The Hempstead ISD Board of Trustees met on Monday, May 20. Hempstead Middle School students led the pledges.
During the board meeting, Hempstead ISD Superintendent Herbert O’Neil celebrated passing the bond, May Students and Staff of the Month, HHS Valedictorian and Salutatorian, HHS Top Ten students, and the Hempstead Theatre Co.
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
Melanie Jimenez - Pre-K3
Ni'Ryiah Gails - Pre-K4
Hempstead Elementary School
Fabian Herrera - K
Aria Hatfield - 1st Grade
Camilla Jimenez - 2nd Grade
Braelynn Fawel - 3rd Grade
Eloy Alvarado-Ponce - 4th Grade
Natalie Hernandez - 5th Grade
Hempstead Middle School
Cesar Garcia - 6th Grade
Orlando Sanchez - 7th Grade
Mary Miranda - 8th Grade
Hempstead High School
Edi Wood - 9th Grade
Aylheen Lozano - 10th Grade
Remi Mayes - 11th Grade
Hailey Anhorn - 12th Grade
Employees Recognized
Monthly Staff Recognitions
Operations Employee of the Month
Herman Stubblefield, Custodial & Maintenance Employee
Hempstead Early Childhood Center
May HECC Teacher of the Month - Mallory Miller
May HECC Support Staff of the Month - Susanna Ramirez
Hempstead Elementary School
May HES Teacher of the Month - LaInthia Stubblefield
May HES Support Staff of the Month - Kimberly Lucherk
Hempstead Middle School
May HMS Teacher of the Month - Jessie Trimboli
May HMS Support Staff of the Month - Adriana Conde
Hempstead High School
May HHS Teacher of the Month - Karon Neal
May HHS Support Staff of the Month - Vincent Murray
During the meeting, the Campus Teachers of the Year and Support Staff of the Year were recognized. Each of them was given flowers from the district and gift cards from Brazos Valley Schools Credit Union.
2024 Support Staff of the Year
Hempstead Early Childhood Center - Susanna Ramirez-Davalos
Hempstead Elementary School - Kimberly Lucherk
Hempstead Middle School - Adriana Conde
Hempstead High School - Barbie Del Real
2024 Campus Teachers of the Year
Hempstead Early Childhood Center - Mallory Miller
Hempstead Elementary School - LaInthia Stubblefield
Hempstead Middle School - Jessie Trimboli
Hempstead High School - Kristen Payne
MaBisha Stubblefield, Executive Director of Human Resources, named the 2024 District Teachers of the Year, who will represent Hempstead ISD in the Region 4 Teacher of the Year Contest. Congratulations to the 2024 District Secondary Teacher of the Year, Kristen Payne, and the 2024 District Elementary Teacher of the Year, LaInthia Stubblefield.
2024 Teacher Incentive Allotment Recipients
The Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) program, created by the Texas Legislature as part of House Bill 3 offers an opportunity for teachers to earn six-figure salaries and for districts to attract and retain highly effective educators in traditionally hard-to-staff schools. The allotment amount per teacher is based on the level of academic growth their students attained, teacher instructional performance, and the percentage of socio-economically disadvantaged students at their school. Teachers can be recognized at three levels: Recognized, Exemplary and Master.
Hempstead Elementary School - Lisa Marsh, Recognized
Hempstead High School - Casie Westbrook, Exemplary
Superintendent’s Higher Heights Award Recipient
Superintendent O’Neil announced the May Superintendent’s Higher Heights Award recipients are Bradley and Georgia Trojan. Ms. Trojan is an Accounts Payable employee. The Trojans were nominated because they have spent the last month cleaning up and restructuring the Hempstead ISD Ag Barn. They have dedicated almost every weekend to ensuring this work was completed. Currently, Ms. Trojan is working to create barn maintenance systems to ensure our ag program students have a well-organized and clean place to house their project show animals. 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 Operations Officer, Eric Mullens, presented a strategic plan update for Goal 4. Goal 4 of the five-year strategic plan, Learning & Leading to Higher Heights, focuses on Align Resources & Infrastructure.
Hempstead ISD will create a physically and emotionally safe and effective environment where students can learn and teachers can teach at high levels.
Additionally, the Curriculum and Instruction team presented the Resilient School Support Program update for the 2023-2024 school year. The Resilient Schools Support Program, as part of the Texas COVID Learning Acceleration Supports (TCLAS), will provide LEA leadership with the expert technical assistance needed to effectively performance-manage LEA-wide learning acceleration.
Trustees Approve Action Items
During the May board meeting, Hempstead ISD Trustees approved the following action items:
Approved Superintendent's hiring authority from May 21, 2024, to September 13, 2024.
Approved employee compensation increase for the 2024-2025 school year.
Approved Budget Amendment #4.
Approved contract renewal with Southwest Foodservice Excellence (SFE) for the 2024-2025 school year.
Approved the 2024-2025 Allotment and TEKS Certification.
Approved the Certificate of Election for Susan Hopkins (Position 5) and Julian Alvarez (Position 6).
During the May 20 School Board Meeting, Superintendent Herbert O'Neil and the Board of Trustees recognized Mr. Ricky Pearce for his 18 years of service on the School Board.
Board President Connie Wawarofsky and Superintendent O'Neil thanked Mr. Pearce for his knowledge, commitment to doing what is right for students and staff, and for being an outstanding Board Member.
Mr. Pearce spoke a few words about his time on the Board and offered words of advice to Susan Hopkins, who was elected to the board (Board Trustee Position 5) in May and sworn in during the May 20 meeting. The Board Members and Superintendent O'Neil presented Mr. Pearce with a special plaque honoring his service in Hempstead ISD.
New Board Member Susan Hopkins (Position 5) and Board Member Julian Alvarez (Position 6) took Oath of Office during the meeting.
The June Board meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, June 17, in the Administration Building Board Room.