District News
“Christmas at the Beach” to Benefit Districts Affected by Ike "Christmas at the Beach" is a fundraising event that GPISD school children and staff will be participating in December 8 – 12. GPISD, together with the community, has an incredible chance to give back to the students and families affected by Hurricane Ike through monetary donations. The goal of our district wide campaign is to donate $1.00 for every student in Grand Prairie. However, any amount of spare change would be welcome to help our neighbors in Texas impacted by Hurricane Ike. All money raised will be given to these school districts that are still in need of assistance after the devastation in September of this year. A “Christmas at the Beach” bucket will be located in the Education Support Suite at the GPISD Education Center as well as at each campus. For more information, please contact Rosie Mendez at 972-237-4025. To see the event flier, click here. Click here for the flier in Spanish. |
Open House Set for New Student Activity Centers The GPISD will be hosting an open house at both of the new Student Activity Center buildings on Thursday, December 4, from 5:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. The SAC buildings are located on the South Grand Prairie campus just adjacent to Warrior Stadium and on the Grand Prairie campus just across the parking lot from the Gopher-Warrior Bowl main entrance gates. The community is invited to stop by and see the centers and tour the new ROTC wing along with the new strength training facilities. Coaches and ROTC instructors will be on hand to answer questions and guide you around. We hope that you will join us. |
FITNESSGRAM Assessments Given to 3-12 Graders Senate Bill 530 requires beginning with the 2007-08 school year, that the FITNESSGRAM physical fitness assessment be administered to all students in grades 3-12. FITNESSGRAM is a health-related fitness assessment developed by The Cooper Institute for Aerobic research and is a research-based criterion referenced test. |
Dr. Susan Simpson Named Texas A&M Outstanding Alumni Superintendent Dr. Susan Simpson has been named a Texas A&M University 2008 Outstanding Alumni in the College of Education and Human Development (Early Career Honoree). She will be recognized at the College Awards Celebration on Thursday, October 9. Her picture was also included in the September-October issue of the Texas Aggie alumni magazine. |
Red Ribbon Week Begins October 25 GPISD's Safe and Drug Schools and Communities, in collaboration with the District's Education Support Department, the City of Grand Prairie and Region 10, will be sponsoring a Red Ribbon Kick-Off and Health Fair, October 25, 2008, from 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., at Lee Middle School. This year's theme is "Promoting Healthy Communities." Workshops will be available for parents, students and district staff on Drug and Alcohol Prevention, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Health and Nutrition, and Teen Parenting. There will also be experiential activities for those secondary students attending. Vendors with prevention information and health agencies promoting wellness will also be on hand. For more details, see the event flier here. |
District to Honor Hobbs Williams on Saturday, October 4 The Grand Prairie ISD will host a dedication ceremony for the new Hobbs Williams Elementary School on Saturday, October 4, beginning at 1:00 p.m. in the cafeteria. Mr. Williams and his family will be in attendance. Hobbs Williams Elementary School is located at 1635 SE 14th Street just north of Arnold Middle School. http://campus.gpisd.org/Default.aspx?alias=campus.gpisd.org/hobbs |
Trustees Approve 2008-2009 Tax Rate On September 11, the Board of Trustees set the tax rate to fund the previously adopted budget for 2008-2009. 2007 2008 Maintenance and Operations rate $1.040 $1.040 Debt Service rate $0.425 $0.425 $1.465 $1.465 Even though the total tax rate for 2008 is the same as the total tax rate for 2007, more property tax revenue will be received by the District due to increases in property values. But due to the legislation passed in 2006 known as HB1, the District will not receive the full benefit of the additional property tax revenue as state aid will be reduced accordingly. The Grand Prairie ISD adopted a tax rate that will raise more taxes for maintenance and operations than last year's tax rate. The tax rate will raise taxes for maintenance and operations on a $100,000 home by approximately $0.00. |
Trustees Approve 2008-2009 Budget On Thursday, August 28, the GPISD Board of Trustees approved the budget for the 2008-2009 school year. The budget provides for a teacher, librarian, nurse, counselor, etc. base pay raise of at least 3.00% with a starting salary for bachelor’s degree of $45,500. A 3.00% of midpoint raise is provided for paraprofessional staff, a 3.00% of base pay raise for auxiliary staff, and a 3.00% of midpoint raise for campus/central administrative staff unless a salary adjustment was provided. The District has continued to fully fund the local tenure stipend, as well as maintain the $301 per employee per month contribution to the medical program. The budget also provides for a total tax rate of $1.4650. This is the same rate as the 2007-2008 tax rate. |
AD Clausen Selected Texas Athletic Director of the Year Fred Clausen, Director of Athletics for the Grand Prairie Independent School District, has been selected as the high school "Athletic Director of the Year” for the state of Texas. Clausen has served on the THSADA Board of Directors for seven years as the President, Vice-President, Membership Chairman and on the State Leadership Training faculty for eight years. He was awarded the 2005 Texas State Award of Merit by the THSADA and the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. He was the Texas State nominee for the 2007 NIAAA National Citation Award. Coach Clausen also served as the President for the Texas High School Athletic Directors Association during the 2007-2008 year. The “Athletic Director of the Year” award cites Coach Clausen for his outstanding work and contributions to high school athletics at the district, regional, state and national levels. The Texas High School Athletic Directors Association is the nation’s largest group of Interscholastic Athletic Directors with a membership of over 400 directors and coordinators serving school districts across the state of Texas. This honor was announced in July in San Antonio. |
I Make a Difference Books on Sale at Ed Center
The I Make a Difference in Grand Prairie ISD book written by former and current students, parents and staff, and debuted at Convocation, are currently on sale in the Staff Development Office at the GPISD Education Center. Each book is $5.00. To buy a book or for more information, please contact Loraine Morazzano at loraine.morazzano@gpisd.org or Debbie Johnson at debbie.johnson@gpisd.org. The book may also be purchased in the Staff Development Office in the GPISD Education Center located at 2602 S. Belt Line Road. All proceeds from the sale of the I Make a Difference book go to the GPISD Education Foundation. |
Convocation for All GPISD Staff Scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 19 The GPISD will hold its annual Convocation for all staff members on Tuesday, August 19, at Nokia Theatre beginning at 9:00 a.m. |
Crosswinds High School Prepares for August Opening Crosswinds High School is preparing to open for students on August 25. For more information about the campus, please click on the following links: Crosswinds High School Press Release Crosswinds High School Flier (click here for Spanish) |
Summer Graduation Slated for Aug. 16 in Chambers Auditorium Summer graduation for the GPISD Class of 2008 will commence at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 16, in Chambers Auditorium at Grand Prairie High School located at 101 High School Drive. Students who want to participate in the summer graduation ceremony must notify staff by Monday, August 11. To see the letter to seniors and parents, click here. |
Dropout Recovery Fair Launches Aug. 16 at Ed Center Grand Prairie ISD will host its second "Launch Your Life - Dropout Recovery Fair" on Saturday, August 16, from Noon until 3:00 p.m. The event will be held at the Grand Prairie ISD Education Center, 2602 S. Belt Line Road, in the Board Rooms. The Fair will feature invited representatives from public, private, and charter schools, community colleges and trade schools, the Armed Forces, community services, and industry. Launch Your Life is free to any adult who has not finished high school as well as to any current high school student at-risk of dropping out. For more information, call Ricky Mitchell, Executive Director of State, Federal and Student Support, at 972-237-4044 or by e-mail at ricky.mitchell@gpisd.org. To see the event flier in Spanish, click here. |
