Bulldog Bites

• Shout Out to Mrs. Bloomer for launching a brand-new Robotics Interest Group that has quickly become one of the most popular student activities on the middle school campus! Each week, students pack the Bridge, eager to build, code, and problem-solve together. Mrs. Bloomer has created an exciting space where students can explore STEM in a fun and engaging way and is inspiring our future engineers and innovators!
• Shout Out to Coach Bradley Lambeth, head coach of Bulldog Basketball, for being named District 16AA Coach of the Year! Your commitment to excellence continues to elevate our program. Congratulations, Coach.
• Shout Out to Mrs. Lafitte and Mrs. Biggerstaff for coordinating a Pathway Day for all our 7th and 8th graders. This showcases all our CTE pathways that our students can choose from. Community business partners also signed up for the CTE Advisory Board.
• Shout Out to Ashley Hernandez, our CIS Liaison for working on several projects for our students:
• Icapped for about 30-40 or our students at NTCC
• Prom Dress shopping for some of our ladies who need assistance.
• Job Shadowing for some of our Juniors this spring.

As we head into spring break, I want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible work happening in our schools and share a few thoughts on the exciting months ahead.

Spring break is a well-deserved time to rest and recharge. Our students and staff have been working hard, and I hope this break provides an opportunity to relax, spend time with family, and return refreshed for the final stretch of the school year.

When we return, we’ll enter a busy season filled with spring testing, final projects, and year-end celebrations. State assessments and end-of-year exams are an opportunity for our students to showcase what they have learned. I encourage our students to stay focused, do their best, and remember that these tests are just one measure of their growth and success. Our teachers and staff are dedicated to providing the support and encouragement needed to finish strong.

Beyond testing, we look forward to celebrating our students’ achievements—whether it’s kindergarten and high school graduations, athletic competitions, fine arts performances, or academic recognitions. These milestones reflect the dedication of our students, the support of our families, and the commitment of our educators.

As we enter the final months of the school year, I want to express my appreciation for the incredible partnership between our schools, families, and community. Together, we are creating opportunities for students to succeed both inside and outside the classroom.

Enjoy your spring break, and let’s make the rest of the year one to remember!

Dr. Bobby G Rice

Superintendent

Elementary:

3/25 - TELPAS Speak/Listen (2-3)

3/26 - TELPAS Speak/Listen (4-5)

4/15 - RLA STAAR (3-5)

4/22 - Science STAAR (5)

4/29 - Math STAAR (3-5)

5/5-7 - EOY MOP

5/5-9 - PrekCircle

5/5-9 - EOY mClass

Middle School:

4/10 - RLA STAAR (6-8)

4/17 - Science STAAR (8)

4/22 - Social Studies STAAR (8)

4/30 - Math STAAR (6-8) and Algebra EOC (8)

High School:

4/14 - English I EOC

4/16 - English II EOC

4/23 - Biology EOC

4/24 - History EOC

5/1 - Algebra EOC

House Pub Ed Hears Nearly 24 Hours of Testimony on HB 3 (ESAs); TASA President Testifies Against Bill

The House Public Education Committee met Tuesday into Wednesday hearing public testimony on HB 3, which creates a $1 billion Education Savings Account (ESA) program to be administered and regulated by the Texas Comptroller’s Office beginning with the 2026-27 school year. See a summary of HB 3 as filed.

The hearing began at 8 a.m. Tuesday and did not end until 6:30 a.m. this morning, with 396 people registered to testify (308 of them registered “against” the bill). TASA President Martha Salazar-Zamora, superintendent of Tomball ISD, was finally called to testify at about 1 a.m. Salazar-Zamora's testimony, given on behalf of TASA, centered around three points:

1. Any school that accepts tax dollars should have to accept all children, including those with special needs and behavior issues. "Otherwise, this is not about parent choice; it is about a private school’s choice to pick which kids it is willing to educate," she said.
2. Any school accepting public money should follow the same accountability standards as public schools.
3. Any school accepting tax dollars should follow the same transparency laws that all ISDs follow.

See video of Salazar-Zamora’s full testimony, along with a transcript.

Retired Lufkin ISD Superintendent Roy Knight provided lively testimony and exchanged greetings with House Public Education Committee member Rep. Trent Ashby, who served on the Lufkin ISD Board of Trustees during Knight’s tenure as superintendent. See video of his testimony, along with a transcript.

Key Points from the Nearly 24-hour Hearing

Public education supporters testified that HB 3 would divert necessary funds from public schools, which are already underfunded, to private schools. They expressed concerns about the lack of accountability and transparency in private schools and the potential negative impact on public education.

Supporters of ESAs argued that HB 3 would provide diverse education options, including public, charter, private, and home schools, and empower parents to choose the best educational setting for their children. They believe it would improve educational outcomes by fostering competition among schools.

There were discussions about the implications of HB 3 on special education. It was noted that while public schools are required to provide special education services, private schools receiving funds through ESAs are not obligated to provide such services.

The financial implications of the bill were debated, with concerns that the funding for ESAs would reduce the budget available for public education. The estimated cost of the ESA program was projected to be significant, potentially impacting the funding of public schools.

Remarks were also made about the political pressure and influence surrounding the bill, with some committee members stating that the push for ESAs is not aligned with the needs of their constituents.

HB 3 was left pending.

Nearly 3,000 pages of public comments on HB 3 have been submitted to the committee. View the comments.