Education
BY BROOKE SJOBERG
Community speaks against potential course After rumors about a potential course change that could reduce the number of electives a stu- dent could take at the middle school level, several P ugerville ISD community members confronted the board during a Dec. 7 board workshop. District o cials said a decision about requiring career and technical training courses has not been made. What happened? Opponents of the measure said many of their children might be forced to choose between ne arts, foreign language and athletics if an elective slot were occupied by a required course combining Career and Technology Education with health. PfISD Chief Communications O cer Tamra Spence told Community Impact the district was exploring the possibility of the required eighth grade course. While gathering input from depart- ment heads about the impact of such a course,
Flores named interim PfISD superintendent P ugerville ISD board of trustees named former Round Rock ISD Superintendent Steve Flores as the interim superintendent Dec. 14. What you need to know The decision came after Superintendent Doug Killian announced he was leaving to take up the same role at Cypress-Fairbanks ISD after six years at PfISD.
HISD could exempt some students from rezoning Hutto ISD’s ongoing leveling of attendance boundaries could come with a policy allowing students to stay at their current campuses. In a nutshell The rezoning for the district’s middle schools once Gus Almquist Middle School opens in 2024 will see students reallocated to ease capacity at middle schools within the district. The district’s Attendance Rezoning & Boundary Leveling Committee has recommended rising seventh grade students be able to stay at their current campus for the 2024-25 school year. The details The committee has recommended rising sev- enth graders be allowed to apply for an exception to the rezoning using the district’s existing transfer application, exempting the fee.
5,000 more students expected by 2033 A recent demographic report from Zonda Education shows Hutto ISD will see its student population grow by 5,000 students in the next 10 years. In a nutshell The demographic report projects that HISD’s total enrollment will grow from 10,053 in the 2023-24 school year to 15,482 by the 2033-34 school year. Henry Gideon, HISD’s assistant superintendent of oper- ations, said the projections have slowed only slightly from previous years due to heightened interest rates. The report also estimates around 1,700 new homes will be constructed each year for the next two to three years, driving growth in HISD.
“All these students are geocoded. We know which students
are a ected, and so those families will be contacted directly.” HENRY GIDEON, HISD ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF OPERATIONS
Several P ugerville ISD parents, students and employees asked the district to reconsider a potential required course during a Dec. 7 board workshop.
BROOKE SJOBERG COMMUNITY IMPACT
Henry Gideon, HISD’s assistant superintendent of operations, said the recommendation comes with the requirement that grandfathered stu- dents would need to be transported by guardians. Gideon said the committee has narrowed an initial four options for rezoning to two, with consideration for how quickly each campus might approach capacity. A tentative schedule for the process shows a nal recommendation for the rezoning may come before the board at its January workshop for consideration and potential approval.
information was shared with the community prematurely, she said. What they’re saying PfISD parent Lindsay Ballard said she is generally in support of CTE courses in the district but does not believe this requirement would bene t middle school students as much as electives might. “What are we taking away from our kids and what are they gaining from this?” Ballard said. “Our students should not have to give up classes they love.”
“Dr. Flores...will do a wonderful job of ensuring we don’t miss a beat during this transition.” RENAE MITCHELL, PFISD BOARD PRESIDENT.
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