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Dickinson ISD E-News
 Week of September 3, 2012 
 
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Open house
Sept. 6 at
Barber and Dunbar
 
Both Dickinson ISD middle schools -- Barber and Dunbar -- will host Open Houses Thursday, Sept. 6.

Barber Middle School will have a
parent meeting at 5:30 p.m. followed by Meet the Teacher from 6-7:30 p.m. Parents will follow their child's schedule and go to each class.

Dunbar Middle School will have a parent meeting at 6 p.m. and then parents can meet their child's teachers from 6:30-7:45 p.m. 
Early Release
September 12
 
Dickinson ISD will have an Early Release Day on Wednesday, September 12 for teacher staff development.

Campuses will release two hours earlier than normal, with secondary campus dismissal at 12:30 p.m. and elementary campus dismissal at 1:30 p.m. Morning pre-kindergarten classes will meet from 8:30-10:30 a.m., while afternoon pre-kindergarten will meet from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Welcome Back to a new school year 

Meet the Teacher     
Meet the Teacher  Meet the Teacher
  Meet the Teacher Meet the Gators
Dickinson ISD enrollment tops 9,650
including 400 new students district-wide


Dickinson ISD has been a growing district for many years and all indications from the first week of school are that the growth is climbing even higher as student enrollment reached 9,661students at the beginning of the second week of school. This is a 400 student increase when compared to the first week of last school year.

More students can be seen throughout the district, with an additional 150 students at the elementary level, 15 at the middle school level, 111 at McAdams Junior High and more than 130 at Dickinson High School. With an enrollment of 2,414 at the beginning of this week, Dickinson High School surpassed the 2,400 mark for the first time.

Dickinson ISD has grown by more than 3,500 students in the past nine years, climbing from 6,000 students in 2003-2004 to the current 9,600. If current growing trends continue, Dickinson ISD could be educating more than 10,000 students at the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year.

More than $230 million has been invested in Dickinson ISD facilities in the past 13 years through three voter-approved bond issues in 1999, 2005 and 2007 to provide the facilities needed for the district's continually growing student enrollment.        
Christus Gator Clinic now open at
Dickinson High for all DISD students

 
The Gator Aid-Hope Clinic, sponsored by Christus St. John Hospital, will be located at Dickinson High School for the 2012-2013 school year. The clinic is open from 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday in the Occupation Education Center at Dickinson High School. Any enrolled Dickinson ISD student can receive treatment at the clinic, no matter which school he or she attends.

The school-based clinic helps increase learning opportunities for students by reducing absenteeism of students by preventing illness and  promoting and improving health. A Physician Assistant is available at the clinic to examine, diagnose and treat health conditions such as acne, allergies, sinus symptoms, asthma, earaches, flu or cold symptoms, sore throats, rashes, sprains, minor wounds, sports physicals and more.

To make an appointment, call 713-598-4149.  
Board of Trustees approves $65 million budget; tax rate to remain the same
 
At their August 27 meeting, the Dickinson ISD Board of Trustees approved a $65,885,042 budget for the 2012-2013 school year. At the same meeting they set the 2012 tax rate at $1.54, the same amount as 2011.

The 2012-2013 budget represents a $1.8 million deficit budget, which would have to be covered by money from the district's fund balance of $20 million. However, the district expects that they may be able to add to the fund balance at the end of the school year through increasing student enrollment, as well as careful spending throughout the year from campuses and departments.

"Dickinson ISD has been carefully planning for the future for many years to make sure we had an adequate fund balance to use if needed in these times of state funding uncertainty," said Superintendent Vicki Mims. "Our district is in a unique position in that while state funding decreases, our enrollment is continually increasing as new homes are built. In the past nine years, we have grown by more than 3,500 students. We are fortunate to have the fund balance available to make sure we have the teachers and other resources available to meet the needs of our students."

Included in the 2012-2013 budget are pay raises of between two-three percent for all employees. Dickinson ISD employees did not receive increases in 2011-2012 and in most cases pay was reduced. The increase this year helps in returning employees back to their salaries before the 2011-2012 cuts.