Now in 2009, Splendora ISD will have our first TEA Exemplary campus, three TEA Recognized campuses, and only one TEA Acceptable campus.  The Exemplary campus, Greenleaf Elementary, was the campus that only two years earlier was Unacceptable in two areas.  Splendora High School that missed Unacceptable by eight students in 2007 is now a Recognized campus.

What a great accomplishment for our students and staff!  A special thanks to our students, staff, and parents for all of the dedication and efforts placed in the academic programs that resulted in these tremendous increases. 

We also need to congratulate our own Splendora ISD Board of Trustees for being recently named the Texas Association of School Administrators Large School Board of the year for ESC 6 and a Texas Association of School Administrators Honor Board.  This simply means that the Splendora Board of Trustees was named one of the top five school boards in Texas.  This a great honor for both the Splendora ISD Board and the community. 

Over the past year, the Splendora ISD staff has implemented a true PK – 16 initiative to assure future academic and career success.  The Board supported initiatives such as a full day Pre-Kindergarten and an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program at the Splendora Junior High campus.

Splendora High School now offers both Career and Technology (CT) Academies and a TEA approved Early College High School Program.  The CT Academies focus on job training certifications such as Cosmetology, Culinary Arts, Welding, Health Science, and Criminal Justice certifications.

The Splendora Early College High School is a partnership between Lone Star College—Kingwood and Splendora ISD.  This is a very unique program that is currently only offered at 31 campuses across the state of Texas.  The Early College program allows qualified 9^th graders to begin taking college classes.  All classes are offered on the Splendora High School campus and are taught by Lone Star College—Kingwood professors.  This rigorous program provides students the opportunity to graduate from Splendora High School with both a Distinguished high school diploma from Splendora ISD and an Associate’s Degree from Lone Star College—Kingwood.  The program is offered free to students who qualify.

In the area of fiscal management prior to 2007, Splendora ISD had adopted deficit budgets for eight consecutive years and did not have the fund balance recommended by TEA.  Since 2007, the Board has adopted three consecutive balanced budgets that also allowed the district to double the fund balance.

In May 2007, the community supported a $26 million bond election. As a result, in 2008 the district saw the opening of our Career and Technology Education Center and this fall Splendora will open its third elementary campus, Piney Woods Elementary School. 

There are truly wonderful things happening in Splendora ISD.  We have seen both fiscal and academic success.  Best of all, the students in Splendora are being given opportunities to be successful in a manner that will allow them to compete in this ever changing 21^st century workplace.

Tremendous increases in student scores, a solid financial base, and new construction along with the addition of rigorous career and college opportunities has made this not only a great day, but truly a great year to be a Wildcat!