FLORENCE ISD

Greetings,

The Spring Semester is well underway and I am excited about all that we have going on in our schools.   Our staff and students continue to work hard and are achieving great things.

I would like to mention a few of the many things currently taking place in our schools.

We are proud of our Afterschool Centers on Education program that has been in place since the beginning of the year.  The ACE program is an extension of our regular school day and is funded through the 21^st Century Community Learning Centers Grant.  The program provides resources for before and after school, summer and weekend activities for students and their families.  We continue to grow enrollment and expand opportunities.

The culmination of a long-range planning process resulted in the Florence ISD Board of Trustees voting unanimously to place a bond proposal on the ballot in the November 2018 General Election. The bond proposal, which was passed by an overwhelming margin, allows the district to address needs in four major categories which include Safety and Security, Academic Upgrades, Technology and Electrical Upgrades, and other Facility Improvements.  District leadership continues the planning work which is necessary to begin construction. 

In a separate project approved by the board, we are building a much-needed concession stand and bathroom facility at the Softball/Baseball Complex.  This project will include the provision of new handicap parking and access to the complex, as well as access to the high school main building.

For the second year in a row Florence ISD has been selected to the College Board’s Annual Advanced Placement Honor Roll.  Florence ISD is one of only 30 Texas School Districts to receive this honor. Inclusion in the 9th Annual AP District Honor Roll is based on a review of three years of AP data, from 2016 to 2018, looking across 38 AP Exams, including World Language and Culture. The following criteria were used:

 Districts must:

• Increase participation/access to AP by at least 4% in large districts, at least 6% in medium districts, and at least 11% in small districts;
• Have increased or maintained the percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students taking exams and increased or maintained the percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students scoring 3+ on at least one AP Exam; and
• Improve or maintain performance levels when comparing the 2018 percentage of students scoring a 3 or higher to the 2016 percentage, unless the district has already attained a performance level at which more than 70% of its AP students earn a 3 or higher.

These are just a few of the exciting things currently taking place.We remain committed to providing the best possible education to the students that we serve.We are excited about the future and remain in relentless pursuit of excellence.

Paul Michalewicz

Superintendent of Schools, Florence ISD