Galveston Independent School District is a school district headquartered in Galveston , Texas , United States .
53-501: The Texas Education Agency rated the school district as having "Met Standard" in 2013. Galveston ISD takes students from the cities of Galveston and Jamaica Beach . Galveston ISD also serves unincorporated areas of Galveston County , including the communities of Port Bolivar and Crystal Beach on the Bolivar Peninsula . As of 2022 GISD uses a "freedom of choice" model in which a student may seek to attend any school in
106-609: A Chief of School Safety and Security within the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to coordinate efforts across various agencies and divisions, ensuring effective implementation of safety policies and best practices. This position was to report directly to the Commissioner and have a direct line to the Governor’s Office, enhancing communication and collaboration without duplicating existing work. Abbott underscored
159-722: A K-8 center. All high school students in Galveston ISD were zoned to attend Ball High School . Galveston College serves the catchment area of Galveston ISD. In 1881, the citizens of Galveston, authorized by the Legislative Act 1879 which specified that all cities of a certain size could initiate and maintain their own school system, organized a public school district and elected a board of trustees. Some 20 teachers were employed to teach students in grades one through seven. Prior to this time, all education in Galveston
212-551: A building consisting of 12 classrooms, two offices and an auditorium. According to Gary Cartwright's "Galveston, A History of the Island", two aldermen pressured the school board to open the new school to all races. At first, the school board agreed to do that but changed its mind when Ball's heirs offered to give another $ 10,000 if the high school was only for white students. Susan Wiley Hardwick's Mythic Galveston: Reinventing America's Third Coast documents that Central High School
265-704: A complaint with the U.S. federal government asserting that GISD violated a desegregation order. Pat Guseman, an official with Pasa Demographics, predicted that GISD would lose about 1,468 students in the five years after 2007. Guseman said that many of the student losses would originate from the East End of the island. The demographer, characterizing the change in Galveston demographics as " Hamptonization ," stated that economically disadvantaged children and Hispanic children are increasing, while African-American children are decreasing, as of 2007. Guseman cited increasing private school enrollment, increasing costs of housing, and
318-606: A dearth of local employment as reasons for the loss of students in Galveston. During that year, Christine Hopkins, a spokesperson for the district, said that the housing costs and perceptions of GISD schools caused many families to move from the GISD area. Before Hurricane Ike hit Galveston in September 2008, GISD had 7,900 students. After Ike hit Galveston, the district lost 25% of its total enrollment. Burnet and Scott Elementary Schools and Central Middle School received severe damage;
371-574: A detailed dress code requiring solid-colored polo shirts , turtlenecks , solid-colored trousers, and blue denim jeans. Students in Ball Preparatory Academy wear the same as Greater Ball High School. Galveston ISD has its own TV channel available on Comcast Cable channel 17. The channel includes current information about the school district including recent news in short video clips; school board meetings are also shown. Zoned Open enrollment Comprehensive Former Magnet From
424-511: A direct line to the Governor’s Office. He will coordinate safety efforts among multiple state agencies and school districts. Governor Abbott has also outlined significant actions to support the Uvalde community and enhance school safety statewide, including financial investments, mental health services, and legislative initiatives. The mission of the Office of School Safety and Security is to build
477-455: A federal investigation. State education officials set an arbitrary limit of 8.5% for the number of students who could receive special education services. By strictly enforcing district compliance with the benchmark, the rate of students receiving special education in Texas fell to 8.5% in 2015, far below the national average of 13%. School districts implemented a wide range of practices to reduce
530-527: A former education board chairman who was the leader of the conservative bloc. Ratliff said in 2013 that the board is "far different" in political complexion that it was in 2010. In 2022, the GOP captured an additional seat, bringing their total to 10 of the 15-member board. Many are social conservatives, campaigning against critical race theory and gender identity lessons. [1] To serve the large number of individual school districts and charter schools in Texas, TEA
583-401: A letter dated June 9, 2022, to Commissioner Morath, Governor Abbott emphasized the urgent need to prevent future tragedies like the one in Uvalde by enhancing school safety measures. Despite the comprehensive school safety and mental health legislation passed in 2019 and subsequent efforts, he stated that further actions were necessary before the next school year. Abbott called for the creation of
SECTION 10
#1732776512184636-523: A sister publication. It currently serves as the newspaper of record for the City of Galveston as well as Galveston County . On April 11, 1842, George H. French began publication of the Daily News , as a single broadsheet paper. At the time, Texas was an independent Republic , with Sam Houston serving as president, and Galveston was its largest port and primary city. By 1843, Willard Richardson
689-648: Is Mike Morath. A former member of the Dallas Independent School District's board of trustees, he was appointed commissioner of education by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on December 14, 2015. The commissioner's role is to lead and manage the Texas Education Agency. The commissioner also co-ordinates efforts between state and federal agencies. TEA is overseen by a 15-member State Board of Education (SBOE) elected from single-member districts. There are no term limits . Terms are four years in length, with one two-year term each decade. Similar to
742-434: Is a separate entity not under TEA oversight. In addition to primary and secondary education, TEA has oversight duties with respect to driver's education courses (initial permits) and defensive driving courses (used to have a ticket dismissed and/or for lower insurance premiums). On November 7, 2007, Christine Comer resigned as the director of the science curriculum after more than nine years. Comer said that her resignation
795-612: Is divided in the monitoring and technical assistance division and the school readiness division. Galveston County Daily News The Daily News , formerly the Galveston County Daily News and Galveston Daily News , is a newspaper published in Galveston, Texas , United States. It was first published April 11, 1842, making it the oldest newspaper in the U.S. state of Texas . The newspaper founded The Dallas Morning News on October 1, 1885, as
848-813: Is divided into 20 regions, each containing an Education Service Center (ESC, sometimes called regional service center or regional education service center). Under Chapter 8 of the Texas Education Code, ESCs perform the following tasks on behalf of TEA: The assistance applies to both districts and schools, including charter schools. Notably, the ESCs have no regulatory authority over districts or schools (TEA headquarters reserves this right to itself). ESCs are not political units, and as such have no taxing authority. They are funded by state and federal funding, as well as by contracts made with individual districts and schools. TEA rates schools and districts using
901-709: Is the branch of the government of Texas responsible for public education in Texas in the United States. The agency is headquartered in the William B. Travis State Office Building in downtown Austin . Mike Morath , formerly a member of the Dallas Independent School District 's board of trustees, was appointed commissioner of education by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on December 14, 2015, and began serving on January 4, 2016. Prior to
954-450: Is the district's stadium. The stadium was 62 years old as of January 22, 2010, Before 2010 GISD was deciding whether to renovate Courville Stadium. If the district decided to renovate Courville stadium, it would have had to purchase 75 structures, including a church, to build enough parking spaces. Galveston law requires one parking space per 200-square-foot (19 m) of building space, and Courville, which had 140 parking spaces, did not have
1007-433: Is to instill a culture of constant vigilance and accountability across all Texas schools. A statutory addition from HB3 charged the agency with establishing the Office of School Safety and Security - a division consisting of individuals with substantial expertise and experience in school or law enforcement safety and security operations. The passage of this bill created Texas Education Code, Section. 37.1083 and 37.1084. In
1060-559: The Moody Foundation chose to sell the paper to William P. Hobby Jr. , owner of the Houston Post . The Hobbys, who also owned the competing Galveston Tribune , chose to discontinue that publication and convert the Daily News into a daily evening publication. In June 1967 Galveston Newspapers Inc., purchased the paper and changed The News to daily morning format. On Sunday November 7, 2004, The Daily News absorbed
1113-708: The Texas City Sun , a smaller sister publication that had been founded in 1912 and was based in Texas City , Texas. The paper has won first place awards from the Associated Press and the Texas Press Association in editorial writing, headline writing and general excellence, as well as breaking news articles. In November 2011 the paper dropped the "Galveston County" moniker and returned to its original name, The Daily News . It
SECTION 20
#17327765121841166-430: The 1996-1997 school year to the 2006-2007 school year. If the trend continues for fall 2007, the district would lose 300 students to the newly opened Ambassadors Preparatory School, a charter school, in addition to 94 students, translating to a loss of 10.6% of the district's total elementary school students. At the end of 2006, GISD's total enrollment was about 8,700. From 2006 to 2007 enrollment fell by 642. In January 2007
1219-622: The 2008-2009 school year, Galveston ISD would operate four PreK-4 elementary schools and two K-4 elementary schools. Weis Middle School would become a 5-6 school. Central Middle School would become a 7-8 school. Austin Middle School would become a magnet school for grades 5-8. Now GISD is configured in Galveston schools reopened in October 2008. Galveston ISD Police Department is a school district police department established under
1272-442: The 2022-2023 school year Weis will begin to be a 5th grade-only school, Austin will only have 6th graders, and Central will only have grades 7 and 8. From the 2024-2025 school year Austin will change to an elementary school, consolidating the populations of the former Morgan and Rosenberg elementary schools, which will be closed. Zoned: All of the following schools are in Galveston. Unzoned: As of 2010, Kermit Courville Stadium
1325-641: The arrangement of the Texas Senate , SBOE members are divided into two groups based in part on the intervening Census: As such, every two years, about half of the SBOE is on the ballot. The board devises policies and sets academic standards for Texas public schools, and oversees the state Permanent School Fund and selects textbooks to be used in Texas schools. Since 2011, the board can still recommend textbooks, but public school districts can order their own books and materials even if their selections are not on
1378-449: The capacity of the regional education service centers (ESCs) and local education agencies (LEAs) to promote the physical and psychological well-being of students and staff - recognizing that safer schools positively impact student outcomes. We align school safety and security expertise with guidance provided through technical assistance to ensure effective best practices are implemented across the state. The Office of School Safety and Security
1431-557: The citizens, then we ought to take) a thorough look at what they are doing." In 2010, Al Jezeera stated that it was "drafting its own version of American history", including altering school textbooks to remove what it said was a "left-leaning bias" and making changes that are said to have "religious and racial overtones". A series of reports in 2016 by the Houston Chronicle found that since at least 2004, TEA denied special education services to thousands of students, prompting
1484-566: The collective responsibility to provide a safe environment for all students, educators, and staff. Governor Greg Abbott announced the appointment of John P. Scott as the new Chief of School Safety and Security within the Texas Education Agency (TEA) on October 3. This position was created following the tragedy at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde to ensure the implementation of school safety policies and best practices across Texas. Scott, who has an extensive background in security and intelligence, will report directly to Commissioner Mike Morath and have
1537-432: The configurations of its elementary and middle schools within the city of Galveston. Some parents expressed concern about consolidating the middle schools, because Weis and Central had different student demographics, with Weis having a wealthier student body. Ending in the 2007-2008 school year, Galveston ISD operates: After spring 2008, Alamo Elementary School would be converted into a multi-purpose center. Starting in
1590-469: The curriculum controversy, was released. In late January 2013, PBS's Independent Lens aired an abridged version the film. Texas House Speaker Joe Straus of San Antonio, Texas said that the government should "take a look" at the structure of the board and consider a nonpartisan or appointed board if the elected members are "not getting their job done and they're not pleasing the Legislature or
1643-511: The district if the school has a seat for the given student. The district only provides school bus transportation on the Bolivar Peninsula for the Crenshaw K-8 School. For the campuses in Galveston, the district will provide transportation to any part of GISD. In previous eras Galveston ISD house or residential area was assigned to an elementary school and a middle school. In Port Bolivar, the houses and residential areas are zoned to
Galveston Independent School District - Misplaced Pages Continue
1696-517: The district said the schools would not open in fall 2009. In March 2009 GISD cut 163 positions, including 99 teaching positions; 40% of the total cut positions had already been vacant. In the fall of 2009, the district had 6,235 students, 1,665 fewer than the previous year. This was a 20% decrease from pre-Ike. The district had expected 6,000 students to be enrolled during the 2009-2010 school year; it had 235 more than expected. In March 2007, Galveston ISD announced that it would introduce plans to change
1749-496: The form of requiring the district to submit corrective action plans and regular status reports, assigning monitors to oversee operations (including the authority to assign a management board, which essentially replaces and performs the duties of the elected school board), and in extreme cases closure of a school campus or even the entire school district. The University Interscholastic League (UIL), which oversees academic and athletic interscholastic competition in Texas public schools,
1802-714: The island to many cities, including Texas City , League City , and La Marque . Galveston ISD's tax base grew by 13% in 2005. Including all students, GISD lost 8% of its students (780) between the 2002-2003 school year and the 2006-2007 school year, with a 7% loss (610) in 2006. The district lost 12% of its students during the same years when Hurricane Katrina evacuees and out-of-district students were excluded. Galveston ISD lost students to mainland school districts such as Clear Creek ISD and Dickinson ISD . District enrollment fell by 101 students from 2004-2005 to 2005-2006. The district missed 772 students on October 30, 2006. Elementary school enrollment had dropped about 2.3 percent from
1855-436: The late 1940s, many school districts in Texas did not operate schools but spent money to send children to schools operated by other districts. In the late 1940s, state lawmakers passed a bill abolishing those districts, prompting a wave of mass school district consolidation. TEA is responsible for the oversight of public primary and secondary education in the state of Texas, involving over 1,000 individual school districts in
1908-594: The middle schools had 934 vacant slots while the elementary schools had 834 vacant slots. On January 2, 2007, the Galveston County Daily News published a report about parents frustrated over plans to close Scott Elementary School. The District Education Council approved a GISD plan to close multiple schools. On May 15, 2007, the Houston Chronicle reported that the League of United Latin American Citizens , in an attempt to prevent schools from closing, filed
1961-741: The need to enhance and expand school safety measures in Texas following the Robb Elementary School tragedy. It highlights the efforts and trainings by the Texas School Safety Center (TxSSC) and outlines specific actions for school districts to improve safety and security. These actions include reviewing and updating Emergency Operations Plans, training staff, conducting safety assessments, and ensuring compliance with state laws. The letter also mandates random inspections to test security measures and calls for legislative support to secure necessary resources. The overall goal
2014-451: The number of students, including cutting services for certain children with autism and dyslexia, refusing to conduct eligibility evaluations in other languages, and refusing to accept medical records from other countries. Students who are English Language Learners (ELL) also faced a disproportionate impact resulting in a 20% difference in the rate of ELL students getting special education services compared to native speakers. In Houston ISD ,
2067-586: The overhaul of its special education practices. Advocates raised concerns about the lack of a competitive bidding process and the Georgia-based company's qualifications, and a former TEA special education director filed a federal complaint about TEA violating state procurement processes. In 2018, the U.S. Department of Education found that "Texas violated federal law by failing to ensure students with disabilities were properly evaluated and provided with an adequate public education." A multi-year strategic plan
2120-640: The provision of the Texas Education Code . The department was established during the 1967-68 school year to assist during the consolidation of Central High School (an African American school) into the all Caucasian Ball High School to bring an end to segregation of schools in Galveston ISD. All elementary and middle school students residing in Galveston Island are required to wear school uniforms . Crenshaw School students are not required to wear school uniforms. Ball High School has
2173-619: The ranking system. The Texas Education Agency is funded by the people of the State of Texas , at the direction of their elected legislature and with the consent of the Governor of Texas . The agency's budget must be approved on the legislature's biannual schedule. Revenues for the agency come from the state general fund (primarily sales taxes), the federal government, the Permanent School Fund (a sovereign wealth fund created by
Galveston Independent School District - Misplaced Pages Continue
2226-590: The same four criteria. According to the TEA, the number of state schools and districts receiving the top ratings of "exemplary" and "recognized" increased from 2,213 in 2005 to 3,380 in 2006. In 2020, all schools were given a "not rated" designator due to the COVID-19 pandemic . In addition to the state ranking, districts and schools can be awarded additional commendations (referred to as Gold Performance acknowledgements) for other noteworthy accomplishments not included in
2279-532: The state and charter schools . It is also responsible for the safety of students. However, it does not have any jurisdiction over private or parochial schools (whether or not accredited ) nor over home schools . Although school districts are independent governmental entities, TEA has the authority to oversee a district's operations (either involving an individual school or the entire district) if serious issues arise (such as poor standardized test performance, financial distress, or mismanagement). This can be in
2332-408: The state with revenues from public lands), and other sources. * Budget figure is projection; all other years are actual expenditure as reported by TEA After the Uvalde school shooting, Governor Greg Abbott instructed state school safety and education officials to conduct random assessments on access control in Texas public and charter schools. In a letter dated June 1, 2022, Gov. Abbott emphasized
2385-411: The state's largest school district, after the 8.5% goal was met the standard was lowered to 8%. As a result, the district cut hundreds of special education positions, postponed diagnostic evaluations to second grade, and created a list of disqualifying factors that keep students from getting services. TEA issued a no-bid contract for $ 4.4 million to SPEDx in 2017 to analyze student records to assist with
2438-452: The state-approved list. So far, most districts have continued to follow the state-endorsed textbooks, but that trend is expected to change in the next two years as the districts become more cognizant of their available options. Thomas Ratliff, a moderate Republican and the son of former Lieutenant Governor Bill Ratliff of Mount Pleasant , in 2010 unseated the Bryan dentist Don McLeroy ,
2491-508: The sufficient number specified by law; if GISD renovated it, it would have been required to create the legally specified number of parking spaces. When people attend events at Courville, many park on streets around the stadium and in a grassy lot north of the stadium. The stadium underwent extensive renovation in 2023. 29°16′49″N 94°48′20″W / 29.2803°N 94.8055°W / 29.2803; -94.8055 Texas Education Agency The Texas Education Agency ( TEA )
2544-408: Was private or parochial . In the summer of 1883, a local dry goods businessman, George Ball, offered to finance the construction of new schools. Ball's offer was accepted, and the cornerstone for what would become Ball High School was laid on February 15, 1884. Ball died on March 11, 1884, without seeing his gift completed. Ball High School opened its doors to 200 pupils on October 1, 1884, with
2597-493: Was a result of pressure from officials who claimed that she had given the appearance of criticizing the teaching of intelligent design . In 2009, the board received criticism from more than 50 scientific organizations over an attempt to weaken science standards on evolution . In October 2012, The Revisionaries , a documentary film about the re-election of the chairman of the Texas Board of Education Don McLeroy and
2650-696: Was named editor of the paper and in 1845 decided to purchase the growing publication. The News continued to grow and became a "major voice in the Republic of Texas ", and was one of the first papers in the US with a dedicated train to manage its circulation in cities across the Republic and later the U.S. state of Texas . During the Civil War, the Daily News was briefly published in Houston , after Galveston
2703-482: Was occupied by Union forces, but by 1866, it had returned. Alfred Horatio Belo , joined the staff in 1865 and purchased the paper in 1875. By 1885, Belo saw the need for a strong independent publication in Dallas , and sent staff there to establish a satellite publication, The Dallas Morning News . In 1923, William Lewis Moody Jr. , a prominent banker and insurance man purchased the paper from A. H. Belo . In 1963
SECTION 50
#17327765121842756-561: Was opened as a high school for black students in a storefront in 1885. Central High and Ball High merged into one high school in 1968. Public schools in Galveston were operated by the city from 1884 until 1949 when Galveston ISD was established by the Texas Legislature . The enrollment declined by 1,147 from 1995 to 1996. In the 2000s skyrocketing home prices were created by the completion of many high-rise projects have forced many middle-class Galveston residents to move off of
2809-410: Was released in 2018. In a grant application to the agency, TEA stated that they will not be able to ensure adequate services for special education students until June 2020. In September 2020, in the midst of several attempts to place Houston ISD under state control, TEA investigators recommended a state-appointed conservator be selected to oversee the district. The current commissioner of education
#183816