Orenda Superintendent Newsletter

March 2025

CIRCLE OF COURAGE

BELONGING - INDEPENDENCE - MASTERY - GENEROSITY

2025-26 Draft School Calendars

The 2025-26 Draft School Calendars are posted on each campus website and on the district website here.

Summer School Grades 9-12

Summer school for grades 9-12 will take place at Gateway Tech High School on June 2 - 19, 2025 from 8 AM - 1 PM Monday - Thursday. All summer school registration forms and fees are due no later than noon on Tuesday, May 27.

Texas Public Charter Schools Video And FAQ

Are you new to charter schools or want an easy way to share with your friends and family about Texas charter schools? This short video explains what Texas charter schools are, why they exist, and how they help students in a way that's easy to understand.

Video: Texas Public Charter Schools 101 - YouTube

Video: Texas Public Charter Schools 101 - Google Drive

Have additional questions? See this frequently asked questions about public charter schools and charter school governing boards.

Wonder if your voice is heard? Charter School Crossing Guard Bill Filed

Two years ago, we found out that charter schools are not authorized under law to have school crossing guards, unlike traditional ISDs. We immediately reached out to Texas Public Charter School Association and our legal firm to begin working on this issue that impacts both our Gateway College Preparatory School and Kingsland School campuses. On March 12, HB 4481 was successfully filed that would allow charter schools to have crossing guards. This is the first step in the right direction and started with our charter school. It is also noteworthy that Representative, Caroline Harris Davilla, who filed the bill, was able to see the impact firsthand when she visited Gateway College Prep last year.

Charter School Facility Funding

Great news from the Capitol!

House Bill 2, which covers school finance, has been filed by Chairman Brad Buckley — and it includes additional funding for public charter school facilities.

Here's the quick math: Today, total facilities funding for all Texas public charter schools is capped at $60 million. HB 2 would remove the cap and calculate facilities funding on a per-student basis, resulting in an estimated total of $179 million next school year.

This is a huge step toward fairness. Unequal facilities funding is the main reason why public charter schools receive $1,600 less per student overall than other public schools.

Our top priority is to protect this proposal. There will likely be attempts to remove facilities funding from the bill. We have to make our voices heard.

So, what’s next? The House Public Education Committee needs to discuss HB 2 and vote to send it to the full Texas House. Texas Public Charter School Association is collecting Have your voice be counted by signing the TPCSA petition on this important issue.

Get Caught Up: Unequal facilities funding is the top issue for public charter schools during the legislative session. This video explains what you need to know in just 30 seconds. Please take a moment to check it out.

The legislative session is heating up! Stay tuned for more information about important bills impacting public charter schools.

Opportunities for Youth to Engage in School Safety

Calling all Texas youth! Texas State Safety Center is looking for passionate, creative young people who are dedicated to creating safe and healthy schools to be a part of our school safety initiatives.

Our youth advisory boards educate their peers about the importance of living a happy, healthy lifestyle, and serve as the youth voice for school safety concerns like creating a positive school climate and addressing youth tobacco and vaping use.

Texas School Safety Teen Ambassadors

These ambassadors lead educational projects/activities on drug prevention, teen mental health, violence prevention, and preparedness. They host podcast episodes, educational videos, and virtual summits. They also serve as a local voice for how youth and adults can engage students in creating a positive school climate and collaborate with the Texas School Safety Center staff to identify training and activities for youth.

To learn more about the Texas School Safety Teen Ambassadors and access the application, click here. To apply, students must be entering 9th-12th grade for the upcoming school year. Applications close May 30.

Say What! Teen Ambassadors

These ambassadors are the state’s youth voice for tobacco and vaping prevention. They educate thousands of youth and adults about the dangers of all tobacco products each year. They serve as local experts, work with like-minded youth and adults at the state and national level, meet with local, state, and national elected officials to advocate for tobacco-free youth, and collaborate with Say What! staff to design all events, training, and resources.

To learn more about the Say What! Teen Ambassadors and to access the application, click here. To apply, students must be entering 9th-11th grade for the upcoming school year. Applications close August 1.

Federal Income Tax Resources for Families

Attendance is Important!

Good attendance is important for both students and schools. Students receives the maximum educational benefit by being in school every day. Studies show a strong link between academic performance and consistent daily attendance. In addition, public schools receive state funding based on daily attendance, which is essential to providing high quality instruction, support services, and extracurricular programs.

Kingsland Family Night

We just had a wonderful Family Night focused on literacy and STEAM! Special thanks to the Friends of the Kingsland Library for the free pencils, stickers and bookmarks. We look forward to getting our Lakers involved in the upcoming summer reading program.

Gateway Prep Dance Teams Shine

Our Stars and Starlettes competed at three different dance competitions in recent months and had amazing outcomes, including multiple Grand Champion status. Join us for their spring show on Saturday, April 12 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Nolan Creek Attends Lead4ward

Our teacher leaders recently prepared for STAAR at a Lead4ward Rockin Review conference. We are thankful for all of our teachers and staff!

Gateway Tech Students Celebrate Black History Month

During the month of February, each student at Gateway Tech High School researched and created a visual presentation and presented a two page biography celebrating the historical and cultural contributions of Black Americans.

Upcoming Dates to Remember

April 14 - Orenda Board Meeting 5:30 pm at Gateway College Preparatory School

April 4-May 2 - State Testing Days

May 5-16 - Advanced Placement Testing

May 22 at 6 pm - Kingsland High School Graduation

May 24 at 1 pm - Gateway Tech High School Graduation

May 24 at 4 pm - Gateway College Preparatory High School Graduation

Contact Us

Carla Silber, Superintendent

Email: carla.silber@orendaeducation.org
Website: www.orendaeducation.org
Location: 2951 Williams Drive, Georgetown, TX, USA
Phone: (512) 869-3020