Northwest ISD's newsletter for families and the community
March 11, 2021
Friday is Early Release Day for Northwest ISD
Friday, March 12 is an early release day for NISD schools. The dismissal times are:

  • Elementary Schools: 11:40 a.m.
  • Middle Schools: 12:50 p.m.
  • Steele Accelerated High School: 12:30 p.m.
  • Byron Nelson, Eaton and Northwest High Schools: 12:40 p.m.
NISD Schools, Offices Close for Spring Break
Students Return to Classes on Wednesday, March 24
All Northwest ISD schools will be closed Monday, March 15 through Monday, March 22.

  • Staff return on Tuesday, March 23 for professional development.
  • Students return on Wednesday, March 24.
2021-2022 NISD Attendance Boundaries
Following a board workshop and community input, the Northwest ISD Board of Trustees approved new attendance boundaries for the 2021-2022 school year to incorporate the district’s 20th elementary campus, prevent campus overcrowding, minimize future boundary changes, maintain healthy student-teacher ratios and improve school efficiency.

Elementary schools with boundary changes include Justin, Prairie View, Roanoke, Cox, Schluter, Nance and Curtis elementary schools. The Peterson Elementary feeder pattern was also updated so that students will attend Wilson Middle School instead of Adams Middle School.

Boundary lines were updated for all NISD middle schools.
A Look at NISD Learning Environments
Tim McClure, assistant superintendent for facilities, shares a comparison of six campuses across Northwest ISD and discusses projects proposed in the May 2021 bond election.
Faced with Reduced Funding, NISD Implements Cost-Saving Measures
Cost-saving measures have been identified across Northwest ISD, as the district attempts to cut $17.5 million from a budget that is already declining due to revenue shortfalls from the state and rising costs associated with student growth. 

“Our funding just doesn’t add up,” said Superintendent Dr. Ryder Warren. “We are growing at such a fast pace that we are struggling to keep up with costs. And, unfortunately, that puts us in a position where we have to make cuts.”
NISD Announces In-Person Graduation Ceremonies for Class of 2021
Northwest ISD will hold graduation ceremonies for its three comprehensive high schools — Byron Nelson, Northwest and V.R. Eaton — at the NISD Stadium on Tuesday, June 1.

The district’s fourth high school, James M. Steele Accelerated High School, will host its graduation on Friday, May 28 at 7 p.m. at the Northwest High School Performing Arts Center.
Spring 2021 STAAR Testing Information
Northwest ISD will begin transitioning to online STAAR testing this spring to comply with state requirements.

Click here for a list of testing dates for Spring 2021 and the testing methods.


SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR REMOTE LEARNERS

All STAAR tests will be administered on campus. Although the STAAR exams will be taken online, remote testing is not an option under state guidelines. In order to participate in spring STAAR exams, Remote Learners would be required to report to school in person.

Complete this form to inform NISD of your child’s plans for the spring 2021 STAAR and End-of-Course exams. This information will be used by NISD to ensure adequate plans are in place for Remote Learners.

Please keep in mind that End-of-Course exams are required for graduation. If your child does not take the EOC exams this spring, they would need to be taken at a later date. NISD wants to ensure families understand potential consequences of not participating in spring 2021 STAAR exams.
SPECIAL EDUCATION / 504 INFORMATION

If your student receives special education services, and you believe your student has a documented medical condition that would prevent them from physically taking their STAAR assessment via the online mode, please contact your campus diagnostician.

If your student receives 504 services, and you believe your student has a documented medical condition that would prevent them from physically taking their STAAR assessment via the online mode, please contact your campus 504 Coordinator.
Student Video Showcases Highlighted Daily During Expo Celebration Week
We are so excited to announce that Northwest ISD's first-ever virtual Expo had more than 1,100 submissions! We'd like to send a huge shoutout to the students and teachers who made this year's showcase successful. Now, it's time to celebrate them!

All week long, we've been highlighting video submissions that celebrate the people and programs that kept us learning throughout the 2020-2021 school year.

Today's student showcases include videos about:

  • History
  • Project Lead the Way
  • Students Teaching New Skills
  • The Collegiate Academy
Cara Carter Named Technology Administrator of the Year
Cara Carter, Northwest ISD's executive director of technology, was named the 2021 Technology Administrator of the Year for Texas during a virtual ceremony last week.

Each year, the Texas Computer Education Association honors an administrator who exhibits exemplary vision and management of technology at the district level.

Carter's leadership in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic was highlighted in her nomination for the award. During this time, the NISD Technology Division deployed devices to all 13,000 elementary students, created a student HelpDesk website and telework site for employees, provided remote learning professional development webinars and deployed internet hotspots to families that needed them to access virtual lessons from home.
Report COVID-19 Cases to NISD and Local County
During spring break, all staff and students who test positive for COVID-19, have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19, or begin to experience COVID-19 symptoms, are asked to continue to use the NISD COVID Reporting Form and to ensure their case is reported to the county health department by the physician or facility that conducted the test.

All forms submitted to NISD will be processed after staff return on March 23. There will not be a nurse on call over the break. For any health-related questions, please contact a physician.

During spring break, the county health departments will conduct necessary contact tracing and notify individuals who may have had close contact with a test-confirmed individual.

If a student or NISD staff member test positive for COVID-19, has been in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, or is experiencing COVID symptoms during spring break, they should not return to campus when we reopen until they receive additional instructions from the school.
NISD COVID-19 Dashboard Offline During Break
The NISD COVID dashboard will not be updated from March 13 to 24 during spring break and will be removed from the website during this time.

Staff will review COVID notifications received during the break after they return to work on March 23.

The COVID dashboard will be updated and added back to the website on March 24, once it's updated after employees return to work following the break.
Students Encouraged to Continue Learning With Chromebooks During Spring Break
Northwest ISD students will be bringing home their district-issued Chromebooks on Friday, March 12 so they can continue learning during spring break.

Enrichment opportunities are available for students through NISD's Learning That Takes You Places website, which takes students on a journey to a dozen different places around the world. Students are also encouraged to work on Lexia and Imagine Math programs or read digital books through the Epic app.

Chromebooks and chargers should be returned to your child's campus on Wednesday, March 24. Pleasure ensure devices are fully-charged and ready to be utilized during school hours.
Ryan Barnhart Named Principal of Tidwell Middle School
Ryan Barnhart, an assistant principal at Northwest High School, was named principal of Tidwell Middle School at Monday night’s school board meeting.

Barnhart will officially begin his new role at Tidwell in July but will have opportunities this spring to work alongside Tidwell’s current principal to transition.
Northwest Reads Seeks Guest Readers for April 23 Virtual Event
Understanding the "Why" Behind Your Child's Behavior — 7 p.m. March 25
NISD Bond 2021 News Recap
This week, we shared:

In this video, Superintendent Ryder Warren and Assistant Superintendent Tim McClure discuss bond projects, equity across campuses and NISD learning environments.