Noon Message From Dr. Hudson
September 11, 2023
Cedar Hill ISD Families,
September is an exciting time of year.
Scholars start to get used to the routine in their classroom, and there are plenty of learning opportunities, from Pre-K through 12th grade.
The weather (usually) starts to cool down, and we root on our favorite football teams -- high school, college and professional throughout the weekend.
There's another reason why September is exceptional - it is National Voter Registration Month. For many of us, our parents and grandparents fought, and in some cases, died, for the right to vote.
To honor that cherished right, Cedar Hill ISD is sponsoring four Voter Registration Drives. The first three will be for the general public, and the fourth will be for Cedar Hill ISD scholars who are 18 years old.
There will be a Voter Approved Tax Rate Election (VATRE) on the November 7, 2023 Ballot. The final day to register to vote in the November election is Tuesday, October 10. I cannot tell you how to vote, but I can provide facts so you are an informed voter.
If our voter approved tax rate election passes on November 7, we plan to provide stipends to staff in January.
$2,500 stipend with benefits for all teachers, nurses & librarians
$1,000 stipend with benefits for all custodians, bus drivers, paraprofessionals and other support staff.
We also plan to provide at least a 5% raise to teachers in July 2024.
There should be no confusion when you are asked how the district plans to spend the in additional funding we will receive if the proposition passes; simply say salaries & safety.
- Currently, first year teachers in Cedar Hill ISD have the lowest salary in the Best Southwest and lower than many other school districts in the area.
- CHISD used federal grant funds to provide longevity incentives and small raises to help with teacher retention; but those grant funds are no longer available.
- With voter approval on the VATRE, CHISD can sustain the salary increases from 2022-2023, increase pay and add 9 police officers.
- The state has not added new funding to schools despite a rise in cost of living and healthcare premiums.
I encourage you to visit chisd.net/vatre2023 to learn more about the proposition and please email me if you have any questions about the upcoming election.
Sincerely,
Dr. Gerald B. Hudson
Superintendent
Information About Safe Storage of Firearms
Texas law now requires school districts to distribute information to parents and guardians about the safe storage of firearms.
In 2021, 4,613 Texans experienced gun-related deaths. The Texas Department of State Health Services (SHS) reports that 55% of Texas firearms deaths in 2020 were suicides and that 59% of all suicides in Texas were by firearms. Suicide attempts involving firearms have a 90% fatality rate. Restricting access to guns is critical in reducing acts of violence, whether as self-harm or towards others. Acts of mass violence and interpersonal violence often end in suicide.
It is unlawful to store, transport, or abandon an unsecured firearm in a place where children are likely to be and can obtain access to the firearm. Under Texas Penal Code 46.13, a person commits the offense of making a firearm accessible to a child if the child gains access to a readily dischargeable firearm, and the person with criminal negligence:
- Failed to secure the firearm; or
- Left the firearm in a place to which the person knew or should have known the child would gain access
The penalty for allowing a child access to a firearm can range from a Class C misdemeanor (punishable by a $500 fine) to a Class A misdemeanor (punishable by a $4000 fine, a year in jail, or a combination of the two).
Texas exempts the purchase of firearm safety equipment from Texas Sales and Use Tax.
Remember, a gun should be stored unloaded in a safe or locked container, with ammunition stored elsewhere. You can learn more and find additional resources from the Texas Department of Public Safety at https://safegunstoragetexas.com.
