Education
BY BRITTANY ANDERSON, ANNA MANESS & BROOKE SJOBERG
Architect chosen for RRISD renovations Round Rock ISD gave initial approvals for architects who will design renovations and expansions at four schools in April. What you need to know In an April 17 board meeting, district trustees approved the selection for architects to design renovations at McNeil and Stony Point High Schools, C.D. Fulkes Middle School and Berkman Elementary School. Several campuses will receive expansions to address needs of student populations after district voters passed $998 million in bonds in the November election. Project details for McNeil High School in Northwest Austin include: • Architect: Perkins & Will Architecture • Scope of work: interior renovation and campus expansion • Cost of design: $4.37 million 8 period school day gains ground in RRISD Some Round Rock ISD middle school campuses will move to an eight period school day in the 2025-26 school year, administrators shared at a March 27 meeting. This comes as a pilot program at C.D. Fulkes and PFC Robert P. Hernandez Middle Schools in the 2024-25 school year showed the shift allowed the campuses to better address the needs of dyslexic students. What you need to know Principals Penny Oates and Ebony Parks, joined by area Superintendents Nancy Guerrero and Patricia Ephlin, told trustees that the program allowed more dedicated time for core subjects and improved elective access for students. The two test schools were able to accommodate an eighth class period by shaving ve minutes o of the original seven periods, administrators told trustees. This additional class period allows the schools to meet legislative requirements for accelerated instruction as directed by House Bill
PfISD progresses on strategic plan A task force to help shape P ugerville ISD’s new strategic plan recently completed its list of action items, Superintendent Quin- tin Shepherd shared during a P ugerville Chamber of Commerce event in March. The details The task force, made up of 65 parents, students, teachers and other community members, met nine times over the course of ve months to create a list of ndings and
Administrators said campuses with more than 30% of students requiring accelerated instruction or lower test scores could be candidates for an eight-period school day, including: Candidates for the change
• Grisham Middle School • Deerpark Middle School • Chisholm Trail Middle School • Hopewell Middle School • Ridgeview Middle School
SOURCE: ROUND ROCK ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT
1416, and provide support to dyslexic students. Historically, with only seven class periods, parents have opted for their children not to receive dyslexia support services so they can use the class period to participate in elective courses. “We really had to examine our master bell schedules and determine how we could control for allowing students to access accelerated instruction intervention, dyslexia intervention while also ensuring that students had...choice for electives,” Ephlin said.
directions for future district action. Some of the goals included future
planning for students to develop passions and life skills, retaining and recruiting sta , transparent and intentional nancial planning, and building a culture of safety and connection for students. The expanded list, which includes actionable strategies the task force outlined with each nding and direction, is available at www.bit.ly/4lBsiPj.
St. Edward’s University, ACC launch transfer program
St. Edward’s University and Austin Community College are set to launch a new scholarship program this fall. The overview The program, named ACComplish @ St. Edward’s, will provide a $5,000 annual scholarship to full-time students transferring directly from ACC, according to a news release. Before arriving at St. Edward’s, ACC students can begin internships or research opportunities with faculty, per the release. ACComplish @ St. Edward’s will leverage the “2+2” transfer pathway, which allows students to earn an associate degree at a community college in two years and transfer to a four-year university to nish their bachelor’s degree. Through the new scholarship program, incoming ACC students will have the option to live on-campus at residence hall Casa, per the release. The facility opened in 2007 as the rst residence hall at St. Edward’s built speci cally for upperclassmen, per the university’s website. According to the St. Edward’s website, additional
The program will o er a $5,000 annual scholarship to eligible full-time students transferring from Austin Community College to St. Edward’s University.
COURTESY CHELSEA PURGAHN ST. EDWARD’S UNIVERSITY
scholarships available to full-time, rst-year and transfer students entering in the 2025-26 academic year include the: • Merit Scholarship: $12,000-$18,000 annually • Catholic High School Scholarship: $5,000 annually • IDEA Partner Scholarship: $5,000 annually • KIPP Partner Scholarship: $5,000 annually
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