SBISD Police Substation to open in former Spring Shadows Elementary

With safety and security as our very highest priority, we are pleased to share that the former Spring Shadows Elementary facility will house a Spring Branch ISD Police Substation, beginning this fall.  With the main SBISD Police Station located on the east side of the district, and a substation operating out of the Westchester Academy for International Studies facility to the west, this location will enable the SBISD Police to add a substation in the north central part of the district.

SBISD Police Substation to open in former Spring Shadows Elementary

With safety and security as our very highest priority, we are pleased to share that the former Spring Shadows Elementary facility will house a Spring Branch ISD Police Substation, beginning this fall.  With the main SBISD Police Station located on the east side of the district, and a substation operating out of the Westchester Academy for International Studies facility to the west, this location will enable the SBISD Police to add a substation in the north central part of the district.

Abbott touts Texas border initiatives at Republican National Convention. Here’s what he said

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott brought a familiar script with him to his prime time address to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Wednesday night, hammering against Democratic President Joe Biden's border and immigration policies and touting the Lone Star State's response to the surge in migrants at the Texas-Mexico border.  "Joe Biden deserted his duty on his first day in office," Abbott told the cheering delegates, many of who waved mass-produced bright blue placards saying "Mass Deportation Now!" "He gutted President (Donald) Trump's policies, and the result has been catastrophic. Under Joe Biden, illegal immigration has skyrocketed."  Abbott affirmed to the convention that Trump, if elected, would "send them back," referring to undocumented immigrants.  Since Biden ousted Trump from the White House after the 2020 election, Abbott swiftly assumed the mantle of the nation's loudest voice for beefed-up border security. And the three-term Republican governor of the U.S. state with largest border with Mexico made sure the GOP delegates inside Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum knew it.  Abbott has been a Trump stalwart dating back to the former president's first campaign in 2016. This cycle Abbott gave Trump his endorsement in November 2023, and in February the governor and the former president joined forces in Eagle Pass where Abbott had amassed a militarized encampment in that border city as part of his $11 billion Operation Lone Star initiative.

Explained: Everything voters need to know about Austin ISD’s tax rate election

Longview ISD releases contract details, First 100-Day Plan for new Superintendent Dr. Marla Sheppard

Dr. Marla Sheppard's official contract with Longview ISD includes an annual salary of $275,000 and is effective from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2027.  Terms of the contract include providing professional development and other benefits, including reimbursement for moving expenses and the requirement that Dr. Sheppard reside within the district. More information about Dr. Sheppard's contract is available on the district website: w3.LISD.org/leadership July 8, 2024 also marks Dr. Sheppard's first official workday as Superintendent and the new chief is not wasting any time! Her First 100-Day Plan outlines some of the immediate goals of her administration toward developing a long-term strategic vision for the entire district.  The plan emphasizes building transparent relationships with the board, fostering community engagement, and enhancing academic excellence, as well as fostering trust and buy-in within the greater Longview community.  Community members are encouraged to review the plan on the district website: w3.LISD.org/leadership For more information please contact LISD Communications at ask@lisd.org or call 903-381-2235.  

Billions in taxpayer dollars now go to religious schools via vouchers

Billions in taxpayer dollars are being used to pay tuition at religious schools throughout the country, as state voucher programs expand dramatically and the line separating public education and religion fades. School vouchers can be used at almost any private school, but the vast majority of the money is being directed to religious schools, according to a Washington Post examination of the nation’s largest voucher programs. Vouchers, government money that covers education costs for families outside the public schools, vary by state but offer up to $16,000 per student per year, and in many cases fully cover the cost of tuition at private schools. In some schools, a large share of the student body is benefiting from a voucher, meaning a significant portion of the school’s funding is coming directly from the government.