March 2025

LISD Families,

This week has been so special as we’ve celebrated the impact our teachers make on the lives of students every day throughout Thank A Teacher week. Hearing their own words about the difference our teachers make in their lives is invaluable, and I am so grateful to be a part of a community that supports our educators. As we begin the last nine weeks of the school year, you can share your positive feedback and compliments with our staff by completing a Recognize Someone at LISD.net/Recognize.

It is also time for our second parent and student survey of the year. If you haven’t already received it, be on the lookout for an email with your survey link, which will close on April 4. The feedback we receive through these surveys helps us shape district initiatives, so I want to thank you in advance for your participation and input.

The 89th legislative session is ongoing and has been a major focus for district leaders and the LISD Board of Trustees as we partner with our elected representatives to inform and educate legislators as they make decisions throughout this session. You may have seen in the news the assertion that public schools in Texas receive, on average, $10,000 per student. I want to alert you to the fact that this statement from the Texas Education Agency relies on a calculation that averages funding amounts that cannot be used for every child. The one funding amount that can be used for every child is the Basic Allotment, which is $6,160 per student and has not been adjusted since 2019. This lack of increase is creating a funding crisis for public education in Texas. You can find more information in this newsletter regarding funding amounts for LISD and why creating an average funding amount is of concern.

Find contact information and resources for how to communicate with our elected officials, and stay up to date with information we are sharing with our elected officials on our district webpage (LISD.net/legislative). Continue to follow our social media channels for further updates in the coming weeks.

I will continue to keep our community informed and updated regarding school finance and decisions being made in Austin that have a direct impact on the programs and services we are able to provide for our students.

With appreciation,

Lori Rapp, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Follow along with me:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LISD.net/superintendent

March 17-21 | Thank-a-Teacher Week

April 2 | Paraprofessional Appreciation Day

April 3 | Voter Registration Deadline

April 4 | School Librarian Appreciation Day

April 7 | National Assistant Principal Week

April 7 | Board Work Session

April 12 | LISD Job Fair

April 14 | Regular Board Meeting

April 18 | Student & Staff Holiday

March - Women's History Month

To view the 2024-25 LISD Academic Calendar visit LISD.net/cal. For school hours, including early release times, visit LISD.net/hours.

As a reminder, the LISD Board of Trustees approved the 435 calendar option (option A) for the 2025-26 school year. View next year's calendar HERE.

The bad weather day on April 21 will be used as one make up day. The Feb. 14 professional learning day allowed us enough banked minutes to count for the other make-up day that is needed. The TEA also approved the waiver we requested for the 21 schools that had to miss school due to the water line break in the City of Lewisville so there will not be a need to make up the day missed.

The Board of Trustees met for the regularly scheduled Board Meeting on Monday, March 17. Click HERE for the full recap.

LISD was recognized as a District of Distinction by the Career and Technical Association of Texas (CTAT). READ MORE

In May 2025, Single Member Districts 2 and 3, and At-Large Place 7 will be on the ballot. For more information, click HERE.

Early childhood programs will be hosting virtual parent information sessions on March 5, 6 and 27 for families wanting more information about what to expect when their little learner starts kindergarten for the 2025-26 school year. Help us spread the word by sharing LISD.net/kindergarten. Families can now enroll at any time.

LISD serves eligible four-year-old students in full-day, state-funded pre kindergarten classes. Students must be 4 years old on/before Sept. 1 of the school year for PreK enrollment and qualify by one or more of the criteria. Enrollment for the 2025-26 school year begins April 1, and an in-person enrollment event will be held on May 6 and 7 at the LISD Administrative Center (Bolin Professional Building) to support families in the enrollment process. Visit LISD.net/prek for more information.

Dr. Rapp recently shared an update with Legislators related to how TEA’s use of average funding per pupil is a misleading representation of public school funding. Some of those details and explanations are included below. The update also includes our comments submitted to the House Public Education Committee concerning House Bill 2 (HB2). Read the full update HERE.

The TEA latest annual report states that schools, on average, receive $10,800 per student, which includes Tier I funds, Tier II funds, and other funds including TRS on-behalf, which cannot be spent on students. In the presentation video and slides linked below, Dr. Rapp breaks down how calculating an average funding per student depicts an inaccurate representation of how much funding our district actually receives to educate a student in LISD. The use of an average assumes that each Tier 1 allotment can be used on every student and that is not the case, which means calculating an average is inappropriate.

WATCH VIDEO PRESENTATION

For the last several school years, our ask has been for legislators to increase the basic allotment (BA) to account for inflation. Currently, the House has proposed a $220 increase to the BA (House Bill 2), and the senate has not discussed an increase. At the March 17 board meeting, I shared more with the Board about the impact a $220 would have in LISD, and why it would not provide relief in the midst of declining enrollment and budget constraints. You can watch that update HERE.

The district has prioritized establishing Legacy Committees to help support and guide the community through the emotional process of closing school buildings. These dedicated committees, formed specifically for each campus identified for closure, are tasked with preserving and celebrating the rich history of LISD schools. Find additional information including commemorative event details and archived stories and images for each campus at LISD.net/leavingalegacy.

Parent-teacher associations allow families and community members to get involved with their local schools by planning events, supporting teachers and raising funds for campus-related needs. Now is the perfect time to join your school’s PTA by clicking HERE. Looking for more ways to get involved? Visit LISD.net/Volunteer.

Recognize SomeONE is live for the 2024-25 school year! This program gives our staff and community members the opportunity to highlight the exceptional work of our staff here at LISD. Visit LISD.net/Recognize to highlight a fellow staff member today!

There are several ways for LISD staff to give back to the community that supports our students, their families, and our employees. For opportunities to leave a legacy through giving, visit LISD.net/givesback.

The Lewisville ISD Parent Café program is a parent-led peer support group that provides a confidential space for parents to discuss, validate and receive support on the challenges of raising children, along with free childcare (ages 5+ and a meal for the family). For more information and to sign up to attend, visit LISD.net/parentcafe.

As we kicked off the final semester of the school year, teachers from around the district received words of gratitude from current and past students all across LISD. Catch up on moments from the week at #LISDThankATeacher.