April 2, 2024
Dear AHISD Families-
As we move towards the end of the school year, my calendar fills up with events I’ve been looking forward to all year long. From the Festival of Learning and Culture Night to the Strings Festival, Mulch Mania, PTO fundraisers like Balloonfest, and Fiesta events, I hope to see you this month all across AHISD!
Next Monday, April 8, we look forward to coming together as a school community to experience the rare phenomena of a solar eclipse. Activities are planned at each campus and glasses have been secured for students and staff to have both a safe and engaging learning environment.
April is also an important time for our staff as they work to ensure that our students are reaching their academic goals for the school year. There’s a lot happening so I encourage you to stay up to date with campus communication and help us prioritize student attendance as we close out the school year.
Attendance Update
Did you know that both the state and AHISD are seeing lower attendance rates since the pandemic? In Texas, school funding is tied to student attendance, not enrollment. The more students are on campus each day, the more funding a district retains.. When students are not in school- whether the absence is excused or not- it negatively impacts our funding. If attendance drops even one percent over the course of the year, that’s $400,000 less that we see as a district.
For state funding, the state requires that attendance be taken at a particular time each day: 9 a.m. for Howard; 9:30 a.m. for Cambridge and Woodridge; and 9:35 a.m. (2nd period) for AHJS and 9:55 a.m. (2nd and 6th period) for AHHS. Appointments/Absences after this time do not negatively impact funding. Please keep this in mind when scheduling. This is also important information when you choose to sign your child out for the day. As long as they are present when attendance is taken, we maintain our funding.
Every day a student is absent it has a cost to learning, to the school environment, and to the district. Thank you for helping us to maintain the AHISD Tradition of Excellence with strong attendance.
Feedback February - Staff Retention
We know that what makes AHISD the heart of our community is the high caliber of our teachers and staff. Prioritizing the retention of our high-quality educators and personnel is essential for upholding our Tradition of Excellence. Every February, during our feedback month, we gather insights from our staff on what they value most about AHISD and their job satisfaction within our school community. In the recovery year of 2022 post-pandemic, a notable 91% of our staff expressed satisfaction levels ranging from satisfied to extremely satisfied with their roles at AHISD. This year, we've seen this sentiment rise to an incredible 98%! We are immensely grateful for the kindness, appreciation, and trust you extend towards our staff. Highlighted below are reflections from our teachers and staff about the aspects they value most at AHISD.
Howard Teacher: Working with our students is very rewarding and positive! I get to laugh every day and make a positive
impact on the lives of students, sometimes it is small and sometimes it is large! The leadership and entire staff share the same passion for education as I do. I have worked in three districts, and this by far exceeds my expectations. I love AHISD!
Woodridge Teacher: I belong right here, I feel valued, and I feel safe in my environment to learn and grow with my students and my colleagues. I am excited to come to our school because it truly feels like HOME. I am thriving not only professionally, but personally as well in our AHISD community.
Junior School Teacher: I am constantly inspired by my colleagues to do and be better for myself and my students.
I look forward to coming to work every day, and that never happened until I found Alamo Heights. It truly is a special place.
I’m looking forward to finishing the last few weeks of our busy semester strong. I continue to be so grateful for your support and partnership in the important work that is articulated in our mission - In AHISD, we educate and empower every student!
Mules Up!