HMS staff at Board Meeting

The Hempstead ISD Board of Trustees met on Monday, March 25. Hempstead Early Childhood Center students led the pledges. 

During the board meeting, Hempstead ISD Superintendent Herbert O’Neil recognized Women’s History Month, March Students and Staff of the Month, HHS FFA Project Show winners, and provided academic and extracurricular activity updates. Additionally, he provided information about the May 4, 2024 bond election.

Students Recognized

Our campuses have selected one student of the month from each grade level to be recognized for their excellence, efforts, and achievement in being outstanding students on campus.

Hempstead Early Childhood Center

Stormi Brown - Pre-K3

Sophia Zamora - Pre-K4

Hempstead Elementary School

Eddie Mata - K

Lucia Ponce Dominguez - 1st Grade

Titus Johnson - 2nd Grade

Jacob Rahdarian - 3rd Grade

Roslyn Knowles - 4th Grade

David Ramirez - 5th Grade

Hempstead Middle School 

Zander Van Tilburg - 6th Grade

Daniella Vega - 7th Grade

Luz Padron Aguilar - 8th Grade

Hempstead High School 

Delila McGrath - 9th Grade

Damian Vega-Stephens - 10th Grade

Collin Mayes - 11th Grade

Alvaro Trujillo - 12th Grade

Employees Recognized

Monthly Staff Recognitions

Hempstead Early Childhood Center 

March HECC Teacher of the Month - Catherine Johns

March HECC Support Staff of the Month - Gloria Torres

Hempstead Elementary School 

March HES Teacher of the Month - Tabitha Collins

March HES Support Staff of the Month - Renita Robinson

Hempstead Middle School 

March HMS Teacher of the Month - Christina Conklin

March HMS Support Staff of the Month - Tameko Wilder

Hempstead High School

March HHS Teacher of the Month - Abigail Murray

March HHS Support Staff of the Month - Esmeralda Carrillo

Superintendent’s Higher Heights Award Recipient

Superintendent O’Neil announced the March Superintendent’s Higher Heights Award recipients are Eric Jimenez and Xochitl Jimenez. The two are parents at Hempstead ECC and Hempstead ES, where they serve as the PTO Presidents. Superintendent O’Neil thanked them for their commitment to the students and staff of Hempstead ISD.  

The following information items were presented at the monthly board meeting. 

Hempstead ISD Chief Communications Officer, Valonia Walker, APR, presented a strategic plan update for Goal 5. Goal 5 of the five-year strategic plan, Learning & Leading to Higher Heights, focuses on communicating to build trust. 

Hempstead ISD will prioritize effective communication in order to build lasting relationships with families and the community.

Walker presented action steps to help the District implement strategies to achieve Goal 5. 

Walker presented action steps that have been taken to help the District implement strategies created to achieve Goal 5. Several new strategies are ongoing through the 2023-2024 school year. This spring, the District will implement a new tool called Rooms. Rooms is a two-way parent-teacher communication and messaging tool integrated directly with the district mobile app. The tool will allow parents/guardians to ask their child’s teacher school-related questions in a monitored and safe system. They will also be able to see classroom announcements and message teachers in the same app where they get district and school news and updates.

Trustees Approve Action Items

During the March board meeting, Hempstead ISD Trustees approved the following action items:

  • Approved Purchase Over $50,000 (Cafeteria Tables).

  • Approved Budget Amendment #2.

  • Approved the Joint Election Agreement and Contract for Election Services with Waller County Elections Office for the May 2024 Hempstead ISD Board of Trustees and 2024 Bond Elections.

The April Board meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, April 15, in the Administration Building Board Room.