Education Focus HISD

  • A voter-approved tax ratification election held Sept. 1, 2012, allowed the district to restore staff and reinstitute programs, including eliminating fees for co-curricular and extracurricular programs; restoring two elementary counselors, two elementary music teachers, two elementary art instructors and two middle school assistant principal interns; and restoring transportation for students in the Legacy Program.
  • The Hutto ISD board of trustees unanimously voted to extend Superintendent Doug Killian's employment contract by one year during a special called meeting Jan. 24.
  • Results released by the state for the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, tests for the 2011–12 school year indicate that Hutto ISD students met or exceeded the average score compared with districts throughout the state in third-grade reading; fourth-grade reading, math and writing; fifth-grade reading; and seventh-grade reading. The district fell short of the state average, however, in fifth-grade math and science; sixth-grade reading and math; seventh-grade math and writing; and eighth-grade reading, math, science and social studies.
  • The city of Hutto and Hutto ISD both approved an interlocal agreement March 21 to host a local Public Education Government channel. Content includes information from the city and school district. Eventually it could include curriculum programs and live streaming.
  • Hutto ISD's board of trustees approved teacher salary increases during its May meeting. Previously, Hutto ISD teachers, librarians and nurses with no previous experience started at $41,000 per year and received a $100–$600 raise every year. The new salary schedule, recommended by the Texas Association of School Boards, now starts workers with no previous experience at $42,000 and adds $500 to salaries every year. The change reflects a total salary increase of 2.1 percent and will cost the district approximately $1.3 million.
  • Hutto ISD board of trustees members Doug Gaul, Billie Logiudice and Sheila Knapp were sworn into office June 13 after running unopposed in a May 11 election. Gaul was also re-elected as the board's president, and Logiudice was re-elected as board secretary. Trustee Phillip Boutwell was re-elected as board vice president.
  • The Hutto ISD board of trustees approved a $50,000 expenditure at its meeting June 14 to bring a districtwide health clinic to Hutto High School for students and staff in time for the 2013–14 school year.