Spring Branch ISD February 2023

CONTINUE! AMAZING RESULTS FOR STUDENTS & SCHOOLS Dear Spring Branch ISD Families, Jennifer Blaine Superintendent of Schools

SBISD also earned the Texas Art Education Association (TAEA) District of Distinction Award this fall for our outstanding fine arts programming. Under our 2017 Bond Program we opened the beautiful new Bunker Hill Elementary and a new classroom wing at Northbrook High School . We also broke ground for the new Memorial Drive Elementary , and this month we broke ground for the new Woodview Elementary . Planning is also underway for our new Guthrie Center , expanded Ag Farm facilities and other projects under the CTE-focused 2022 Bond! My commitment to our kids and schools remain strong - and that commitment inspires me to ask you to join me in advocating for them. To continue to see the results we’ve seen and provide the kind of education that Spring Branch is known for, I need your help. We’ve always been a community that recognizes the power education has to transform lives and futures. Unfortunately, in SBISD, that future is being threatened by the current public school funding model. We need further reform of the state’s funding formulas for us to continue to provide the excellent educational experiences you expect and our children deserve. This year alone, the state will take $85 million in taxpayer dollars from our schools. The cost is too high for our children. Since 2004, the state school finance system’s impact on SBISD’s operations has been challenging and will continue to be so without change. During the 88th Legislative Session in Austin, we need the voices of our community to be heard. Please join me in advocating for the state to adjust the current school funding formulas and invest into public education - for Every Child.

As we celebrate the start of the second semester, I thank you - our students, families and community, for your ongoing support and partnership for the benefit of Every Child – we truly are better together. When I became Superintendent, I challenged the system to focus with clarity on our priorities of literacy, numeracy, student supports, Career and Technical Education (CTE) and the needs of our English Learners. That focus has paid off. We began the school year celebrating strong student achievement and SBISD campus ratings, and the amazing results have continued. SBISD was recently named a 2023 Large District Finalist for the H-E-B Excellence in Education Award! This prestigious award, presented by H-E-B, recognizes school districts based on the following criteria: • Commitment to student achievement through innovative programs • Parent/Community involvement • Professional development opportunities for teachers and administrators This recognition is a testament to the tireless work of our teachers, administrators, staff, school board, and community. SBISD’s application for the 2023 H-E-B Excellence in Education Award focused on the district’s strong academic results, demonstrating the highest levels of student achievement in recent years on College Board®, ACT® and STAAR assessments. It also highlighted the district’s ongoing commitment to its long-standing T-2-4 vision for Every Child and the community-developed Core Characteristics of a T-2-4 Ready Graduate - the skills and attributes we commit to developing in our students as they move through the system. Throughout the application, the support and engagement of parents and community members showcased SBISD’s Collective Greatness. Other 2023 Large District Finalists include Arlington ISD, Corpus Christi ISD, Garland ISD and Tomball ISD. The winner will be announced at the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards ceremony on April 30 in San Antonio, Texas.

Learn more at: www.springbranchisd.com/schoolfinance

Jennifer Blaine, Ed.D. SBISD Superintendent of Schools