Online portal for AISD students to open Aug. 1
By Donnie A. Lucas
Registration for all Albany ISD students will open online beginning Monday, Aug. 1, according to school officials.
The district is once again using the Ascender Parent Portal for registration, with a link available on the district website. Parents are instructed to access the “Parents Sources” tab, then look for the Ascender Parent Portal.
Parents can login to an existing account or create a new account if they do not have one. Follow the instructions provided on the website.
Parents requiring in-person assistance for either the elementary or secondary campus can receive help at the high school campus on Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 3 and 4, and again on Monday, Aug. 8.
School officials will be on hand from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. on both Wednesday and Monday, plus from 12:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 8.
Elementary personnel will be at the high school to assist with K-6 new student registration or to help parents having an issue registering through the online portal.
All parents are asked to use a cell phone as the main contact number if they have one, as well as providing a current email address.
“Both campuses will be using School Messenger to contact parents again this year, so we need the number of the primary person who needs to receive texts and emails,” secondary principal Glen Hill said. “If there is a change in those contacts since last year, it is imperative to make those changes in the Ascender program for this year.”
The registration process is virtually the same for both the elementary and secondary campuses this year, but it is consolidated in the high school main building.
“All in-person registration for new students or those having issues using the portal will be consolidated at the high school for both campuses again this year. That seemed to work well last year,” elementary principal John Gallagher said.
Students in grades 7-12 who register online will be able to pick up printouts of class schedules and check out a school laptop at the high school office on the in-person registration days. Elementary students will not be issued laptops until after the start of classes on Wednesday, Aug. 17.
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 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. 3-4 and Aug. 8. Anyone registering in person must also bring all required documents.
Meet the Teachers
Both campuses have tentatively announced Meet the Teacher sessions on Monday, Aug. 15.
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.
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 driver’s license or identification card).
Head Start staff at Region 14 will then contact families for an eligibility interview and to complete the official enrollment paperwork.
Pre-K Program
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 a parent driver’s license or identification card.
Call NSES with question 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.
Free/Reduced Meals
The school district was able to use grant money available because of the COVID-19 pandemic to provide all students free meals last year, but that program has ended.
All parents are being asked to complete and return applications for the Free and Reduced Meal Program, even if they do not plan to have their student use the program.
“We need everyone to fill out that application,” Hill said. “Those numbers are used in several areas in determining the funding that is available to the district. It isn’t just about eating meals at school.”
The school board set the price for student meals at a meeting on Monday. The cost for breakfast at either campus will be $2.05 during the school year, while the elementary lunch price was set at $2.65 and $2.75 for secondary students.
Prices for adult meals has not been determined yet.
Staff Development
All teachers new to the district will meet on Tuesday, Aug. 2 for orientation from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. The event will start at the district administration office, with campus meetings in the afternoon.
Teachers will start on Tuesday, Aug. 9 for professional development, starting with campus meeting at 8:30 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. A district luncheon will be provided at the elementary campus starting at 12:00 p.m., following by the district meeting for all personnel from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m.
Professional development will continue on Wednesday and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 8 and Friday, Aug. 12 are both comp days, with teachers not required to attend if they completed the required number of training classes over the summer.
Both Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 15-16 are designated as teacher workdays, with the first day of class on Wednesday, Aug. 17.
