The Spring Independent School District has launched online informational pages following two outreach efforts – one for staff and one for the community – by the district’s Board of Trustees. 

In February, trustees conducted two series of in-person roundtable discussions: Building Bridges with the Board (open to the community), and Table Talks with the Board (open to all staff members). During these sessions, participants had the chance to provide feedback on their experiences with Spring ISD. Some of the key areas of discussion for the community included:

• Bond and Budget
• Community Communications
• Recruiting and Retaining High-Quality Teachers
• Educational Programs
• Barriers to Parent Engagement
• School Safety
• School Culture

During the Table Talks sessions with staff, topics ranged from compensation and benefits to training opportunities to work-life balance and curriculum & resources. 

“Both our Building Bridges and Table Talks sessions were an incredible opportunity for myself and my colleagues to directly engage with our community and staff and hear about the issues that matter to them,” said Spring ISD Board President Justine Durant. “After the isolation of the pandemic, I don’t think any of us will take for granted the value of face-to-face communication and conversations. It truly was an experience that we want to keep expanding on in the future.” 

Board Secretary Kelly P. Hodges echoed that sentiment, saying this was just the first of such engagement opportunities the board will offer in the future.

“I am so pleased with the direction we are going with these outreach efforts,” said Trustee Kelly P. Hodges, who serves as secretary and the board’s Community Engagement Committee chair. “As board members, our ultimate goal is to serve and support our students, families and the staff of Spring ISD. Engagement efforts such as these open the door to an increased focus on our mission and a direct source of feedback from our constituents.”

For a summary of action items from the Building Bridges with the Board sessions, click here or visit www.springisd.org/bridges; and for a summary of action items from the Table Talks sessions, click here or visit www.springisd.org/tabletalks. Both pages include downloadable summaries.