Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District (HEB ISD) is a
K-12
K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993, well known worldwide mainly for its heavyweight division fights and Grand Prix tournaments. In January 2012, K-1 Global Holdings Limited, a company registered in Hong Kong, acquired ...
public
school district
A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public primary and secondary schools in various nations.
North America United States
In the U.S, most K–12 public schools function as units of local school districts, wh ...
based in
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
(
USA
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
). The district serves the city of
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...
, most of the cities of
Euless
Euless ( ) is a city in Tarrant County, Texas, United States, and a suburb of Dallas and Fort Worth. Euless is part of the Mid-Cities region between Dallas and Fort Worth. In 2020 Census, the population of Euless was 61,032. The population of t ...
and
Hurst
Hurst may refer to:
Places England
* Hurst, Berkshire, a village
* Hurst, North Yorkshire, a hamlet
* Hurst, a settlement within the village of Martock, Somerset
* Hurst, West Sussex, a hamlet
* Hurst Spit, a shingle spit in Hampshire
** Hurs ...
, and small parts of
North Richland Hills
North Richland Hills, commonly known as NRH, is a city inside Tarrant County, Texas, United States, and a mid-to-high end suburb of Fort Worth. The population was 69,917 at the 2020 census, making it the third largest city in Tarrant County. In ...
,
Colleyville
Colleyville is a city in northeastern Tarrant County, Texas, United States, centrally located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. A wealthy suburb of the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Colleyville was originally a small farm town in the 19th century. Th ...
,
Fort Worth
Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...
, and
Arlington. The district operates twenty-one
elementary school
A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ed ...
s, five
junior high schools
A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...
, two traditional
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
s, and additional specialized facilities.
HEB ISD offers "Schools of Choice" programs, which provide unique opportunities for students to develop skills beyond standard
primary
Primary or primaries may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels
* Primary (band), from Australia
* Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea
* Primary Music, Israeli record label
Works
* ...
and
secondary school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...
curriculum
In education, a curriculum (; : curricula or curriculums) is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view ...
. The district was named by Education Resource Group in 2008-2011 as the top district in the state and has been recognized for achievements in academics and student performance,
music education
Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as elementary or secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a research area in which scholars do origina ...
,
public relations
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. P ...
practices,
operating efficiency, and teacher salaries. In August 2018, HEB ISD was rated "A" by the
Texas Education Agency
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is the branch of the government of Texas responsible for public education in Texas in the United States. , placing it in the top quintile of Texas school districts.
History
Before the creation of the Hurst-Euless-Bedford school district, many schools and school districts served the area's education needs. Notable early schools included:
*Bedford College (1882–1893) A private combined high school and
junior college
A junior college (sometimes referred to colloquially as a juco, JuCo or JC) is a post-secondary educational institution offering vocational training designed to prepare students for either skilled trades and technical occupations and workers in su ...
that attracted students from out of state. The quality of education dwindled and became more like a public elementary and secondary school before it burned down in 1893 amidst rumors of
arson
Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, wat ...
.
*Bedford School (1912-current) This two-story brick building was
restored
''Restored'' is the fourth
studio album by American contemporary Christian music musician Jeremy Camp. It was released on November 16, 2004 by BEC Recordings.
Track listing
Standard release
Enhanced edition
Deluxe gold edition
Standard ...
after a fire in January 1991 and houses the Bedford School Museum.
The school is also commonly known as the Old Bedford School.
*Euless School (1913–1970) Another two-story brick schoolhouse, the
cornerstone
The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.
Over time ...
was laid for Euless School in 1913 (on the site of present-day South Euless Elementary). Beginning in 1934 the school served as a high school, until 1955 when a new high school was built and Euless School was renamed South Euless Elementary. In 1970, the original building was demolished and replaced by the current building.
In 2010, a
historical marker
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other ...
was placed at South Euless Elementary.
*Mosier Valley School (1883-?) In 1949-1950, a local crisis centered on Mosier Valley School, as parents and school employees struggled against state law requiring
racial segregation
Racial segregation is the systematic separation of people into race (human classification), racial or other Ethnicity, ethnic groups in daily life. Racial segregation can amount to the international crime of apartheid and a crimes against hum ...
. Mosier Valley School was organized in 1883 as part of Evatt School District and met in buildings shared with Oak Grove
Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
Church. In 1918, the school moved into its own schoolhouse. The school was closed in 1949; the
wooden frame building was in poor condition and still had no heating, lighting, or sanitary facilities. In June 1950, a federal judge ordered the Euless School District to provide a separate school for
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
children. To comply, the district temporarily re-opened Mosier Valley School. By September 1951, classes were moved into a new brick building. In 1984, a
historical marker
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other ...
was dedicated at the original location of the school. The original wooden school house was moved to Bedford in May 1984.
Combined districts
The Euless and Hurst school districts merged in 1955.
The combined district served 1,418 students
and grew to almost 2,300 students in the next two years.
In 1955, Lawrence D. Bell High School also known as L.D. Bell was founded.
In 1958, the residents of the Bedford School District voted to merge with the Hurst-Euless School District by 212 to 189.
(Similar attempts to combine the cities themselves have not succeeded.) The tri-city district served 3,116 students during its first year, including 68
high school seniors, at seven schools:
*Bell High School (at the current site of
Central Junior High)
*Bedford Elementary (the afore-mentioned Bedford School, now City of Bedford property)
*South Hurst (no longer district property)
*North Hurst (now Hurst Junior High)
*Mosier Valley Elementary (now a community building)
*Euless Elementary (now South Euless Elementary)
*West Elementary (now West Hurst Elementary).
![Texas HEBISD Bell HS front](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Texas_HEBISD_Bell_HS_front.jpg)
Later that school year, North Euless Elementary opened and
Pennington Field
Pennington Field is a multi-purpose stadium located in Bedford, Texas. The 12,500-capacity facility is primarily used for local high school football and soccer teams of Trinity High School and L.D. Bell High School. It is owned and operated by th ...
was completed. The next decade brought Oakwood Terrace Elementary (1962) Wilshire Elementary (1964), the current L.D. Bell High School campus (1965), Donna Park Elementary (1966), Midway Park Elementary (1967), Bell's
Driver's Education
Driver's education, driver education, driving education, driver's ed, driving tuition or driving lessons is a formal class or program that prepares a new driver to obtain a learner's permit or driver's license. The formal class program may also ...
Facility (1968), and in 1969 Trinity High School, Bell Manor Elementary and Hurst Hills Elementary.
Racial integration
Racial integration, or simply integration, includes desegregation (the process of ending systematic racial segregation). In addition to desegregation, integration includes goals such as leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity ...
began in the summer of 1965 in a
Head Start class.
HEB ISD
desegregated
Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups, usually referring to races. Desegregation is typically measured by the index of dissimilarity, allowing researchers to determine whether desegregation efforts are having impact o ...
in 1968.
Events since 1997
In 1997, voters approved a
municipal bond
A municipal bond, commonly known as a muni, is a Bond (finance), bond issued by state or local governments, or entities they create such as authorities and special districts. In the United States, interest income received by holders of municipal ...
of $170 million, the largest bond package that the district had ever proposed. The package included nearly $50 million for technology alone, allowed major renovations at nearly all campuses, and funded the construction of the Pat May Center administration building. The District called River Trails Elementary (opened August 2002) a "bonus" from the bond; the school's $7.5 million construction was paid for entirely by interest and investment of the bond fund.
HEB ISD's
grade configuration of elementary (K-6), junior high (7-9), and high school (10-12) differs from the most common alignment among school districts in Texas (K-5, 6-8, 9-12). In September 2006, a task force of parents, teachers, and other district staff was created to study 10 possible grade configurations in anticipation of future growth. Their scientific
opinion poll
An opinion poll, often simply referred to as a survey or a poll (although strictly a poll is an actual election) is a human research survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions ...
found that 80% of parents were either very satisfied or satisfied with the district's configuration; however, 68% of parents would support a district decision to change the configuration if the district believed it was best for students. On June 19, 2007, the board of trustees unanimously approved the Grade Alignment Task Force's recommendation to keep the established grade configuration.
During the 2006-2007 school year, fifth-grade students at Bellaire, Midway Park, Shady Brook, Bell Manor, Shady Oaks, and Wilshire elementary schools participated in the
pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
of a
ballroom dance
Ballroom dance is a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world, mostly because of its performance and entertainment aspects. Ballroom dancing is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and television. ...
program called "Dancing Classrooms". A survey conducted by the
University of Texas at Arlington
The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA or UT Arlington) is a public research university in Arlington, Texas. The university was founded in 1895 and was in the Texas A&M University System for several decades until joining the University of Te ...
kinesiology
Kinesiology () is the scientific study of human body movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, anatomical, biomechanical, pathological, neuropsychological principles and mechanisms of movement. Applications of kinesiology to human health ...
program and the comments of staff at the elementary schools indicate that students who participated in the program experienced major improvements in self-esteem and social skills.
The following school year, the District began to offer Dancing Classrooms during
physical education
Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explorati ...
classes at all elementary schools.
HEB ISD and nearby
Fort Worth Independent School District
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
were among eight cities in the nation that offered the program, begun by
Pierre Dulaine
Pierre Dulaine (born 23 April 1944) is a dance instructor and dancer. He invented the Dulaine method of teaching dance. He also founded Dancing Classrooms, a social and emotional development program for 5th grade children that uses ballroom danci ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
and made famous in the movies
Mad Hot Ballroom
''Mad Hot Ballroom'' is a 2005 American documentary film directed and co-produced by Marilyn Agrelo and written and co-produced by Amy Sewell, about a ballroom dance program in the New York City Department of Education, the New York City public ...
and
Take the Lead
''Take the Lead'' is a 2006 American drama dance film directed by Liz Friedlander and starring Antonio Banderas as dance instructor Pierre Dulaine, the founder of Dancing Classrooms. It also stars Alfre Woodard, John Ortiz, Rob Brown, Yaya DaCos ...
. Due to cuts in funding from the state, the Dancing Classrooms program was discontinued after the 2010-2011 school year.
On May 14, 2011, voters approved two bond proposals for a total of $136.5 million. Proposition 1 outlined $112.8 million for building repairs, classroom technology upgrades, and relocation of two buildings due to expansion of
Texas State Highway 183
State Highway 183 (SH 183) is a state highway in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex in Texas. Its most heavily used section is designated Airport Freeway where it serves the southern entrance of Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport.
Histor ...
. Proposition 2 allowed for the construction of activity centers to house extracurricular programs at L.D. Bell and Trinity High Schools, and for renovations to re-purpose the spaces those extracurricular programs were using, at a cost of $23.7 million.
In August 2014, the Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD opened Viridian Elementary in north
Arlington and the Gene A. Buinger Career and Technical Education Academy, replacing the Technical Education Center.
In a May 2018 election, more than 71% of voters approved a $199 million bond issue that focused on accommodating continuing growth in the school district. The proposal's plans included building two new elementary schools, repurposing an existing elementary school, expanding junior high schools, and upgrading technology infrastructure.
Students
Academics
Students in Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD typically outperform local region and statewide averages on standardized tests. In 2015-2016
State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) results, 85% of students in HEB ISD met Level II Satisfactory standards, compared with 77% in Region 11 and 75% in the state of Texas.
The average
SAT
The SAT ( ) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Since its debut in 1926, its name and scoring have changed several times; originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, it was later called the Schol ...
score of the class of 2015 was 1488, and the average
ACT score was 22.2.
In 2016, 23 high school juniors were recognized through the
National Merit Scholarship Program
The National Merit Scholarship Program is a United States academic scholarship competition for recognition and university scholarships administered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), a privately funded, not-for-profit organizat ...
and the
National Hispanic Recognition Program
National Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP) was initiated in 1983 by the College Board to identify outstanding Hispanic high school students and to share information about these academically well-prepared students with subscribing colleges and uni ...
based on
PSAT/NMSQT
The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a standardized test administered by the College Board and cosponsored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) in the United States. In the 2018-2019 s ...
scores.
In 2017 and 2018, HEB ISD was among the 5% of school systems that received Texas Education Agency's post-secondary readiness distinction.
Demographics
In the 2015-2016 school year, the school district had a total of 22,780 students, ranging from early childhood education and pre-kindergarten through grade 12. The class of 2015 included 1,469 graduates; the annual drop-out rate across grades 9-12 was less than 1%.
HEB ISD has been recognized as the second most diverse school district in Texas and the 18th (of 7,719 total) most diverse school district in the country.
As of the 2015-2016 school year, the ethnic distribution of the school district was 39.2% White, 29.3% Hispanic, 18.3% African American, 6.9% Asian, 2.3% Pacific Islander, 0.5% American Indian, and 3.4% from two or more races. Economically disadvantaged students made up 52.8% of the student body.
Curriculum and "Schools of Choice" Programs
Curriculum
In education, a curriculum (; : curricula or curriculums) is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view ...
programs offered are generally uniform throughout district schools. Core classes are supplemented by "Schools of Choice" or "Edge" programs, which focus on providing unique opportunities for students to develop their skills to compete in the global job market. These internationally oriented electives have been recognized for the unique opportunities they offer to students. "Schools of Choice" programs accept applications from students who live outside of Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD's boundaries; residents of the HEB area are given first priority. Students who are not residents must provide transportation and, for elementary programs, pay
tuition
Tuition payments, usually known as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in Commonwealth English, are fees charged by education institutions for instruction or other services. Besides public spending (by governments and other public bo ...
.
A
Core Knowledge
Core Knowledge (CK) refers to a current textbook series originally written by a collective of former top Year 12 South Australian students of the same name (2003–2008) for South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) students. The Core Kno ...
-based curriculum has been offered at every elementary school in the district since 2005. Core Knowledge curriculum covers a broad and consistent range of topics that include large amounts of culturally significant works, people, events, and concepts. Students in grades 7-8 at Central Junior High and Harwood Junior High also participate in Core Knowledge-based classes. Meadow Creek, Spring Garden, and Viridian elementary schools offer full-day
tuition
Tuition payments, usually known as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in Commonwealth English, are fees charged by education institutions for instruction or other services. Besides public spending (by governments and other public bo ...
-based Core Knowledge
Pre-Kindergarten
Pre-kindergarten (also called Pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschool ...
.
University-level courses
The District has offered the
International Baccalaureate
The International Baccalaureate (IB), formerly known as the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the IB Dip ...
(IB)
diploma program at both its high schools since fall 2002, graduating the first class of IB students in spring 2004. The program is the highest academic curriculum offered; students study six subjects in college-level classes that culminate in comprehensive exams or
artistic portfolio assessments. HEB ISD was the first district in Tarrant County to offer the program and is the only multi-high school district in Texas where all high schools have an IB program. In 2012, students in HEB ISD had a passing rate of 83% on IB exams, higher than the US national passing rate (66.9%) and the global passing rate (78.4%).
Advanced Placement
Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...
(AP) classes are offered at both high school campuses, with a Pre-AP curriculum available at the junior high and elementary school levels. Students in AP courses, like IB, complete college-level work throughout the year and take tests in May; many universities will award
college credit
A credit is the recognition for having taken a course at school or university, used as measure if enough hours have been made for graduation.
University credits United States Credit hours
In a college or university in the United States, student ...
for high enough test scores. Each student in an AP class is required to take a qualifying exam, and if the student meets the standard in that subject, the district pays the test fee.
Language and cultural study
Beginning in the 2007-2008 school year,
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
and
Mandarin Chinese
Mandarin (; ) is a group of Chinese (Sinitic) dialects that are natively spoken across most of northern and southwestern China. The group includes the Beijing dialect, the basis of the phonology of Standard Chinese, the official language of ...
language classes are offered at Central Junior High. HEB ISD was the second school district in the nation to offer Hindi, and the first in Northeast Tarrant County to offer Mandarin Chinese. Starting in the 2011-2012 school year, the program was expanded to include
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
language classes. Viridian Elementary began an elementary world languages program in 2014, allowing HEB ISD students to complete an aligned course of Arabic, Hindi, or Mandarin Chinese study from first grade through high school graduation.
Spanish Immersion is offered to
English-speaking
Speakers of English are also known as Anglophones, and the countries where English is natively spoken by the majority of the population are termed the ''Anglosphere''. Over two billion people speak English , making English the largest language ...
students entering first grade at Bedford Heights and Meadow Creek elementary schools with the goal of
fluency
Fluency (also called volubility and eloquency) is the property of a person or of a system that delivers information quickly and with expertise.
Language use
Language fluency is one of a variety of terms used to characterize or measure a person ...
in Spanish by completion of sixth grade. Classes attended by participants in the program – including math, science, and social studies – are taught in Spanish; English is studied and read at home. Students continue in the program throughout elementary school, and in the 2007-2008 school year, the first Spanish Immersion class continued their studies in seventh grade.
Career and technical education
The district has offered automotive technician training programs since 1971. In 2006, the program received certification from the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation for brake repair, electrical electronic systems, engine performance, and suspension and steering. The Automotive Collision Repair program has also been certified in Non-Structural Analysis/Damage Repair and Painting and Refinishing. These certifications are awarded after on-site evaluations of instruction, facilities, and equipment and are recognized by the
National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. On May 10, 2009, the Automotive Collision Repair program's first entry in the
Houston Art Car Parade
The Houston Art Car Parade is an annual event in Houston, Texas, featuring a display of all types of rolling art. The first and largest Art Car parade in the world, at any given parade spectators will see cars, bicycles, motorcycles, roller- ...
won the parade's People's Choice Award, one of three grand trophies that are the parade's highest honors, by earning more votes than the parade's 263 other entries.
Orchestra
Students at Bellaire, Hurst Hills, Lakewood, North Euless, River Trails, Shady Brook, South Euless, Spring Garden, Viridian, and Wilshire elementary schools can participate in orchestral instruction based on the
Suzuki method
The Suzuki method is a music curriculum and teaching philosophy dating from the mid-20th century, created by Japanese violinist and pedagogue Shinichi Suzuki (1898–1998). The method aims to create an environment for learning music which para ...
. Beginning in the 2005-2006 school year, students could continue the program at Central Junior High and, starting in the 2008-2009 school year, at L.D. Bell High School.
STEM education
Central Junior High has offered accelerated
biology
Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...
and
physics
Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...
classes (where students are able to take high school biology in 8th grade and high school physics in 9th grade) since the 2013-2014 school year. However, after a 2015-2016 pilot program at Stonegate Elementary and Central Junior High involving hands-on projects and
project-based learning
Project-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered pedagogy that involves a dynamic classroom approach in which it is believed that students acquire a deeper knowledge through active exploration of real-world challenges and problems. Students le ...
, the school was officially designated a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) School of Choice for the 2016-2017 school year. The program continues through the high school level at the Buinger Career and Technical Education Academy with many STEM classes such as Engineering Design and Honors Aerospace.
In conjunction with
Bell Helicopter Textron
Bell Textron Inc. is an American aerospace manufacturer headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. A subsidiary of Textron, Bell manufactures military rotorcraft at facilities in Fort Worth, and Amarillo, Texas, as well as commercial helicopters in Mir ...
and other local companies, HEB ISD also hosts an annual drone camp at the Buinger Career & Technical Education Academy.
Schools and facilities
![Pennington Field exterior](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Pennington_Field_exterior.jpg)
The district has 21 elementary schools, 5 junior high schools, 2 traditional high schools, one non-traditional high school, and a career and technical education academy. Students are assigned to elementary schools, junior high schools, and high schools based on the location of their home but may apply to transfer to other schools if they would like to participate in certain programs. Students at both traditional high schools can travel during the school day to the academy to participate in specialized career training programs. Unique among area districts, the two HEB ISD high schools consist of Grades 10 through 12; 9th graders remain at the junior high level, but can try out and compete for high school teams.
HEB ISD schools have been recognized four times by the
Blue Ribbon Schools Program
The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States Department of Education award program that recognizes exemplary public and non-public schools on a yearly basis. Using standards of excellence evidenced by student achievement measures, ...
: Harwood Junior High was recognized in 1986-1987,
L. D. Bell High School in 1994-1996, and both
Central
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
and Hurst Junior High Schools in 2010.
The school district also owns and operates
Pennington Field
Pennington Field is a multi-purpose stadium located in Bedford, Texas. The 12,500-capacity facility is primarily used for local high school football and soccer teams of Trinity High School and L.D. Bell High School. It is owned and operated by th ...
, a stadium used by both of the district's high schools, the
DFW Tornados
DFW Tornados (also known as Dallas–Fort Worth Tornados) was an American soccer team based in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1986, the team played in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer P ...
PDL soccer team, and the
Dallas Diamonds
The Dallas Diamonds was a women's professional American football team in the Women's Football Alliance (WFA). The Diamonds were made up of 46 players and a coaching staff of 10. The Diamonds won four national championships; the first three were ...
football team.
Leadership
The District is led by a
Superintendent
Superintendent may refer to:
*Superintendent (police), Superintendent of Police (SP), or Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), a police rank
*Prison warden or Superintendent, a prison administrator
*Superintendent (ecclesiastical), a church exec ...
chosen by the
Board of Trustees
A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...
.
On January 27, 1964, the Board of Trustees replaced
at-large
At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather than ...
elections with elections for designated district-wide positions.
The seven members of the Board of Trustees are elected in May of odd-numbered years to serve staggered four-year terms. They meet at least twice each month to discuss policy, bond elections and tax rates, approving district personnel, and governing the management of the District. During at least one board meeting each month, an Open Forum session is held, which invites public participation and comments similar to a
town hall meeting
Town hall meetings, also referred to as town halls or town hall forums, are a way for local and national politicians to meet with their constituents either to hear from them on topics of interest or to discuss specific upcoming legislation or ...
.
Board of Trustees
* Place 1 - Julie Cole (2013–2023)
* Place 2 - Dawn Jordan-Wells (2012–2025)
* Place 3 - Matt Romero (2013–2025)
* Place 4 - Rochelle Ross (2017–2025)
* Place 5 - Chris Brown (2021–2025)
* Place 6 - Andy Cargile (2008–2023)
* Place 7 - Fred Campos (2015-2023)
Former superintendent Dr. Gene Buinger planned to retire on June 30, 2012, as announced on the District's official website. The former Deputy Superintendent of Educational Operations, Steve Chapman, succeeded Dr. Buinger. Chapman was officially appointed at a February 2013 board meeting. Steve Chapman announced his own retirement on December 14, 2021. On March 28, 2022, the HEB ISD school board approved Joe Harrington as the school district's new superintendent.
Honors
The HEB ISD School Board of Trustees was the eighth Texas school board (out of 1,050) ever to be recognized with an award from the Texas Association of School Boards for Good Governance and "walking the talk", including voluntarily participating in and passing a governance audit, supporting a fiscally responsible school district, and undergoing school board training.
Both of HEB ISD's high schools are ranked on
Newsweek's 2007 list of the top 1,200 high schools in the country: L.D. Bell High School is listed 210th (4th highest in
Tarrant County
Tarrant County is located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2020, it had a population of 2,110,640. It is Texas' third-most populous county and the 15th-most populous in the United States. Its county seat is Fort Worth. Tarrant County, one of 2 ...
) and Trinity High School is listed 304th (6th highest in Tarrant County). The rankings are based on the number of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate tests taken by graduating seniors.
SchoolMatchnamed HEB ISD a What Parents Want Award-winner for the first time in 1992 and again every year from 1994 through 2012. The honor is given to the top 16% of the 15,571 public school districts that SchoolMatch monitors, based on criteria compiled through over 97,000 parent questionnaires: academics, instructional expenditures, secondary-level programs, and more.
After being named a "Best Practices" district in March 2007 and a top four district in August 2007, HEB ISD was named the top school district in the state in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 by the Education Resource Group (ERG).
[ ]
The awards are based on a combination of student performance and operating efficiency.
In 2007 through 2017, the American Music Conference (sponsored by
NAMM
The NAMM Show is an annual event in the United States that is organized by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), who describe it as "the industry’s largest stage, uniting the global music, sound and entertainment technology commun ...
) named HEB ISD one of the "Best Communities for Music Education". Applicant districts provided information about funding, enrollment,
student-teacher ratio
A student teacher or prac teacher (''practice teacher'') is a college, university or graduate student who is teaching under the supervision of a certified teacher in order to qualify for a degree in education.
The term is also often used intercha ...
s, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program, private music lesson participation, and more.
The
Texas Education Agency
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is the branch of the government of Texas responsible for public education in Texas in the United States. (TEA) has awarded the District "Superior" ratings in the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST) for eight years in a row (2003–2010). These ratings are based on criteria including low administrative spending, low student-teacher ratios, and more.
In October 2006, United Educators Association of Texas (UEA) presented to the HEB ISD Board of Trustees a special proclamation in honor of the Board's history of support for teacher salaries at all levels. Out of 32 school districts in the western
Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex area, HEB ISD ranked in the top three in every category compared (including teachers with a
bachelor's
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ye ...
or
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. , and years of experience varying from none to 30).
In March 2005, the District received the Lone Star Award for best
public relations
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. P ...
practices in the state from the Texas Public Relations Association, recognizing outstanding
ethics
Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns m ...
and
business operations
Business operations is the ''harvesting'' of value from assets owned by a business. Assets can be either ''physical'' or '' intangible''. An example of value derived from a physical asset, like a building, is rent. An example of value derived fro ...
when communicating with
stakeholders.
References
External links
*
HEB ISD "The Edge"Superintendent's PageHEBISD on Facebook
{{Authority control
School districts in Tarrant County, Texas
Euless, Texas
School districts established in 1958