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AISD online registration underway

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By Donnie A. Lucas

Online registration for all Albany students opened on Monday, with only about 60 of the anticipated 475 enrollments complete as of Tuesday afternoon.

The school district is using the Ascender Parent Portal for registration and a link can be found by using one of two locations on the school’s website, including clicking on the registration information page on the left side of the home page or accessing the red button labeled “Parents Sources.” Then look for the Ascender link.

Parents can login to an existing account or create a new account if they do not have one.

Some parents may have experienced a issue completing the registration process on Monday due to a technical error.

“We had a small problem with the validation tool on Monday and had to take the system down temporarily for repairs,” Leigh Lowe, coordinator of student services, said. “Once the repair was made, the process seemed to be quick and easy.”

She said that parents who were registered for the Ascender Parent Portal can use the same username and password issued last year, while anyone setting up a new account will receive an account conformation email with instructions to follow.

Parents of secondary students must complete online registration prior to coming to the high school office to pick up schedules or student computers. Secondary students must pay a $25 deposit before being issued a laptop.

“Once they have completed the registration process, which includes updating and signing off on several forms that must be acknowledged, they can come to the high school office next Monday or Tuesday,” she said. “Elementary parents will use the same process but will have different forms to review.”

Anyone requiring in-person assistance for either the ele­mentary or secondary campus can receive help at the high school office on Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 2 and 3.

The office will be open from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. on both days, plus from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 3.

Elementary personnel will be at the high school to assist with K-6 new student registration or help parents having an issue registering through the online portal.

Lowe said that she does not recommend attempting the registration process on a cell phone.

“It doesn’t seem to work as well using a phone, but anyone who doesn’t have access to a computer at home can come in on Monday or Tuesday and use a school computer.”

Lowe emphasized that registration for both campuses has been consolidated at the high school office this year.

“All in-person registration for new students or those having issues using the portal will be held at the high school for both campuses this year,” Lowe said. “There will be people available to help or even provide computers to use to complete the process.”

Elementary students will not be issued laptops until the first day of classes on Aug. 18.

“We have new Chromebooks coming for students in grades 3-4 that will not be here until after Sept. 1,” elementary principal John Gallagher said. “We will hand out computers to grades 5-6 on the first day of school.”

He noted that all laptops at the elementary level are required to be kept on campus.

Contact Information

Parents of secondary students who are setting up a new Ascender account should provide the cell phone number of the primary person to be notified of announcement texts.

“We need the cell phone of the primary person to be notified,” secondary principal Glen Hill said. “Please don’t put a land line if at all possible since I will be sending out mass text notifications about school information. If a land line is listed, you will not receive the texts.”

Both the elementary and secondary campus will be using the School Messenger program to communicate with parents this school year. The Nancy Smith Elementary campus will no longer use the Bloomz program, although messages are being sent out via Bloomz until the new system is operational.

New Student Registration

Any students who are new to the district can still use the Ascender protocol to register, but will have to upload required documents by scanning them with their phones and submitting them through the website.

Items required for registration include the student’s birth certificate, shot record, proof of residency, copy of parent’s driver’s license, student Social Security card, and a transcript or report cards (for grades 7-12).

New student registration is also available in-person on Aug. 2-3. Anyone registering in person must also bring all required documents, scan them directly into the application,, or email digital copies to registration@albany.esc14.net.

Meet the Teachers

Both campuses have tentatively announced Meet the Teacher sessions on Monday, Aug. 16.

Students entering grades K-3 will meet at 5:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., followed by grades 4-6 at 5:30 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at the Nancy Smith elementary campus.

Students who will attend junior high and high school classes can meet with teachers from 6:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.

A special band performance is also planned, starting at 8:00 p.m. at Nail Stadium.

Head Start

There are still spots available for both the Head Start and Pre-K programs offered at the elementary school.

New and returning Head Start families need to pick up applications at the Nancy Smith Elementary School front office. 

Required documents for Head Start are income verification (tax return or pay stubs), birth certificate, immunization records, insurance card, CHIPS or Medicaid information, Social Security card, and proof of residency (parent’s driver’s license or identification card).

Head Start family service director Stephanie Jaco said Region 14 will then contact families for an eligibility interview and to complete the official enrollment paperwork.

Pre-K Program

Nancy Smith Elementary principal John Gallagher said parents of students who do not qualify for Head Start can come to the school office and pick up a pre-registration form to see if they qualify for pre-kindergarten.

Parents enrolling students in pre-kindergarten will need to provide proof of income.

Students who will be four years of age prior to Sept. 1 have priority over younger students if space is limited, but right now there is not a waiting list.

Criteria to qualify for the program include any one or more of the following qualifiers: eligible for free or reduced lunch program, having a parent who is on active duty in the military or who was injured or killed during military service, homeless children, students unable to speak and comprehend English, children in CPS, and children of a Star of Texas award winner.

All students being registered will need a copy of the child’s birth certificate, student’s Social Security number, proof of residency, and parent’s driver’s license or identification card.

Call NSES with questions about Head Start and pre-registration for Pre-K at 325-762-3384 during office hours from Monday to Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

New Programs, 

Free Meals

The school district is able to use grant money available because of the COVID-19 pandemic to assist students who may have been affected by the disruption of instruction or an instructional gap over the last 18 months.

The district is required to provide accelerated instruction to any students in grades 3-12 who did not perform at a passing standard on the 2020-2021 STAAR or EOC exams.

Eligible students can receive up to 30 hours of additional or alternative instruction for each subject area that did not meet passing standards.

Also, the state passed a bill providing parents with the option to have a child repeat a grade level in K-8, or repeat a high school course if the parent feels that a student was impacted by remote instruction during the 2020-21 school year. Parents must provide written notice to the school.

Finally, the district has applied for a grant for the coming school year that would provide all students in K-12 with free breakfast and lunch. If the grant request is approved, parents will not have to qualify for the free and reduced meals during the school year, since all students will be able to eat for free.

“This is a great opportunity for the district to assist all of our families next year,” superintendent Jonathan Scott said. This grant is only for the 2021-2022 school year.”

Scott said more information can be found at the district website: albanyisd.net.