in the country. See Graduation on

Published Oct. 18, 2019

The 2016-17 school year saw a national rise in the percentage of seniors graduating on time from high school. At 85%, this was a 1% increase from the previous year and a 5% five years prior to that. Longview then has something to be proud of as the graduation rate for 2016-17 was 94.1%, securing a spot within the top 10.

As reported by USA Today, Longview came in 9th place in the country, beating out several other Texas cities that made the top 50, including Tyler (91.9%, 39th place) and Texarkana (92.3%, 30th place). The only city within the state to outdo Longview was Wichita Falls (96.7%, 1st place).

James Brewer, Principal of Longview High School, said he is not surprised by the ranking, “but that doesn’t mean we’re going to rest on our laurels.”

“Any time you’re able to see where you measure up with other areas, it’s helpful, but ultimately that’s not our priority,” he said. “Yes, we are encouraged by the progress we’re making — and will continue to build upon that success — but what’s more important to us than any ranking, is how we are constantly finding the best ways to help our students and staff achieve the maximum level of success.”

Dr. James Wilcox, Superintendent of Schools echoed Brewer’s sentiment, adding that “100 percent is our goal.”

“We understand the many challenges students face in reaching the final objective of graduation, and so we are always looking for how we can better serve the students in our care.”

The data collected by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute was compiled into the 2019 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps which 24/7 Wall St. reviewed to determine the high school graduation rates in U.S. Metro Areas.

Adults in the U.S. are far more likely to get a job if they received a high school diploma according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Lobos receive college degrees before diplomas

Published May 19, 2019

Longview High School Early College and dual-credit students have a lot to celebrate!

On May 7th there was a reception held for the 55 Longview High School seniors with dual-credit hours and those receiving their associate’s degree, and on May 10th the 36 Early College Kilgore College graduates walked across the stage in Kilgore.

“These students have worked so hard during their time at LHS and Kilgore College and they deserve to be celebrated,” said James Brewer, Longview High School principal.

Two students had perfect 4.00 GPAs: Laura Martinez and Kimberly Diez. Six were inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society for two-year schools: Martinez, Diez, Monica Lozano, Tania Piedra, Prisila Reyes, and Natalie Serrato.

In just the 2018-2019 school year, 523 Longview High students were taking dual-credit classes, and 263 of those were seniors. A total of 6,531 semester credit hours were earned, averaging more than 12 hours per year each!

Carla Williams-Brown, assistant principal for the LHS Dual-Credit program, said these early graduates will be ready to transfer to four-year colleges with a Junior standing.

“We are so proud of our students that have graduated from Kilgore College with 60 hours and either an Associate of Arts or an Associate of Science degree,” she said. “Many others will have accumulated at least 30 hours of core curriculum courses and will be classified as Sophomores. Still, others will have completed 12 or more hours of either academic transfer courses or workforce education courses, and they will be eligible to take part in Kilgore College’s new KC Connection program.

Williams-Brown said the program allows students to continue next Fall semester with the continued reduced tuition normally reserved for dual-credit students only.

“The reduction is 40 percent off regular tuition for as long as students continually register as full-time students,” she said. “Students will also apply for additional scholarships and financial aid to go with the reduced tuition.”

CHARTER |Continued from page 13

are most beneficial for the students in their care,” said Dr. Coleman.

Passed in 2017 by the 85th Texas Legislature, under the leadership of Gov. Greg Abbott, Senate Bill 1882 creates new incentives for traditional public schools to partner with outside entities to improve student outcomes.

MOVING FORWARD

additional innovation and training for educators.

“We will collaborate with the various executive directors in order to continue the mission of providing the best services for all students in the greater Longview area,” said district Chief Financial Officer Joey Jones.

Earlier this year Longview ISD began negotiations with four applicants: International Center for Academics & Technology (iCAT) and Lions Pride (Texas A&M-Commerce), in addition to LEAP and TCIS. Dr. Coleman and LISD administrative staff have been evaluating the applicants since that time and brought a recommendation to the board on April 13th based on which partners “provided the right fit for our students, staff, and community.”

For more information about the Longview ISD public school charter program please visit LISD.org/charters, call the LISD Department of Innovation at 903-381-2200, or visit the TEA website: TxPartnerships.org.

DEVELOPING A FUTURE

District teams up with Gearbox, Microsoft for new gaming program

Published Oct. 1, 2020

On Tuesday, Sept. 1, LISD took one

step closer to starting a brand new program on three campuses that would see students starting on a path towards making video games for a living.

On that Tuesday, a conference was held between LISD, Texas-based video game developer Gearbox Software, Texas Southern University, and Microsoft.

The program that has brought all of these different organizations together is GBX Creative Computing Curriculum, from Gearbox. It will see video game design and production come to Foster, Judson, and Longview High. This will allow students to take their first steps towards becoming video game developers.

“We are teaching students the ins and outs of working with The Unreal Engine, the same software that powers ‘Fortnite.’ This program introduces students to the core creative computing skills that are employed in the videogame industry to design and develop the most popular games in the world,” said Aaron Thibault, Gearbox Software Vice President of Strategic Operations. “These same skills are important to many other modern industries that use computer visualization and simulation, from automotive design to artificial intelligence engineering. Students who complete this project-based curriculum will be capable of making their own functioning game software, and they will explore specializations that are in high demand by videogame, animation, architecture, civil engineering, special effects, and many other employers around the world.” THIBAULT

WHERE IT BEGAN

In 2012, Joe Manns, who is the Foster video game instructor and founder of Thirsty Minds, reached out to Gearbox with a request for assistance to guide the development of a videogame program at the college level in Longview, focused on digital art, animation, and game design.

“After several years of working with Joe in his after-school digital art program, meeting wonderful LISD staff like Shalona McCray and Elizabeth Ross, and having speaking opportunities at Longview area schools, we felt that Longview ISD may be a good partner to pilot our new ‘worldbuilding’ computing curriculum,” Thibault said. “Last year, we had an exploratory meeting with (LISD) about opportunities for Longview students in the game industry, important challenges that we face as top tier employers, and how a closer relationship between Gearbox and Longview can both benefit students and support our future hiring goals.

“It was clear that Gearbox and Longview share beliefs in high standards for student performance, the need for industry assisted teacher training, entrepreneurial thinking, and career exploration as part of technology education that supports ambitious students’ career goals. We discussed our extreme need for hiring talented individuals with healthy teamwork mindsets who are skilled in art, technology, engineering, math, and design. We also discussed the need for more diversity in the industry; as Randy Pitchford, CEO of Gearbox Entertainment is fond of saying: ‘Our mission is to entertain the world.’ To achieve our mission, we need our development team to be more representative of all the kinds of people who are in the world. Longview’s diverse population is a perfect location to reach lots of different kinds of people, and we will hopefully inspire students to consider future careers in games and creative technology.” TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY

Texas Southern University and LISD faculty are working together, engaging in teacher training as a cohort, and managing the growth and implementation of this program. Students from LISD middle schools, high schools, and TSU college students, will be working together and helping each other with motivation, peer mentoring, critique, and developing a community of creative thinkers. TSU faculty and students will be developing technical underpinnings and code for Unreal Engine applications that will enable LISD students to have custom learning experiences in their courses. MICROSOFT

Microsoft is working with TSU and Longview to provide resources for students to compete in The Imagine Cup and to support this new program as we discover what we need to help students be successful. VIDEO GAMES IN 2019

By the end of 2019, the video game industry generated $120.1 billion in sales from video game hardware, software, and accessories. For comparison, in 2009 the industry had a reported revenue of $19.7 billion.

“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare” (Released in October 2019) earned more than $600 million during its opening weekend as well as had the best digital launch of any “Call of Duty” title to date. The amount of money that the industry made last year, as well as the amount of a single game made in a single weekend, shows that video games are no longer a casual entertainment or entertainment of a small group of people.

VIDEO GAME

CAREERS

The industry is booming compared to just a decade ago. With an industry that is booming means more career opportunities for the students of Longview ISD.

The video game industry has companies all over the world developing games throughout the year with job opportunities available all the time.

To learn more about the different career opportunities that exist go to game industrycareerguide.com for more information about what your future could possibly hold.

GRADE CAREER A

Foster, Judson students take a tour of Meat Lab

Published Feb. 1, 2021

Students from Foster and Judson are now offered agriculture

classes and on Monday, Jan. 22, they were able to visit the LISD Meat Processing Educational Lab.

The Ag program at LHS allows the students to learn a wide variety of agriculture, including meat processing at the meat lab.

On Monday, LHS animal sciences teacher Braylon Sessions showed visiting middle school students the lab.

“This is my first time getting to work with these students inside of an area like this,” Mr. Sessions told KLTV.

Mr. Sessions, who has been with Longview ISD for three years, said that some of his students have taken their training from the Ag class and gone on to have a career in the meat processing industry.

“A lot of people don’t get to see this in real life, or don’t know how their meat at the grocery store is made or anything,” said Mia Jones, a seventh grader at Foster.

As the week went on, the students visiting from middle school were taught about what their high school counterparts do in the meat lab.

The LISD meat lab has been around since 2014, with it being only one of eight in the entire state.

HUDSON |Continued from page 9

itive comments are what you find upon entering the doors of our campus.

The year 1987 brought yet another change to Hudson PEP. A 6,335 square foot library and educational addition including two classrooms was added.

The past seven years have proved successful for Hudson PEP. Most recently, the campus has been named a model school by the Texas Pathfinder Collaborative for the second time. In addition the Texas Education Agency nominated Hudson PEP along with 25 other schools in the state for the No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon School Award for academic excellence. Hudson PEP is no doubt a source of pride for Longview ISD.

To enhance the enrichment for students who attend Hudson PEP, there are unique classes offered. Students attend art classes bi-weekly where they learn to appreciate art as well as develop the artist in themselves.

Hudson also offers students bi-weekly science lab experiences. Students engage in science investigations that correlate with the content that is being taught in the regular classroom. All students at Hudson benefit from our GT program entitled ACE. The GT teacher facilitates all classroom teachers as well as teaches lessons that are geared for GT and non-identified students in addition to the GT program. Additionally students in third, fourth, and fifth grade may participate in the Hudson PEP strings instruction or band.

The atmosphere at Hudson

GAME |Continued from page 12

PEP is one of a united family. Pleasant smiles and positive comments are what you will find upon entering the doors of our campus. A community of educators, parents and students working toward a common goal is exemplified.

The school song expresses the atmosphere best...

We’re gonna sing and shout Because without a doubt

We’ve gotta school that’s well worth singing about

Come on and join our crew

We all will welcome you

Help us proudly wave the red and the blue

No matter who you are Whether from near or far Just raise your voice up high And you’ll be a star

And so let’s all shout Hooray And give our best each day!

Hudson PEP’s the school for ME!

Parents are an integral part of our campus. Hudson PEP PTA has a history of strong programs and parent/teacher involvement. The school’s PTA was founded in 1974 and has been growing strong since. This is one of the most remarkable PTA’s across the state. The school, principal and PTA work very well together and provide many opportunities for the students who are enrolled. The PTA participates in training that is geared toward making a difference and putting students first. Three key areas that the PTA focuses on are children enrichment, parent education, and parent involvement.

Lobo student groups.

“That’s a major priority for us,” added Coach King. “There is so much that goes into the athletic experience at Longview ISD, from the students and staff, to sponsors and volunteers, and we want everyone to be a part of this.”

Mr. Smith agreed, “that what makes Lobo Nation so unique: how much everyone pours into supporting the kids of Longview.”

“We want to celebrate every aspect of the athletic experience, from everything that happens in the stadiums and on the field, to the hard work these athletes are doing in the classroom,” said Smith.

Gameday currently operates in Texarkana and Rockwall, but Smith said “coming home to Longview was always the dream.”

“To see my dreams expand into the town that I love truly is the ultimate dream come true,” he said. “I can’t wait to get back into Longview, and work hard at promoting these athletes in a way that they deserve.”

For more information about Longview Gameday, please contact the LISD Community Relations department at ask@ LISD.org or call 903-381-2200.

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