Bearcat Blast

Please take note of upcoming student and staff holidays! Friday, August 30, is a student holiday and staff workday. Monday, September 2, will be a holiday for both student and staff in observance of Labor Day. We hope you'll take this time to relax and recharge, and we will see everyone back in class on Tuesday, September 3!

In Aledo ISD, parents, students, community members, fellow staff members - ANYONE - can nominate ANY staff member to be recognized in this way! Take the time today to nominate someone who you've seen going above and beyond and being All in Aledo for Circle of Greatness!

For the sixth-straight year, the Aledo ISD Board of Trustees has adopted a lower tax rate, lowering the rate by $0.0023 for 2024-2025 and bringing the total six-year reduction to nearly $0.39 cents.

“We are grateful for continued relief for our Aledo ISD taxpayers with another reduction in the overall tax rate,” Superintendent Dr. Susan Bohn said. “I appreciate the incredible amount of thoughtful work that has gone into this year’s budgeting process - most definitely the most difficult of my career.”

Over the last five years, the Maintenance and Operations side of the tax rate has been compressed after the passing of House Bill 3 in 2019. The Board adopted a new tax rate of $1.2052 for 2024-2025 on Monday night.

In adopting the budget during the special board meeting, Trustees also approved: a one-time payment of $1,200 for all full-time employees ($600 for part-time employees) that will be made in September, a salary step increase for returning teachers (minimum $300 and possibly more depending on years of service), an adjustment to bus driver’s hourly rate and police officer salary based on a market study, and a small number of individual targeted equity adjustments.

Read more here.

As a reminder, new this year: students who would like to check out a district-issued Chromebook must sign up for the district’s $25 device protection plan. This covers unlimited breakage on the Chromebook; the charger is not covered. As our Technology Department distributes devices these first few days of school, your student will NOT be able to receive a district device until the device protection plan is paid.

It is important to note that if your student uses a non-school-issued device, we will have a device available for them to check out and use on testing days; this does NOT require you to sign up for the device protection plan. This will be a device that's checked out and back in all in one day for testing only.

If your child qualifies for free or reduced lunch or if you have some other special circumstance and need assistance with the device protection fee and/or athletics fee, please contact your child’s school counselor. We also have a method for community members wishing to donate to cover fees for those in need through the InTouch platform. See that information below.

Visit the Technology department's website for instructions on how to purchase your device protection plan.

Community members wishing to help cover device protection plan fees for students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches who have reached out to the district asking for assistance can do so now through the district's InTouch system!

Thank you for your consideration in making a donation to help our students who need assistance!

To make a donation, follow these instructions:

1. Log in to tx-aledo.intouchreceipting.com
2. Select any student listed when it asks "Who are you shopping for?"
3. Select "Choose items at any Campus/Aledo ISD"
4. Select "Aledo ISD" as your school type
5. Select "Aledo Independent School District" as your school
6. Select "Donate to Aledo ISD"
7. On the next screen, you will enter an amount that you want to donate and click "buy." This will add the donation to your shopping cart.
   
8. Select "Checkout."
9. Review your cart then select "Checkout Step 1: Additional Info."
10. Select who your donation is for in the drop-down menu. You must also enter your first and last name, phone number, and email address. The final field asking if you are donating on behalf of a specific student is not a required field. Click "Checkout Step 2: Payment."
11. Fill out required payment information forms and select "Pay Now" to complete your donation.
    

Are you an Aledo ISD student with a passion for broadcasting? Ready to get hands-on experience in the field?

Dave Campbell's Texan Live is looking for enthusiastic students to join our team! From camera operators to color commentators, we have multiple positions available—and no experience is necessary! Our professional staff will guide you every step of the way.

Plus, earn $50 per game while you learn!

Interested? Contact Mallory Hartley (mallory.hartley@texasfootball.com) for more details. Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity!

Check out these new items at the Bearcat Store! We have new hats, shirts and other Bearcat swag!

The Bearcat Store has a variety of printed Aledo themed t-shirts as well as athletic polos and more. Visit the store and see which shirt, available in adult and youth sizes, is right for you! No #AllinAledo outfit is complete without a Bearcat baseball cap. Check out the amazing selection of various styles and colors at the Bearcat Store today!

The Bearcat Store is located in the Aledo ISD Administration Building and is open Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Harvest of the Month - Watermelons!

Check out this beautiful watermelon salad prepared by our amazing Child Nutrition staff at Stuard Elementary. Keep an eye out on your campus for other delicious and nutritious meals!

CALLING ALL PARENTS!

Looking for something to do now that the kids are back in school? Come work with the Child Nutrition Department! Great schedule, benefits and paid days off! Call 817-441-5142 for details.

The Aledo High School Varsity Tennis team started their district matches strong with two consecutive wins! On August 20, the team dominated Brewer High School with a sweeping victory, finishing with a score of 19-0. They kept the momentum going on August 27, defeating Granbury High School 16-3. The team now boasts a 2-0 record in district matches and a 9-3 record overall this season.

Come out and support the Aledo High School Varsity Tennis team as they take on Birdville on Tuesday, September 3, and Saginaw on Wednesday, September 10. Check out the team's schedule here!

The 2024 Bearcat Football season officially began with Meet the Bearcats! The Aledo ISD Community was All In on Friday, August 23, 2024 when they came out to meet and greet the Aledo High School Dance Team, Cheerleading Team, and Bearcat Football Team. Check out the Flickr album to relive that fun night! Also, all photos on the district's Flickr account are free to download.

Above, you'll see a list of the many Aledo ISD Bond 2023 maintenance projects completed throughout the summer to get ready for students to return this school year! Thanks to our facilities and maintenance teams for helping facilitate these projects - they are wonderful improvements for our campuses!

Since 2002, Aledo Children's AdvoCats has proudly partnered with Aledo ISD, thanks to the incredible generosity of our members and sponsors. With your support, we're not just meeting basic needs; we're opening doors to advanced academic opportunities and helping students dream big.

During the 2023-24 school year, your contributions made an extraordinary impact, providing:

• Over 600 Christmas gifts through the Angel Project
• $28,149 in grocery gift cards for Holiday Dinners
• $25,000 in scholarships for Aledo ISD graduates
• $35,041 worth of clothing from the AdvoCats Clothes Closet

Additionally, your donations supported medical, dental, counseling, and vision needs, as well as career and technical education, dual credit courses, and field trips.

By supporting Aledo Children's AdvoCats, you're not just helping our community—you're changing lives and creating a brighter future for our children. Join us by becoming a member for $35 at bit.ly/JoinAdvoCats. Every membership counts and includes an Ambassador’s Pass for 10% off at 26 local stores, plus member news and special event invitations.

Aledo ISD and the Aledo Education Foundation are partnering once again for the Bearcat Backer program, and we'd love your support!

As our district is #GrowingGreatness through exceptional experiences that empower learners for life, we are committed to fostering relationships and partnerships with our outstanding businesses and organizations to help support our Bearcats. Your partnership provides a direct investment and benefit to our Bearcatstudents and staff.

If your business is interested in joining our Bearcat Backers program, please visit our Bearcat Backers webpage that includes sponsorship levels as well as a commitment form to fill out.

Platinum Sponsors

Canvas at Willow Park

EECU Credit Union

First Bank Texas

K&M Elevator, LLC

Myser Orthodontics

United Educators Association

Gold Level Sponsors

First Financial Bank
Impact Athletic Training Center

Redwood Financial

Stroud Pediatric Dentistry
TFWG Insurance Services

Silver Level Sponsors

Brookshire's

Kisselburgh Law Firm

Bronze Level Sponsors

A2Z Promotions, Inc.

BigFoot Ink

First Bank

Kinnear Child Psychology

Olympus Willow Park

Paradigm Wealth Management

Turquant Business Services

The Bearcat Blast E-Newletter is managed by the Aledo ISD Communications Department. To submit news items, email communications@aledoisd.org.

https://www.aledoisd.org/
1008 Bailey Ranch Road, Aledo, TX • Phone: 817-441-8327
Facebook: facebook.com/AledoISD • Twitter: @AledoISD