Education
BY ANGELA BONILLA & HANNAH BROL
YES Prep launches expansion campaign YES Prep Public Schools has launched a new four-year, $80 million campaign dubbed “The Power of YES,” o cials announced in an Oct. 23 news release. The gist The campaign will allow the Houston charter school system to invest in technol- ogy and facilities while working toward becoming an “A”-rated district. According to the news release, the initiative will add 5,000 new school seats; complete YES Prep’s full pre-K-12 feeder pattern; fund the con- struction of six new schools; rebuild three of YES Prep’s oldest campuses; and invest in innovative programs, bilingual education and tools that prepare students for college, careers and leadership. Conroe ISD approves policies following new state legislation The Conroe ISD board of trustees on Oct. 21 approved 11 new district policies as a result of legislation passed by the 89th Texas Legislature earlier this year. The setup The slate of new education laws at the state level includes updated requirements from Senate Bill 12 that aim to expand parental authority on students’ moral, religious, educational and medical decisions, per prior reporting. Among the updated policies adopted in October in accordance with SB 12 are one providing guid- ance on teaching controversial subjects, requiring instruction to be objective and based on Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills requirements, according to meeting materials. CISD Superintendent David Vinson told the board and public at the Oct. 21 meeting there are two types of policy—legal policy to comply with Texas laws and local policy adopted by trustees that can be clari ed or expanded.
LSCS hires chancellor for alumni relations
Adopted policies include:
Board Policy EA: The policy covers where the district will post class syllabuses. Board Policy BED: The policy requires that parents of enrolled students can speak rst during public comment. Board Policy FM: The policy pertains to student participation in student activity groups, establishing certain prohibitions and guidelines.
Lone Star College System appointed its rst associate vice chancellor of Alumni Relations and Engagement on Oct. 20. Per the release, Carolyn Donovan will be charged with the development of the Lone Star College
Carolyn Donovan
SOURCE: CONROE ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT
Alumni Association. Explaining the role The initiative aims to celebrate the
Conroe ISD developing 2026 27 calendar Conroe ISD is in the process of developing a calendar for the 2026-27 school year, which o cials expect will be presented for approval to the board of trustees in January. What to know Hedith Sauceda-Upshaw, the district’s assis- tant superintendent for teaching and learning, discussed the calendar at an Oct. 21 board of trustees meeting. As a District of Innovation, the district has the exibility for the rst day of school to occur before Aug. 25. Even with this exibility, there is a minimum of 75,600 instructional minutes in the school year, Sauceda-Upshaw said. She said the calendars a ect planning for families and the region. “Our calendar greatly a ects all family schedules [and] it a ects the county as a whole. If Conroe He said the cellphone ban, which was adopted at the Aug. 22 meeting to take e ect this school year, is another example of a legal policy based on state law, as previously reported by Community Impact . “I think it’s important for the public to know when you pass a policy, it’s not just, ‘Here’s a group of stu ’ and you approve it, but that you actually have ve steps that we take,” Vinson said. Those steps include determining policy needs; research and drafting; legal review; and rst and second readings, he said. The board adopted 11 policies at the Oct. 21 meeting and 12 more are in process to potentially be adopted in November, Vinson said.
achievements of LSCS graduates, foster professional and personal connections and create opportunities for alumni to give back through mentorship, advocacy and community engagement. The college system has a network of more than 150,000 alumni, according to the news release. What else? Per the release, Donovan previously led the alumni relations program at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island.
Upcoming plans Dec. 8-17: Additional community survey Jan. 14: Consider feedback Jan. 20: Board could adopt calendar Suggested 2026 27 holidays Election Day: Nov. 3, 2026 Spring holiday: March 26, 2027 Memorial Day: May 31, 2027
SOURCE: CONROE ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT
ISD is not in session, neither are most daycares,” Sauceda-Upshaw said. She later clari ed there are several area preschools that follow the CISD calendar. Digging deeper The calendars can work as a recruitment tool, especially with the exibility for work days for the teachers to meet the required 187 days, Sauceda-Upshaw said.
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CONROE MONTGOMERY EDITION
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