Bond Project Update - 2/18/2014

In May 2013, the Lorena citizens voted to pass a $22.9 million bond for renovations and additions to all four LISD campuses.  Once the requirements for selling bonds were met, the bonds generated $22.06 million. At the time of sale the bond market rates had changed, resulting in an $840,000 shortfall. This shortage was taken proportionally from each of the campus projects.  For more information, see the details provided here.

In Lorena ISD our primary focus is our students. These facility decisions, like every other decision we make, are made with students’ success and well-being in mind. Working within the financial parameters, we want to provide facilities that enrich the students’ academic as well as co-curricular and extracurricular experiences.

The projects are in various stages of planning and/or completion. For a full update on the status of each project, please click here.

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LISD Earns Gold Leadership Circle Award

Lorena ISD has once again earned the Gold Leadership Circle Award for financial transparency from the Texas Comptroller's office. To find out more about how we qualify for this recognition, visit the Leadership Circle website.

You can visit our Department of Business and Finance page at any time for information regarding the finances of Lorena ISD.

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2014-2015 Calendar Options

LISD has provided three options for school calendars for the 2014-2015 school year and a short comparison of the three.

Please note that option 3 was added this year as a one-time plan to start school after Labor Day. We would still finish by the first week of June. The benefit of this option would be to allow additional time to complete the primary, elementary, and middle school building projects as well as to get more accomplished at the high school.

If you have questions, comments or input about the calendars listed below, please email LISD at calendarcomments@lorenaisd.net

Summary of Calendar Option 1

• Teachers begin on Monday, August 18
• Students begin on Tuesday, August 26
• A week off at Thanksgiving
• Teachers return from Christmas break on Monday, January 5
• Students return from Christmas break on Tuesday, January 6
• Students finish school year on Thursday, June 4 (if no bad weather days are used)
• Teachers have ½ workday at the end of the year and finish school year on Thursday, June 4 (if no bad weather days are used)

Summary of Calendar Option 2

• Teachers begin on Friday, August 15
• Students begin on Monday, August 25
• Three days off at Thanksgiving
• Teachers and students return from Christmas break on Monday, January 5. NOTE: No teacher workday before students return
• Students finish school year on Friday, May 29
• Teachers have full workday at the end of the year and finish school year on Monday, June 1
• *If a bad weather day is used during the year, and June 1 is a student make-up day, teacher workday will be Tuesday, June 2
• Discussion of workday Saturday, May 30 vs. Monday, June 1

Summary of Calendar Option 3

• Teachers begin on Friday, August 22
• Students begin on Tuesday, September 2
• Three days off at Thanksgiving
• Teachers and students return from Christmas break on Monday, January 5. NOTE: No teacher workday before students return
• First semester ends after Christmas
• Students finish school year on Friday, June 5
• Teachers have full workday at the end of the year and finish school year on Monday, June 8

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LHS Receives the Texas Honors Circle Award

The Texas Comptroller's Office created the Texas Honors Circle Award to recognize campuses who "successfully combin(e) cost-effective spending with academic excellence." The office uses the results of the Financial Allocations Study for Texas (FAST) analysis to determine which schools merit the award. Lorena High School is one of only 317 schools in the state to receive the distinction.

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