The Rice School K-8 SDMC Meeting Minutes
May 15, 2024
Meeting start time was 4:15 p.m.
Meeting was called to Order. The members present are reflected on the sign-in sheet. New Business
- Campus Safety
- Budget
- School Improvement Plan Review (SIP)
- Curriculum – HISD
- HISD Defined Autonomy
- SDMC Elections
- Last Day of School – June 5, 2024
Meeting Minutes:
Our SDMC meeting began at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15, 2024.
Campus Safety – Door sweeps are conducted weekly and recorded online and kept in a notebook in the front office. Locked doors to classrooms and exterior doors of the building are expected and checked daily. Teachers and Staff demonstrate teamwork while working together to keep students and staff safe. Monthly Fire Drills, Intruder and Shelter-in-Place Drills are up to date. We will continue each month in accordance with state and district guidelines. Teachers and staff are vigilant as they supervise students during morning arrivals, afternoon dismissals, and transitions in the hallways.
Budget – Our budget is on track and the projected student enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year is 1200 students. Our elementary classes will have a 22:1 ratio for Grades K-
4. Grade 5 will reflect a 25:1 ratio. Middle School Grades 6-8 will reflect a 28:1 ratio. Enrollment and ADA will directly impact our annual budget.
School Improvement Plan (SIP) Review – In June, we will conduct our Final Summative Review of the SIP. We have held Quarterly Reviews of the SIP in November, January, and March. These formative reviews are in place to ensure that our SIP goals are being met. We provide evidence and rate measurable objectives for Reading, Writing, Math, Science, and Social Studies.
Curriculum – We will follow the HISD Curriculum for reading, English language arts, math, science, and social studies. The master schedule will reflect 90-minute blocks for reading and math in every grade level. The slide decks and engagement strategies will be included. House Bill 1416/4545 is ongoing with accelerated instruction for Grades 4-8. Most students have completed their required hours for reading and math. Tutorials have been held before school, afterschool, and on Saturdays.
HISD Defined Autonomy – The district has created a framework which is a system designed to allow for flexibility and innovation at high performing campuses while maintaining rigorous expectations for all schools. Beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, all schools will fall under one of the four levels of defined autonomy: Level 4 is for Separate and Unique Schools (SUS). Level 3 is for A & B schools. Level 2 is for C- rated schools and D-rated schools that are not NES. Level 1 is for NES schools. Level 4 Schools include all Separate and Unique Magnet Schools. These campuses have autonomy in all major areas including Program, Curriculum, Instructional Delivery Model, Master Schedule, Budget, Staffing, and Purchased Services. The Rice School is a Level 4 Separate and Unique School (SUS). Level 3 schools comprise of A & B-rated campuses. This group of schools has all the same autonomies as level 4 except for principal compensation and exceptions to the testing calendar. The Level 2 schools are C and D-rated schools that are not in the NES orbit. Because the District wants to prevent a lower-performing school from falling into D- or F-rated status, Level 2 schools will forfeit some autonomy in three main areas: Curriculum, Master Schedule, and Purchased services and programs. Level 1 schools are NES schools and have limited autonomy.
SDMC Elections – There will be two positions open for the next school year. The SDMC Elections will be held by secret ballot in August.
Last Day of School for Students – Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Teachers will close out paperwork, clean and box up classrooms as their last day is Thursday, June 6, 2024.
Other business – Summer School begins June 17, 2024, and will be completed July 19, 2024. The Rice School received our National Magnet Certification, and we are one of only 10 schools in the State of Texas.
This was the last SDMC meeting for the 2023-2024 school year. Meeting adjourned at 5:15 p.m.
