our share your stories with our readers. Bragging Rights panelists, who each took the time to review the nominations and suggest their top 12. From their three lists, we at Texas School Business selected the final 12. Katie Ford Linsae Suzanne Clyde Snider Marchman Steelman TEXAS SCHOOL BUSINESS . Bragging Rights . 2012-2013 5 PCAT ad 11-2013_FINAL_10-25.pdf 1 10/25/2012 11:26:21 AM C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Abilene ISD District cranks up the student experience with top-notch magnet programs by Karen Adler At Abilene ISD, “college and career ready” Enter Scotty Holland, an Abilene High School gradu- isn’t just a catchphrase tossed around at board ate who went on to play football at Hardin-Simmons meetings. It’s a promise, thanks to three innovative and later became CEO of Pennzoil. He already was a magnet programs, all located at an institution of major donor to the university, and he liked the idea higher education. of a private institution joining forces with a public school district to create such a program. The three programs — two high school level and one elementary level — emphasize math, science, tech- Holland funded construction of the Holland Health nology and health care and have proven hugely suc- Science Building, which was built on the university cessful. Magnet students overall boast higher atten- campus specifically to serve the needs of a magnet dance rates and test scores, and high school magnet high school. The building is across the street from students are graduating with college credit and mar- Hendrick Medical Center, which also provided par- ketable certifications. tial funding and offers clinical rotations for magnet Superintendent students studying to be nursing aides, pharmacy Heath Burns The divide between K-12 education and higher edu- technicians, dental assistants, medical assistants and cation is closing fast. phlebotomy technicians. It’s a major turnaround for a West Texas district that six Since Holland Medical High School opened for years ago only offered two traditional high schools. the 2007-2008 school year, enrollment in Abilene “Our magnets are an opportunity to experience ISD’s health science program has doubled, and great rigor while delving into programs of study students have earned more than 300 industry-ready that are specific and geared toward a student’s area certificates, says Ashby, now the district’s director of interest,” Abilene ISD Superintendent Heath of communications. Burns says. “The end result is more college-ready About 200 juniors and seniors from Abilene High students who graduate from AISD with both the School and Cooper High School spend half their day capacity and confidence to succeed in career and on the Hardin-Simmons campus. college pathways.” Shane Davidson, Hardin-Simmons’ vice president for Almost a decade ago, the Abilene ISD Board of enrollment and marketing management, says that af- Trustees appointed a 20-member task force of edu- ter graduation, students are ready to enter the work- cation, community and business leaders to study the force or pursue a college degree. feasibility of magnet programs. The partnership is a win-win-win for the school dis- Task force members noted that a health science trict, the university and Abilene, especially consider- magnet program would be critical to keeping gradu- ing the statewide shortage of nurses and health care ates in West Texas — and Abilene, in particular, which providers in general, says Davidson, who was elected has a large medical community. to the Abilene ISD Board of Trustees this past May. There was one major problem. It creates a recruiting pipeline for the university, and “We didn’t have the finances to “health care is an opportunity that is always going to build a building, and we didn’t be there,” Davidson adds. “There’s always going to want a school-within-a-school con- be a need for health care workers.” cept,” recalls Phil Ashby, former A year after Holland opened, Abilene ISD was ready director of Holland Medical High to expand its magnet offerings, but this time the dis- School, the district’s first magnet trict shifted its focus to younger students. Phil Ashby program. “The idea was to make this special.” McMagnets Holland Medical High School Selected by lottery from elementary schools across Abilene ISD, a single fifth-grade class of students are District leaders approached officials at Hardin- now known proudly as “McMagnets” because they Simmons University in Abilene; they were thrilled at attend school full time on the McMurry University the prospect of a partnership but also lacked space campus. The magnet program focuses on math and and funding. See ABILENE on page 8 TEXAS SCHOOL BUSINESS . Bragging Rights . 2012-2013 7 ABILENE continued from page 7 “Long term, I’m hoping they’ll maintain their interest in math and science,” she says. science, but students receive in- struction in all academic areas. Each summer since 2009, McMurry has hosted a sci- ence camp for future McMagnets, as well as a week- “It’s a fabulous set up,” says Mc- long camp for each of the former classes of students.