NISD

Northside ISD officials on Monday defended their actions after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott indicated the district would be under investigation amid allegations that staff felt pressured to vote in Saturday’s bond election.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Northside ISD will be investigated by Education Commissioner Mike Morath and the Attorney General’s Office after leaked emails suggested that staffers were pressured to vote in Saturday’s bond election.

The two biggest bond packages on the ballot — $1.2 billion for the City of San Antonio and $992 million for Northside ISD — were both approved by voters.

Some Northside ISD students are doing big things in small spaces. Construction Careers Academy, located on the Warren High School campus, is hosting a tiny homes showcase Saturday morning from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Fiesta San Antonio kicks off next week and leading up to the fun Stevens High School students have created some fashion designs to help Goodwill San Antonio.

An NISD officer is on administrative duty after shooting a man while off-duty in West Bexar County.

An off-duty Northside Independent School District police officer shot a man who was allegedly trying to break into a home in West Bexar County on Friday morning, according to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.

A former middle school janitor is accused of sending sexually charged messages to a 12-year-old girl.

One incident happened on Jan. 18, the other on Jan. 25. Officials said no threat was made toward campus in either case.

NISD Natatorium was packed once again on Saturday afternoon for the District 27-6A swimming & diving championships, as area teams entered the water looking to punch their tickets to the Region VII-6A meet.

Championship season kicks off for high school sports with the District 28-6A Swimming & Diving Championships on Friday morning at the NISD Natatorium, as the O'Connor Panthers earn both boys and girls team titles.

Beginning Thursday, all students, staff, and visitors will be required to wear a mask while indoors.

KSAT12 has launched a new series called “KSAT Educator of the Month” and the first winner is Amanda Pyle, Taft High School’s fine arts coordinator and theater director.

The past two days since returning from their holiday breaks, both Northside and North East Independent School Districts reported a combined total of about 2,000 teachers and staff who’d called in sick or absent Monday.

Warren High School parents were notified Wednesday that district police officers found a gun in a student's backpack.

A Marshall High School student was in possession of ammunition on campus, officials said Friday.

San Antonio police are investigating what led to a shooting on the city’s West Side Thursday afternoon.

San Antonio school districts say they're facing a shortage of cafeteria workers for school lunchrooms.

Two teenage girls were critically injured Friday morning when an SUV that jumped a curb and hit them as they walked to school on the sidewalk, police said.

A woman who attended a Northside Independent School District board meeting was seen being carried out by two officers as she recorded the incident.

The nerves of a new school year amid a pandemic vanished away for one North Side ISD eighth grader thanks to a unique offer.

This year, Brauchle Elementary along with all Northside schools, will be doing all in-person learning.

All students, staff and visitors at the Northside Independent School District must wear face coverings when they head back to the classroom on Monday.

In the latest turn in the ongoing COVID-19 showdown between Gov. Greg Abbott and the state's large municipalities, the Texas Supreme Court on Sunday temporarily...

The daughter of a Northside ISD teacher killed in July wants her mother to be remembered for the life she lived, not the tragedy surrounding her death.

As COVID-19 cases rise and the Delta variant continues to make its way across the state, concerns vary among parents, students and staff members in the Northside Independent School District area.

School districts in San Antonio are trying to get students back on track by opening more campuses for summer school.

Students and faculty at Leon Valley Elementary had a delayed start to their school day Monday due to concern that there could be a gas leak.

Despite different challenges, Olivia Soria pushed herself to conquer them. She believes graduation day will be her proudest moment yet.

Charles Butt, the chairman and CEO of San Antonio-based H-E-B, urged Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday to release federal funds to school districts as soon as possible.

SAN ANTONIO – One year ago, San Antonio students began their 2020 spring break only to learn it wouldn’t end as planned. COVID-19 pandemic worries had reached a tipping point by then, and schools around the country shut down. San Antonio school superintendents are now looking back on lessons learned and where we are going from here. Speaking of tests, most school districts are now offering regular COVID-19 tests for staff and students, and vaccinations are now being added the mix. District leaders said look for the fall school plans to roll out by the end of this semester.

Teachers from Rawlinson Middle School in San Antonio go door to door to find students who have stopped logging in for class during the COVID-19 pandemic. They knock until someone answers, and talk to sleepy kids and overwhelmed parents about how to stay engaged during remote learning. (The 74)Since the beginning of the school year, a squad of Rawlinson teachers have visited around 100 homes. Two teachers volunteer, they set a date, and the school hires substitute teachers. The Rawlinson visits combine visits with a tool the study labeled “strong”: reminders to parents about the importance of attendance, consequences of absenteeism, and how many days the student has missed.

He resigned from Northside Independent School District at the end of June, a district spokesman confirmed Monday. Robbins most recently worked as a paraprofessional football coach at Yoakum High School, east of San Antonio. The allegations against Mr. Robbins are related to an incident that occurred when he was employed by a previous school district. To date, Mr. Robbins’ teaching certificate has not been sanctioned by the Texas Education Agency. Mr. Robbins is entitled to due process and is presumed innocent.

SAN ANTONIO – Natalie Hierholzer, director of guidance services for North East Independent School District, says an increase in students dying by suicide is alarming. Hierholzer said she is urging the district and counselors to review the protocols to help students deal with mental health following student deaths by suicide and other attempted suicides this school year. “They’re not maybe giving them all the details of what’s going on, like little pieces and that makes it difficult to work together with the family to help these kids,” Hierholzer said. Northside Independent School District reported two deaths by suicide to date in this school year and three in the previous two school years. Hierholzer urges parents to reach the school district for resources or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

SAN ANTONIO – Last year, the District 27-6A girls swimming and diving team title was decided by two points. The squad from Health Careers High School was on the wrong end of that differential and watched as perennial power Brandeis once again celebrated with a plaque on deck at Northside Aquatic Center. “We pushed ourselves as hard as we could.”One year later, Health Careers flipped the script. For the first time in program history, Health Careers had won the district title. AdRegardless of what the future holds, this group has left an indelible mark on the Health Careers program, and their accomplishments will live forever in the hearts and minds of everyone involved.

SAN ANTONIO – Northside ISD Superintendent Brian Woods sent a letter to parents on Friday, asking them to consider waiting another week before sending students back to in-person learning due to the ongoing rise of COVID-19 cases in the area. “We had hoped to see an improvement in the city’s health metrics and allow students to return Feb. 1. “This applies to those who temporarily switched to virtual learning and those who had hoped to start in-person learning for the third grading cycle.”Woods said the district would determine the possibility of allowing additional in-person learners next week. The superintendent had previously urged parents to consider virtual learning for their kids through the end of January because of the surge in COVID-19 cases. Students who need a device to facilitate virtual learning will be able to get one from their child’s school.

Andrew has covered athletics of all levels for more than five years and is dedicated to shining a spotlight on local San Antonio athletes and their stories.

SAN ANTONIO – The superintendent of Northside Independent School District is urging parents to consider virtual learning for their kids through the end of the month because of the surge in COVID-19 cases in San Antonio. Woods said they’re not closing schools or going to mandatory virtual learning because the state requires them to offer daily in-person instruction and ties funding to that mandate. Students who need a device to facilitate virtual learning will be able to get one from their child’s school. As of last week, NISD reported 190 active COVID-19 cases among campus staff and 346 active cases among the district’s students, according to the district. AdAlso Tuesday, state health officials reported that Texas had surpassed 14,000 hospitalized COVID-19 patients for the first time during the pandemic.

SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Metro Health issued a new directive on Tuesday advising against in-person education, but school districts in Bexar County aren’t planning on closing campuses. Northeast ISD, Northside ISD and San Antonio ISD say that students who are already on-campus will be able to stay there. “We’re staying open because our schools are safe. We’re staying open because our data shows there’s no spread. We’re staying open because our safety protocols are effective,” NEISD spokeswoman Aubrey Chancellor said.

SAN ANTONIO – A mother in San Antonio is weighing the COVID-19 risks of sending her son back to in-person learning at Northside ISD after struggling with online schooling. Last month, Northside ISD revealed that its failure rate was close to double compared to the previous year’s first grading period. Northside ISD parent Katrina Ashworth said her two children have been learning online this year due to COVID-19 concerns. For her 9-year-old son, learning at home has been a significant challenge. Northside ISD campus staff members monitor student engagement and performance and are setting up systems to support struggling students.

SAN ANTONIO – The Northside American Federation of Teachers is demanding that the district follow Metro Health’s recommendations for schools. The union also urged San Antonio Metropolitan Health District Medical Director, Dr. Junda Woo and other city officials to advocate for students and staff. However, we remain confident in the health protocols and safety measures in place at all District schools and facilities. These protocols will continue to be practiced on a routine basis and we ask that you reinforce them at home. The letter reminded parents that students and staff who traveled internationally over Thanksgiving should self-quarantine for 14 days before returning to in-person learning.

SAN ANTONIO – A man who was fired from the Northside Independent School District has been arrested after allegedly making threats against the superintendent on social media. Dalton Austin Brown, 28, is charged with making terroristic threats against a public servant, according to online records with the Bexar County Jail. According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Brown was fired on Oct. 1 due to several unexcused absences. Other messages posted said, “I hope you sleep good buddy,” and “Time running out,” investigators said. His most-recent post stated in part, “You can thank God I didn’t shoot you in your f___ing face,” according to the affidavit.

Abigail Boyett demonstrates to her student, Annabelle Lara, how to solve multiplication problems. “I try to treat them as equal as possible, but my roomies sometimes get a little more slack because they are in my classroom. Plexiglass and six feet of space between each desk keep students socially distant in Abigail Boyett's third grade classroom. Last: Students in Abigail Boyett's class use Zoom to stay in sync with her teaching, as well as with the remainder of classmates that learn from home. I’m sorry, but we will get back to it.’”The split in the classroom also takes away valuable learning experiences from students.

The problems are concentrated among students trying to learn from home, more than 3 million of the state’s 5.5 million public school students, according to administrators’ accounts. According to KVUE-TV, about 11,700 Austin ISD students are failing at least one class this year, a 70% increase from last year. San Antonio’s Northside ISD has not changed its expectations for virtual students, despite seeing higher failure rates, said Superintendent Brian Woods. Since many students learning from home are low income, Black and Hispanic, lowering academic standards for those students could end up deepening existing inequities, he said. Bizuayehu has dyslexia and dysgraphia, which impacts his ability to write clearly by hand, and he’s found virtual learning much easier.

SAN ANTONIO – A Northside ISD student is making a difference in San Antonio’s fight against the coronavirus, one stitch at a time. So his mother, Elizabeth Salinas, taught him how to sew face masks, according to NISD. His mother says, eventually, they began selling the face masks in mass quantities due to the high demand. To learn more about Mateo’s face masks, visit his Facebook page here. RELATED: Face masks have gone from basic necessities to fashion accessories

The state health department and Texas Education Agency (TEA) released the first data for COVID-19 cases at the district level on Thursday. The data includes new cases reported last week and cumulative cases reported from July 27 to Sept. 20. RELATED: San Antonio’s 3 largest school districts have reported more than 80 COVID-19 cases for students, staffThe cumulative report showed 80 positive COVID-19 cases for students in the 19 public school districts that have campuses in Bexar County. It showed 131 positive COVID-19 cases for staff for the same districts during the same time period. Below is a list of reported cases by Bexar County school districts since July 27.

Here’s some of the cumulative data from San Antonio’s largest school districts for the school year so far:North East ISD has reported 11 total cases among students from early education to 12th grade, and a total of 14 staff cases . Boerne ISD has reported 17 total cases for students from early education to 12th grade, and a total of 5 staff cases. Comal ISD has reported 25 total cases for students from early education to 12th grade, and a total of 9 staff cases. The TEA will report COVID-19 cases in public school districts on a weekly basis. Below is a table with the updated COVID-19 case information for public school students and staff in the San Antonio and surrounding area districts.

SAN ANTONIO A new art teacher at a San Antonio elementary school is introducing himself and thanking his predecessor with a rap video to honor the retired teachers legacy and help bridge the transition for students. V, is in his first year teaching at Hoffmann Lane Elementary School after the previous art teacher Carla Shipley retired. She had been teaching for 16 years and when COVID-19 hit, she didnt get to say goodbye to her students. Former Hoffmann Lane Elementary art teacher Carla Shipley and current HLES art teacher Adam Voglewede bonded this summer over their love of art education. In this way, art allows us to feel connected even though some of us cant be together right now, Voglewede said.

SAN ANTONIO – Nearly a quarter of all employees at San Antonio’s largest school district who applied to work remotely this school year amid COVID-19 concerns were denied, according to district figures provided to the KSAT 12 Defenders. Northside Independent School District officials defended the large number of denials, claiming they took “great care” in giving employees the chance to seek medical waivers for the 2020-2021 school year. Out of 1,150 employees who submitted applications to work remotely, 278, or 24% of them, were denied, NISD records show. Have a great weekend.”The Harlan High School teacher said she was troubled by Principal Robert Harris' email. They’re part of the community,” said Cummins, who represents staff at multiple school districts including North East ISD, but not NISD.

SAN ANTONIO A handful of students and teachers are back in the classroom as some area school districts have started in-person learning, with the majority having done remote learning since mid-August. Other area districts returning in person include Northside, North East and Alamo Heights ISDs. Northside ISD will have some students return and the district said it will continue to monitor the situation before fully having students and staff return. Alamo Heights had its Pre-K to third grade students return along with transitional year students in sixth and ninth grade. You can see all area districts full return plans by clicking here.

NESID, NISD schools prepare for in-person learningPublished: September 3, 2020, 7:10 pmTwo of San Antonio's biggest school districts are getting ready to resume teaching students in the classroom.

SAN ANTONIO Marisa Hinojosa is closing out her senior year with fond memories of being a drum major and leading the Brandeis High School Band. It was definitely some of the best moments Ive had in my life so far, said Hinojosa. It was absolutely great and I love the fact of just the rush I got performing.Brandeis High School Band Director Daniel Asgari said Marisa Hinojosa is a great leader on and off the field. Ill be majoring in pre-law because Ive always found that the courtroom and then law in general has always been super interesting to me, said Hinojosa. Hinojosa is looking forward to going to Texas Lutheran in the fall, but she says she doesnt know what to expect given the current pandemic.