Pearland - Friendswood Edition | February 2024

Education

BY HALEY VELASCO

Pearland ISD replaces student laptops for $6.2M Students in grades 5-12 will receive new per- sonal school laptops after Pearland ISD’s board of trustees approved the purchase at its Jan. 23 meeting. The gist The board approved the laptop purchases,

Friendswood ISD teachers get pay raise Teachers in Friendswood ISD will receive a new 2% pay raise over the summer in a one-time payment after the board of trustees approved the increase at its Jan. 16 meeting. The gist In July, the FISD board approved a 1.5% increase for district employees, including teachers. At the time of that vote, the board also discussed an additional increase of up to 2% for teachers. It’s estimated the cost of the 2% increase by itself will come in a little under $700,000, documents show. The decision for the 2% pay increase was dependent on the future status of the district’s nances, including the district’s voter-approval tax rate election, or VATRE, which passed in November.

which were awarded to HP in a $6.23 million contract in a 5-1 vote. Trustee Kris Schoeer was the lone vote against it. The decision came after the board considered 22 dierent quotes to purchase 13,800 laptops, according to district documents. Schoeer opposed the purchase from a con- cern of the state of Texas being too forceful with current technology use within schools, as well as concerns over screen time. On the other side, trustee Sean Murphy said he felt the laptops would add convenience and help students make up class if they missed school.

“I think we need to get a message to the

“If you have a kid that’s out with the u for three

days ... If they have a laptop then they could possibly do some of that Canvas work [from home].” SEAN MURPHY, PISD SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE FOR

AGAINST

state of Texas that because of the actions they’ve taken, our hand is forced, and we’re having to educate in this way.”

KRIS SCHOEFFLER, PISD SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE

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