March 9, 2021

Dear BISD Parents/Guardians,

I am writing to inform you that access to the 2019–20 School Report Cards (SRC) for each BISD campus, and Federal Report Cards (FRC) for the state, district and each BISD campus (prepared by the Texas Education Agency (TEA)) is now available via the links provided on the District’s Planning, Assessment and Research site at www.birdvilleschools.net/accountabilityratings. You may also use the following links to go directly to the TEA site:

Summary of School Report Card (SRC)

The SRC is a report required by Section 39.305 of the Texas Education Code and is prepared each year by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for each campus in the state. There is no district- or state-level SRC. It is a campus-only report.

The SRC is intended to give a broad view of campus performance by combining the following information:

• the campus’ accountability rating
• data from the campus’ Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR), and
• financial information.

The information contained in the SRC is described in more detail in the 2019–20 School Report Card Definitions, accessible using the associated link at the bottom of the TEA SRC site.

The SRC for your student’s school may or may not have all the information described because the information presented depends on whether the school is an elementary, middle, or high school.

Summary of Federal Report Card (FRC)

The FRC is a report required under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA). Each year, TEA prepares an FRC for the state, one for each district in the state, and one for each district’s related campuses. FRCs for the state, districts, and district campuses are now available at the associated link above.

The information contained in the FRC is described in more detail in the FRC Definitions (link found at the bottom of the TEA 2019-20 Federal Report Card site via the link above).

If you have any questions concerning the SRC or the FRC, please contact your campus principal. If you would like a printed copy of either the SRC or the FRC, email your request to publicinformationrequest@birdvilleschools.net. Make sure to include the campus name(s) and your contact information.

Thank you for your continued support of our schools.

Sincerely,
Darrell G. Brown, Ph.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Birdville ISD

BISD’s board of trustees met in a special meeting on Monday, March 8 to discuss the District’s current procedure requiring the wearing of face masks in all District facilities. This meeting resulted from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) Commissioner Mike Morath’s recent update of the public health guidance for schools as it relates to wearing masks. The TEA’s guidance maintains all previous mask requirements in schools and provides an option for local school boards to adjust these requirements for their own school districts. 

Clarification regarding masks at school: The Texas Education Agency’s (TEA’s) SY 20-21 Public Health Planning Guidance dated March 4, 2021 states that mask requirements are still in place. However, these requirements do not apply to any person younger than 10 years of age. 

Therefore, BISD’s board of trustees voted to continue operating under the District’s existing COVID-19 prevention protocols implemented in August 2020, including masks except for pre-K through third grade students. However, effective Wednesday, March 10, pre-K through third grade students will not be required to wear masks in class during individual student activities. However, pre-K through third grade students will be required to wear masks in common areas* such as building entrances and exits, in the cafeteria before and after eating, in the hallways, etc. Any pre-K through third grade students wanting to wear a mask in class will be allowed to do so. 

After the meeting, BISD Superintendent Dr. Darrell Brown announced that elementary playgrounds would reopen after spring break. Students playing outdoors will not be required to wear masks on the playgrounds.  

BISD remains focused on student and staff safety and well-being, and we are encouraged by the progress being made with vaccine availability. Thank you for your continued efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our community.   

*Note: Individual campuses may identify additional common areas to meet the uniqueness of their facility.   

Get groceries on Saturdays in March: March 6, March 13, March 20 and March 27 (while supplies last)! Provided by the Tarrant Area Food Bank—distribution begins at 10 a.m. at the BISD Plaza in North Richland Hills. Enter the parking lot at 6361 Boulevard 26.  

Because of the winter storm Feb. 15–19, BISD is adjusting the fourth, fifth and sixth six-weeks grading periods. 

• Fourth six weeks:  Jan. 5 – Feb. 19 (7 weeks) 
• Fifth six weeks:  Feb. 22 – April 9 (6 weeks) 
• Sixth six weeks:  April 12 – May 26 (6+ weeks) 

This adjustment will allow each grading period in the spring semester to have at least six weeks of instructional/grading time. Without this adjustment, the fifth six weeks would only have five weeks in the grading period. 

NOTE: TEA is not requiring districts to make up the missed school days (Feb. 15–19). 

The GT Department is planning two exciting summer enrichment opportunities for 2021. The registration deadline is March 31. 

Learn more at https://www.birdvilleschools.net/Page/58702 

It is good to see the sun shining today. For many in the BISD family, the severe winter weather brought extreme hardship, both personally and financially. Throughout this challenging week, I witnessed the goodness of the BISD family as they reached out to help those around them. You make me proud because #BISDShines and #WeAreBirdvilleISD.  

This past week, many of our staff worked diligently to protect our schools from the harsh cold. The District did see some damage in various facilities. But thanks to our staff’s diligence, the damage was minimized, repairs made, and service restored. Thank you to those who worked hard to protect our schools this past week.  

BISD will return to normal operations on Monday, Feb. 22. All offices and schools will open at their regular times, and school will resume for our face-to-face and online learners. 

Even though we are returning to our everyday school routines, we can’t forget we are still in the middle of dealing with COVID-19. Face coverings, social distancing, and other preventive measures are still in effect.   

While I am thankful that we can have school on Monday, I also know that many community members may still be assessing how the storms impacted their homes and businesses. One of the things I love the most about the BISD family is how we come together to support one another in times of need. School counselors will be available to any student, family, or staff member that may need to talk with someone or need some assistance.