The Woodlands Edition | March 2022

EDUCATION BRIEFS

QUOTEOFNOTE

Employee shortage improves in Conroe ISD

NUMBER TOKNOW Conroe ISD student attendance reached a 2022 high on several days in February and March with 95% of students in attendance, according to the CISD COVID-19 dashboard, which provides information on cases in the district. As of March 9, student attendance was 95%. The day with the lowest student attendance in 2022 was 90% on Feb. 3. 95% EDUCATIONHIGHLIGHTS CONROE ISD The annual safety and security project for Conroe ISD was approved in January, including upgrades to campus security systems, such as access controls. The project is funded by the 2019 bond package, and $44.47 million is budgeted for safety and security. MAGNOLIA ISD An early resignation incentive program was approved by the Magnolia ISD board of trustees for employees on Feb. 10. The program offers a one-time $500 payment to employees who submit their resignation by 4 p.m. March 31. LONE STARCOLLEGE Students in the Lone Star College System can become Texas licensed police officers through the LSCS Law Enforcement Academy, the college announced Feb. 21. “IFWE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH TEACHERS, THENYOU CAN’T SAFELYOPEN SCHOOL. BUTWEWERE ABLE TOGET THROUGH ... AROUGHPATCH AMONTHAGO.” CURTIS NULL, CONROE ISD SUPERINTENDENT, ON JANUARY TEACHER SHORTAGES The Conroe ISD board of trustees will meet at 6 p.m. March 22 at 3205 W. Davis St., Conroe. 936-709-7752. • www.conroeisd.net The Magnolia ISD board of trustees will meet at 6:30 p.m. March 21 at 11659 FM 1488, Magnolia. 281-356-3571. • www.magnoliaisd.org The Tomball ISD board of trustees will meet at 5:30 p.m. April 12 at 310 S. Cherry St., Tomball. 281-357-3100. • www.tomballisd.net MEETINGSWE COVER

BY ALLY BOLENDER

FEWER ABSENCES Students and employees who test positive or have symptoms for COVID-19 are isolated, and isolated teachers require substitutes. COVID-19 test reports and isolations for both employees and students are on a downward trend since the mid-January peak, according to the dashboard. “This last little bump we had really impacted our staff,” Null said at the Feb. 11 Economic Outlook Conference. “Now we see ourselves in a much better place.” in attendance on several days in February and March. Positive

CONROE ISD Fewer students and teachers have been isolated due to COVID-19 symptoms or positive tests in early 2022, according to Conroe ISD officials. COVID-19 isolations require infected employees to stay home. CISD Superintendent Curtis Null said employee isolations and low availability of substitutes to fill empty classrooms could result in school closures. According to the COVID-19 dashboard, on Jan. 15, 632 employ- ees were in isolation, which was the highest number of employees in isolation recorded by the district. By March 10, that number had dropped to 17 employees. In addition, the district’s substitute teacher fill rate has seen recovery since mid-January. On Jan. 24, the district reported the lowest substitute fill rate of 2022 with 57% of needed substitute positions filled. As of March 10, the fill rate had increased to 84%. Student attendance reached a 2022 high of 95% of students

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Employee isolations

632

Jan. 15 Mar. 10

Substitute fill rate

57%

Jan. 24 Mar. 10

84%

SOURCE: CONROE ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

Tomball ISD to growhealth care programs

BY ANNA LOTZ

TOMBALL ISD Three Tomball entities—Tomball ISD, HCA Houston Healthcare Tomball and Lone Star College-Tomball—are working to launch a Pathways in Technology Early College High School, or P-TECH, in health professions, TISD officials said. According to the Texas Education Agency, a P-TECH is an open-en- rollment high school that allows students who are least likely to attend college to receive both a high school diploma as well as a credential and/or associate degree at no cost via a work-based education. If approved by the state, TISD TOMBALL INNOVATION CENTER The program would be housed at the

officials said the programwill launch in the 2023-24 school year, and appli- cations would open during the 2022-23 school year for ninth-grade students. According to the TEA, districts must file a planning year application. If approved, eligible districts spend five years provisionally working to meet the standards set for college and career readiness school models. LSC-Tomball President Lee Ann Nutt said the work-based programwill likely begin with about 25 students. If approved, the P-TECH program will be housed at the Tomball Innovation Center on FM 2920, said Bob Thompson, TISD dean of student advancement. Susan Harris, director of nursing administration for HCA Houston Healthcare Tomball, said potential certification programs include pharmacy technician, operating room scrub technician, patient care assistant, phlebotomy technician and electrocardiogram (EKG) technician.

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THE WOODLANDS EDITION • MARCH 2022