Panther Blog

Greetings Panther Team & Pfamily:

We had a highly productive week with a strong emphasis on teaching, learning, and positively impacting our students. Our dedicated teachers and students are working diligently to ensure significant academic progress as we approach the close of the first nine-week grading cycle on 10.8.26, all while embodying Panther PRIDE!

SKYWARD: Student Grades-Academics (Stay Connected)

As we continue to maintain a high focus on academics, parents/guardians, please continue to monitor your child's grades in Skyward and connect with their teachers, counselors, and/or administrators as we work together to ensure all of our students excel academically.

Here is the link to the Parent Skyward Portal and the PHS Staff Directory. #Teamwork

Thank you, parents and guardians, for your continued support!

The PfISD High School Schedule Task Force is reviewing our current high school scheduling models to find a structure that protects instructional time, supports teachers, and reduces costs as PfISD works through the statewide school funding shortfall.

The Task Force will study options, gather input from principals, teachers, students, and families, and bring a recommendation to the district for the 2027–28 school year. Membership includes a parent and a student from each of PfISD's four high schools, alongside staff and district representatives.

Public Hearing-High School Schedule Task Force

October 27, 2026 | 5:30 p.m. | PfISD LTC, 1601 W Pecan St, Pflugerville, TX 78660

Shout out to the PfISD Interact Clubs for hosting an awesome Car Show! Such a fun time celebrating the community, cars, and a great cause. Thank You PfISD Interact Clubs for putting together such a fantastic event!

Today, we celebrate the amazing people who work behind the scenes to keep our school clean, safe, and welcoming every day.

Your hard work, dedication, and care mean so much to our Panther family. We appreciate you, we value you, and we LOVE our custodial team!

Thank you for everything you do for PHS!

Our FAC and Construction classes have partnered on a campus beautification project that will bring the science of animal husbandry to students. We are so excited for our FAC classes to care for and grow the fish our newly built tanks!

Texas FFA State Officers visited Pflugerville FFA and hosted a workshop, teaching chapter members about their impacts and personal development through FFA!

Overall the chapter had a great time hearing from representatives from around the state of Texas and their different experiences. Thank you to our state officers that visited and we are so excited to take what we learned and apply it to this school year!

Shout out to our awesome AG Teachers Ms. Leal and Ms. Smith!

Our PHS Heart Club hosted a successful CPR Training Day! We’re proud to share that everyone who attended completed the training and is now CPR certified!

This student driven event empowered our students and staff with the knowledge and skills to potentially save a life.

What a performance from Pflugerville High School! PHS Color Guard took BEST Color Guard, while the Band placed 1st Overall in Prelims and finished 3rd Overall across ALL classifications in Finals!

PHS also beat two bands that advanced to State last year, making this accomplishment even more impressive. What a statement from Pflugerville!

Special shout out to our amazing Band Directors for their hard work and dedication!

PALS kicked off their mentorship program this week with their feeder schools: Caldwell, Brookhollow, Timmerman, and Wieland Elementary! We’re excited to see our PALS build meaningful connections, serve as positive role models, and make a difference in the lives of our younger students.

Shout out to Mr. Hollis for supporting our PALS program and ensure it continues thrive!

Pflugerville High School is raising the academic bar with more academic awards to add to the Panther Trophy Case! We are proud to celebrate our TEA Distinguished Designation Awards in Science, Reading Language Arts, and Social Studies along with our TEA rating of “B” (88)!

These accomplishments reflect the hard work and dedication of our Students, Teachers, Staff, and entire Panther Community. There’s more to come as we continue to grow, learn, and empower our students to reach their full potential.

*** HUGE congratulations to our Panther TIA Award recipients! We are incredibly proud to celebrate these outstanding educators and the impact they make on student success. PHS is lucky to have such dedicated and talented teachers! Congratulations to our TIA recipients! We are so proud of you!

• 10/6 Panther PRIDE Breakfast 1st Nine Weeks @ 8:15AM (PAC Lobby)
• 10/6-7 Underclassmen (9th-11th) Picture Day (Social Studies Class)
• 10/8 Pinkout Pep Rally (9AM) Gym
• 10/9 Student Holiday
• 10/12-16 Fall Break (Student & Staff)
• 10/22 Senior Picture Day (PAC)
• 10/21 Readiness check for PSAT
• 10/24 Homecoming Dance @ 7PM (Cafeteria) + HOCO Spirit Week Dress Up
• 10/28 PSAT Day
• 10/29 Trunk or Treat @ 6PM (Kuempel Stadium)
• Athletic Schedules: Rank One

• 9th Grade ECHS Cohort 2: Students who have not passed or taken the TSI will test Reading, Writing, and Math in Pathways class.
• 10th–12th Grade Math: Students who have not passed TSI Math and are in Geometry or higher will test in their math class. Some students may have multiple testing opportunities.
• 10th–12th Grade ELA: Students who have not passed TSI Reading and/or Writing and are in English II or higher will test in their ELA class.

Please contact Ms. Catterton at kellyeileen.catterton@pfisd.net with any questions.

Ready to take your AP exam? Now is the time to get registered! The registration deadline is November 6th. Don’t miss your opportunity to show what you know and earn college credit!

For more information, please contact Cortney Johnson or Lindsay Saylor-Carroll.

Ready to take your PSAT/NMSQT? Now is the time to get registered! The exam is October 28th. Don’t miss your opportunity to show what you know and take an important step toward college readiness!

Questions??? Email: Lindsay.Diehl@pfisd.net

Per the Texas Education Code 25.092, also known as the “90 percent rule”, a student may not be given credit or a final grade for a class unless the student is in attendance for at least 90 percent of the days the class is offered.

Note: Both unexcused and excused absences count towards the 90 percent rule.

Attendance records can be viewed in the Skyward parent portal.

Teachers take attendance for students. If you or your student have questions regarding your student's absences, please email the teacher(s) directly.

Per the 2026-2027 School Calendar, the Fall semester has 82 required school days. To calculate the 90/10 split, you must take into account whether the days missed are A or B days; and, if there are continuous class period absences within the semester to affect the make-up hours calculations (see below footnote*).

If a student is denied credit, he/she will receive notification from the Front Office with instructions to see the Front Office staff to make arrangements to make up class hours.

There are opportunities for a student to make up their hours. Listed below are some examples of how to make-up hours:

• After school in our D-hall room A113 4:30pm-5:30pm Monday—Thursday
• Tutoring before school and after school
• Saturday D-hall room A113 from 8:30am-11:30am in room A113
• Other arrangements with Principal Approval

Make-up hours will be required on the student’s 5th absence/per class (including excused absences with a parent/medical note) for the Fall semester and on the student's 6th absence/per class (including excused absence with a parent/medical note) for the Spring semester.

Students will have a hold placed on their credit at the end of each semester unless they have completed the make-up hours that are owed. If you have any questions about make-up hours, please email:

Students with last name A - L: Email lisa.acedo@pfisd.net or call 512-594-0523

Students with last name M-Z: Email melissa.harris@pfisd.net or call 512-594-051

If your student owes make-up hours they are ineligible to request VOE’s (VOE Order Form For Texas Dept of Public Safety), attend Prom and Homecoming.

* “Days” in this case indicates individual class periods.

If you have any questions please email Ms. Torres at claudia.torres@pfisd.net if you have any questions.

To submit documentation for an absence us the link below:

Families, we are excited to share an exciting opportunity for middle and high school students to participate in Optimum’s 19th Annual Hispanic Heritage Essay Contest!

Students are invited to reflect on how they have been influenced by Hispanic culture and share their experiences through an essay. Prizes include a $3,000 scholarship and iPads!

Submissions are being accepted through October 15th.

We encourage families to share this opportunity with their students and encourage them to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by reflecting on the culture, traditions, and experiences that have influenced them.

Please see the attached flyers above for additional information and contest details.

PHS Website

https://phs.pfisd.net/

PHS Staff Directory

https://phs.pfisd.net/about-us/staff-directory

PHS School Profile

PHS Parent Compact 26-27

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U6qWszUwQ15qtLccbvljAcpJw3dWwzES/view?usp=sharing

PHS Parent Compact 26-27 Spanish

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oMiU8TbN1NaIao2WbgrI_GTJTe4Efa5N/view?usp=sharing

PHS Parent Compact 26-27 Vietnamese

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FWzRFEDnt-uvPqxMqmSMlBNuFG2IiFf8/view?usp=sharing

We need your help! Parents and guardians, please check your email and complete the Socioeconomic Information Form for each of your enrolled students.

Regardless of your income level, completing this form helps our campus receive important funding that supports students, teachers, programs and campus resources. It also helps support the continued availability of free meals for all students at our CEP campus.

Here's what you need to know:

- Check your email for a message from PfISD containing your student's form link.

- Complete a separate form for EACH student enrolled in PfISD.

- All families should complete the form, regardless of income.

Your participation makes a difference! Please take a few minutes to complete your form today.

For more information, visit: https://www.pfisd.net/.../free-and-reduced-meals..

The free meals program provided by the USDA and Texas Department of Agriculture for all PfISD students during the pandemic has ended. Students must complete the necessary form to receive free or reduced meals during the 2026-2027 school year.

*** Benefits Included - more than just meals!

• Breakfast entrées with up to two fruit sides and milk
• Lunch entrées, with up to two fruit sides, two vegetable sides and milk
• Two waivers for SAT fees
• Four additional SAT score reports
• SAT online course, discount $40.00
• Two waivers for ACT fees
• Four college application waivers

Please note that the link is not currently active to submit your application Click here for instructions on applying for free and reduced meals (English).

PfISD encourages families who feel they may qualify for the free/reduced meal program to complete the forms this year as it will give their students coverage for the first 30 days of next school year. Then, they must complete an application at the beginning of next school year to receive benefits all year long.

Please take note: the free meals that have been available to all students, regardless of their application status, are ending. Students who have previously been part of the free/reduced meal plan or newer students who enrolled in PfISD may be eligible for the traditional program and need to apply to continue receiving free or reduced meals at school next school year.

As we approach cooler temperatures, the Coats for Kids team is gearing up to partner with

Central Texas schools to ensure all kids in need of a warm winter coat receive one. This annual

community project collects and distributes more than 30,000 coats to eligible children and

teenagers in Central Texas each year. Request a coat by scanning the QR code below or visiting Coat Request Form.

In the Coat Request Form, provide the student’s name, school, grade, coat size, and special

preferences. Use the form to tell us what kind of coat your child would like!

Please use Ms. Cardenas’ email when completing the form as this will make it easier for us to

track submissions (juliana.cardenas@pfisd.net).

Dinner with a Side of Support! Skip cooking on Tuesday, October 6th, and join us at Tumble 22 from 5:00 to 9:00 PM for a Spirit Night! Mention Pfusion (or show the flyer) when ordering, and a portion of your meal goes straight to supporting our dance team!

The Pflugerville High School Book Club is fundraising t-shirts to be able to buy more books! We have three designs with short and long sleeve options. Help support our readers!

Fundraiser Link:https://sfnd.io/phsbookclub

October 6th and October 7th are the updated underclassmen photo dates through Social Studies classes (9th-11th)

October 22nd and December 10th are the Senior photos during lunch inside the PAC foyer

Note: Seniors can also schedule directly with Cady at their studio (see below)

Join our ECHS School Ambassadors for a spooktacular evening of fun on October 29th at 6PM at Kuempel Stadium! Enjoy Kona Ice, face painting, fun games, best costume and trunk competitions, Trunk or Treat, and more!

Come in costume and get ready for a night of Panther fun!

View the Schoolfunder fundraiser Pfusion is doing to support their activities for this school year. They are getting very close to meeting their goal, and all support helps. Here is the link: Pflugerville Pfusion Dance 2026-2027 Back to School Donation Drive | Schoolfundr

Order your shirts and yard signs here using the link below:

https://www.phspanthercelebration.com/

Your prom tickets are now live on the website linked below! The prom will be held on April 24th, 2027 from 7pm to 11pm at The UT Etter-Harbin Alumni Center located at 2110 San Jacinto Blvd, Austin, TX 78712. Tickets are currently $50 and available for PHS seniors to purchase. Guest tickets will become available at a later date. Get your them now as prices increase as the year goes on.

Prom Tickets

Seniors have a special discount to our Homecoming Dance! Admission to the dance will be $5 when your homecoming ticket is purchased with your prom ticket using the link above.

Click here: https://www.jostens.com/.../students-and.../yearbook-ads

Pricing through Christmas:

$350 for whole page

$215 for ½ page

$140 for a ¼

$85 for an 1/8