Ralph Hawkins, chairman and CEO of HKS Inc., and his wife, Susan, have committed $1.5 million to support the University of Texas at Arlington School of Architecture. Part of the funds will be used to develop a strategic vision for the school's future, according to a press release issued by UTA.
Hawkins earned a Bachelor of Science in Architecture in 1973 from UTA.
"I received a tremendous opportunity at UT Arlington, and I want others to share those opportunities," Hawkins said in the news release.
Fort Worth superintendent Walter Dansby spoke to a sell out crowd of 275 people at the annual State of Education Address today. Here's Thursday's article on the event.
And here's a Fort Worth ISD photo gallery from the luncheon.
"Using live comments and a fourteen minute video presentationthe superintendent told the assembled group that improving student achievement starts at the ring of the bell, with choices for students to pursue studies that interest them most and the creation of learning networks," the school district said.
Dansby's address was the keynote speech at the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce's luncheon, held at the Ridglea Country Club.
Dansby has been with Fort Worth schools for 39 years and is a graduate of Dunbar High School.
Gabrielle McBay, president of the TCU NAACP Chapter, is circulating a petition she hopes will result in more minority representation on a TCU body (Intercom) that reports issues and concerns to the school's Board of Trustees. The Inclusiveness & Intercultural Services, IIS, is the entity in question and it used to have two minority student representatives. One of the seats was recently cut, said McBay, who is a junior studying food management.
Students are concerned minority voices won't be fairly represented and many are signing the petition, McBay said. The petition circulated in front of the TCU library Wednesday afternoon.
"There is just one person representing 32 minority organizations on campus," McBay said.
McBay wants Intercom to restore the IIS seat that was eliminated. She also wants two more positions added - posts that would represent Greek organizations that have minority membership.
McBay said the minority representative who remains on the IIS will present the petition to TCU Intercom on Thursday. The petition was about four pages long as of Wednesday at 1 p.m.
A public service announcement produced by the Fort Worth school district on how to protect your family from West Nile virus will play at football games and other events starting on Thursday. Check out the video here.
The video features students Mia Cruz, Noah Juvette, Eric Rodriguez, Beth Spears and Eddie Spears.
It's all part of the school district's Know the Plan, emergency operations plan dubbed Know the Plan.
Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price and several Fort Worth city council members dropped by the Fort Worth school board meeting on Tuesday night.
They had visited campuses including Eastern Hills High and Eastern Hills Elementary schools on Monday, the first day of school for the 80,000 student school district. Check out the school district's photo gallery on the visit.
Here's a school district video on the first day of classes featuring therapy dogs at Luella Merrett Elementary, the opening of the Young Men's Leadership Academy and band practice at Western Hills High.
Students made "thank you" posters for the group, which were presented by trustee Tobi Jackson. (ST photo: Jackson, Price, Supt. Walter Dansby and councilmembers, right)
Price said: "We wanted to express our appreciation for what you do. It is vitally important to the city that we have strong education. Fort Worth ISD is just setting folks on fire."
The Mayor also read a proclamation recognizing school board president T. A. Sims for his 30 years of service on the school board. He was first elected in 1983. T.A Sims Elementary School opened in 1989. Here's more about the campus on Crenshaw Avenue.
As a Sept. 15 Tax Ratification Election approaches, the group, Dragons for Fiscal Responsibility, has filed as a political action committee. Spokesman William Brandt said the Carroll school district must learn to live in an era of "constrained resources."
"Everyone has figured out how to do things a little smarter. A little tighter," he said.
Brandt said school district officials and trustees need to present a balanced budget - one that maintains a standard of high excellence and is similar to the one approved for 2010.
"If they passed it today, we'd be in balance," he said, referring to the 2010 budget.
The group questioned why operating costs are growing at a higher percentage than student enrollment growth.
"Our opinion is that Carroll ISD needs fiscal responsibility to help them do a better job educating children," he said.
The group, which has a website, describes itself as CISD parents and taxpayers "who are for sound budgets and against property tax increases."
Update: Voters in the Carroll school district begin early voting Wednesday, Aug. 29 in the CISD Tax Ratification Election. The start date was incorrectly publicized due to a miscommunication, according to the district.
CISD recently passed their 2012-2013 budget is based on a tax rate of $1.42 per $100 of
assessed property value. That rate includes a 1.5-cent drop in the debt-service
tax rate and a 2-cent increase in the maintenance and operations tax rate.
An election was triggered because the school
board is considering raising the maintenance and operations portion by 2 cents. If voters approve the tax rate increase, residents
with an average home value of $467,580 would see a net tax rate increase of about
$25 per year.
If the proposal is rejected, the tax rate would be
$1.40.
The proposed increase is expected to generate
about $1.1 million to help reduce a $3.9 million budget shortfall for fiscal
year 2012-13. Even with the TRE dollars, Carroll faces a budget
shortfall of about $2.8 million.
Lunch in Arlington High School's snazzy new cafeteria was interim superintendent Marcelo Cavazos' first chance to sit down since sunup Monday, and he surrounded himself with students.
Cavazos began the day at a school bus stop with students bound for Martin High School, then walked his son Diego into his first day of kindergarten at Key Elementary School. "He seemed excited to be there, and I was, too," the proud dad said. Daughter Theresa is a fourth grader at Key.
He also visited Wimbish Elementary, where two sixth graders showed him around. "They remembered exactly where they sat in kindergarten," Cavazos said. "Having those types of school experiences are very important."
After lunch, Cavazos was whisked away for stops at Thornton and Starrett elementaries, and a date to go home with some students at Dunn Elementary.
"I'm getting to see the first day at all different levels," he said of his whirlwind tour. "Though they're at different ages and grades, they all have the same excitement and the same motivation."
The 80,000-student school district has added more than 50 fans since officials sent out a mass phone message at about noon on Saturday reminding families that classes resume today. The message asked families to be sure to post or send in photos from the first day of school and to follow the district on Twitter.
"We've gotten a huge response to it," said district spokeswoman Barbara Griffith. "People are so proud of their kids."
From their page: "Good morning! Send us your photo that best
illustrates the 'First Day of School' in the Fort Worth ISD. The photo
that receives the most "likes" will win a basket of FWISD goodies.
Submit your photos to facebook@fwisd.org along with a line explaining
who or what is featured."
Ivan Wubs, 4, had a tummy ache this morning, perhaps caused by butterflies before he headed to his first day of school at Luella Merrett Elementary School in Fort Worth.
"He was nervous and sick to his stomach," said Ivan's grandma, Myrna Wubs, 49, of Fort Worth. "His cousin is in the same class. I think he will be fine if he sees his cousin is doing okay."
Ivan sat in Jennifer Westmoreland's prekindergarten class, as adults tried to coax him to check out a hunk of Play-Doh. His cousin Ava Vidalez, also 4, sat next to him.
It is just this kind of situation where Herbie the therapy dog comes in handy. Herbie, a 7 year old lab with a golden stripe down his back, ambled over to offer some comfort. Four such assistance dogs were at the campus on Kermit Avenue as students arrived this morning.
The dogs can help diffuse anxiety and calm crying kids, said Principal Melissa Bryan. Parents, too, like to pet the canines.
During the school year, the dogs visit the campus and work with students learning to read. The children read aloud to the dogs, said librarianAmy Smiley.
