Parent Forum Question & Answers

School safety is at the top of everyone’s mind due to an active shooter, violence at school, bullying, and social media threats. These are all issues we deal with in school. The Berger Bulletin on Safe Schools highlights several actions Pearland ISD is doing to prevent and mitigate safety issues.

We continually review procedures, train our staff and students on drills, and work with TEA and Region 4 to perform safety audits. 

Link to Parent Safety Information Page

Our Special Education Department is constantly training staff on best practices and legal requirements to ensure Child Find, FAPE, and specialized designed instruction.

Our goal is to work with parents/guardians with concerns regarding their students. We ask parents/guardians to contact the campus or department to discuss matters.

For procedures on informal and formal library book challenges, please refer to Board Policy. EF(B) Local. 

The reconsideration committee shall include five members: one District representative, one campus representative, two parents, and a District-level representative who shall serve as the committee chair. The campus principal selects the committee members.

Pearland ISD is focused on recruiting and retaining the highest quality teachers. We review our compensation plans and benefits, campus culture, administrative support systems, and ways to reduce non-teaching duties. 

Our superintendent is conducting teacher forums to hear from our instructional leaders on ways we can make Pearland ISD a better place for our educators. 

We are working on partnerships to develop pathways for noncertified staff to become certified teachers through a grow our own program.

Our teachers are supplied with student academic data from state accountability and common district assessments. Teachers use formative and summative assessments to determine a student's level of understanding and the need for intervention or reteaching.

Based on data points, classroom instructional practices are guided by individual students' needs. 

Student mental health is an issue we see on the rise after COVID. Pearland ISD has aligned Outreach, Counseling, and Health services to provide wrap-around services for our students. 

Pearland ISD has student support counselors at each junior high and high school. There is a pilot program with Communities in School for a Crisis Counselor at PACE. 

Resources and events are provided and held throughout the year to support education and advocate for student mental health.

Link to some Mental Health Newsletters 

According to the Texas Education Agency, the only students a school district is required to provide transportation for are certain students receiving special education and students eligible under Section 504 who would be unable to attend classes without special transportation services.

Pearland ISD goes beyond this requirement and provides regular route service for all students that live two or more miles from the campus of zoned attendance. 

The reason there is a fee for students that live within two miles, is because the state does not reimburse the district for those costs. 

Schools have restroom restrictions to protect classroom time, support school safety measures, and account for student whereabouts.

Please communicate with the campus nurse or administration if a student has special needs or needs extended restroom privileges. 

Gender identity and restroom access is an issue that is being resolved in both state and federal courts. To support our transgender students, campus administration will meet with the parents and the students and develop a support plan. Restroom access and locations will be discussed, and decisions will be made to support the transgender students and the rest of the campus.

Our Advanced Academic Department reviews data from advanced class enrollment and AP test participation and performance. Current data suggests a gap between African American and Hispanic students' enrollment and success in advanced courses. Especially mathematics. Pearland ISD has been awarded the AP Honor Role Distinction for increasing access to AP for underrepresented students while maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher.

We have more work to do, not only on our advanced courses, but for the overall success of all students. We must adjust our instructional focus to reach and teach the students we have sitting in our classrooms. 

Our menus are being rebuilt.  We have been meeting with vendors, revamping recipes, and remolding the way we are presenting menu items to students.  Coming back after Covid has not been easy.  We have faced significant supply chain issues.  Now that we are all getting back to normal (not feeding everyone free), we are investing time and money on serving our students better quality meals.

Pearland ISD is reviewing the current demographic study and proposed housing developments to determine what may need to be done regarding the rezoning of attendance zones.

No decision will be made without community discussion and meetings with impacted neighborhoods. 

Teachers are trained to deliver quality instruction based on the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills). We also want our teachers to develop quality, age-appropriate relationships with our students to support academic and social learning.

Personal political, religious, or social opinions should not be discussed in ways that hamper student learning.

If there is ever a concern, please speak with the teacher to gain clarity about any classroom conversation.

School activity funds follow the same procurement and expenditure rules as a general budget fund. Campuses use activity funds for various campus educational and facility needs. 

The District's GPA policy and procedures are being reviewed for changes. At this time, the 5-point scale for dual credit classes is not expected to change.

The City of Pearland and Pearland ISD have an Interlocal Agreement related to the use of the aquatic center. The City of Pearland is the owner of the facility, and all requests for improvements will be sent to them. 

The City of Pearland or TXDot installs all traffic signs and stoplights.

Block scheduling is an expensive staffing option for schools, and while there are benefits to the extended class time, there are downsides, including a loss of learning continuity, an exacerbated impact on learning loss when students are absent, and can be a barrier to fine arts and athletic classes.

We encourage parents/guardians to be part of the school environment, and eating lunch with students is a great way to visit the campus and spend time with your student.