Aldine ISD Board Elects New Slate of Officers, Recognizes District Achievements

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The Aldine ISD Board of Trustees elected a new slate of officers for 2026 during its Dec. 16 meeting. The board’s nominating committee recommended that Dr. Kimberley Booker to serve as board president for the third consecutive year. Randy Bates was elected vice president, Paul Shanklin secretary, and Angela Williams assistant secretary. Dr. Viola Garcia, Steve Moore, and Nataly Perez will serve as members. The nominating committee consisted of Bates and Shanklin.

Aldine Impact Award Winners

During the meeting, the board recognized the recipients of the Aldine Impact Award, which honors employees and community members who go above and beyond the call of duty in their respective roles within the district. Board President Dr. Kimberley nominated Chad Cochran, digital learning specialist; Adrea Soliz, executive director of digital learning; Meredith McCune, director of digital learning; and Michelle Okoro, executive director of network infrastructure in the technology department.

Additional honorees included Dr. Crystal Watson-Barrow, assistant superintendent of secondary schools; Melanie Jones, language arts teacher at Garcia Middle School; Rosa M. Torres custodian with the north transportation center; Esteban Cortes, community member; Vondrea Williams, parent and family engagement clerk at MacArthur High School; Emelder O’Neil, early childhood special education teacher at Jones EC/PK/K School, and Kimberly Bowie, assistant principal at Garcia-Leza EC/PK/K School were also recognized.

Board Secretary Paul Shanklin nominated Dale Prioleau, principal of Lane School, and Karen Daniel Reed and Johnita Goins, assistant principals at Lane School.

Board Member Dr. Viola García nominated Chris Labod, director of brand communications, and Leticia Fehling, director of internal communications.

Aldine ISD Earns “A” Rating for Financial Accountability

Chief Financial Officer Timothy Momayni presented the district’s financial accountability rating under the School Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST), part of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) annual accountability rating. Aldine ISD earned a “Superior Achievement” rating, the highest rating, with a score of 96. This makes the 23th consecutive year the district has received the top rating.

The Schools FIRST system evaluates districts on financial management and stewardship, underscoring effective use of resources and prioritizing of instructional funding. Of its 21 indicators, TEA evaluated 20 this year. The first five are critical indicators required to avoid failure, while the remaining indicators assess financial solvency and competency.

Spotlight on Teaching, Learning, and Leading Department

Dr. Adrian Bustillos, chief transformation officer, highlighted the Accelerated College Academy (ACA), a partnership between Lone Star College and Aldine ISD. Through the academy, students can earn 42 college credit hours from the Texas Core Curriculum or an associate’s degree by graduation.

The program launched in Fall 2023. Several students earned their degrees this fall and participated in Lone Star College’s December commencement. Most ACA students will earn their degrees and walk in May 2026.

ACA Associate Degree Recipients, Class of 2026 

Aldine High School: Yaromi S. Lara; Giovanni A. Reyes

Davis High School: Matthew Chheu, Genesis Corvera, Angel Duenas, Nataly Enrique, Priscilla Luna, Andra Mendez, Camila Mendez, Esmeralda Morales, Jaedyn Thomas, and Karla Zarco

Nimitz High School: Myleena Aranda, Ximena Cardenas Caceres, Eliana Concepcion, Alyvia Cruz, Jackson Dodd, Kayle Hidalgo Flores, Justina Metu. Brandon Parada, and Sophia Villatoro.

The Visual Arts Department also spotlighted students from Impact Leadership Academy for the opening of their “Common Grounds” exhibition at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH). The exhibition, which featured large-scale paintings exploring themes of place, memory, and future, ran from Nov. 18 through Dec. 2.

Threads of Gold – Faris Foundation

The visual arts department participated in the 2025 Threads of Gold, hosted by the Faris Foundation in collaboration with the Asia Society of Texas Center. The initiative supports children battling cancer by funding clinical research while providing creative opportunities through the arts.Students artwork, including photography, paintings, drawings, weavings and sculpture, was exhibited Nov. 19, at the Asia Society.

Participating campuses included Aldine Ninth Grade School, Eisenhower Senior High School, Hall Success Academy, Hill Elementary, and Young Women’s Leadership Academy. Eisenhower’s Sculpture and the Hall Success Academy’s Woven Works piece, “Ojos de Dios” (God’s eyes), served as focal points for the exhibition.

District of Distinction

For the seventh consecutive year, Aldine ISD’s Visual Arts Department earned the District of Distinction designation from the Texas Art Education Association (TAEA). Only 16 districts statewide have achieved the honor since its inception, placing Aldine among the top 1.3% of visual arts programs in Texas. For the 2024-25 school year, only 109 of more than 1, 200 eligible school districts received the designation.

Esports

Since launching in 2022, Aldine ISD Esports has expanded from a handful of computers and consoles at Davis High School’s to 27 campuses serving more than 400 students. The program’s training base is now located at Impact Leadership Academy.
The district hosts 12 in-house tournaments and competes against five other districts. Four Aldine ISD students qualified for the state championship in Waco, TX. The following students are:

• Lawrence Lane, Eisenhower High School, first place, Street Fighter 6
• Jason Molina, Eisenhower High School, top 10, Super Smash Bros
• Adrian Mansion, Carver High School, top 10, Super Smash Bros
• Matthew Vega, Blanson CTE High School, top 10, Super Smash Bros

Recognition of Staff, Students, and Patrons

Chief Communications Officer Sheila Adams highlighted several district December accomplishments:

• Aldine ISD held a groundbreaking for Aldine Middle and Lane School both projects are part of the voter-approved $1.8 billion bond passed in November 2023.
• MacArthur High School fashion design III students were commissioned by the Houston Repertoire Ballet to design white jackets for its Nutcracker production.
• Students at Kujawa Elementary received bikes from CYCLE Houston, a nonprofit that promotes literacy through incentives and community engagement. The organization partnered with the campus to award 100 bicycles to students demonstrating growth and reading fluency.
• Campuses across the district hosted holiday performances, including plays, choir concerts, and dance recitals.

Chief Operations Officer Dr. Fred Washington named Cedric Braggs Employee of the Quarter for the Facilities, Planning and Construction Department. Other nominees included Sandra Figueroa of the Transportation East Center; Martha Landaverde of the Buildings & Properties Department; and Betty Eagleton of the Child Nutrition Services Department. 

Certificates of Appreciation were also presented to:

• Aldine ISD electricians and technicians recognized for their response during an unexpected crisis: Jessie Acosta, supervisor; Electricians Angel Santos, Oscar Ortiz, Mario Martinez. Jesus Granados, Lonnie Konieczny, Remon Anderson, Carlos Ramos, and technician Arthur Wilson.
• Community partners who collaborated with the transportation Department to provide Thanksgiving to 1,000 families: LaQuentin Jenkins of Simple Choice IG, Pastor Roderick Johnson of Destined for Empowerment CDC, and Pastor Eric D. Carrington, Sr. of Willing Workers Church Outreach Ministry.

Board Approve Action Items

The Board of Trustees approved the following action items:

• Minutes of previous meetings.
• A recommendation list of library materials for purchased developed under board policy EFB (local) – instructional resources
• An education affiliation agreement between the University of Kentucky and the Aldine Independent School District for Jan. 2026 – Jan. 2027.
• Administrators contracts for outside services with vendors.
• Notice of election to participate in TRS-ActiveCare.
• Stop Loss insurance for major medical claims.
• Single contacts and purchases of $100,000 and greater.
• An amended interlocal agreement with Harris County Department of Education. 

Before the Dec. 16 meeting, Norma Graces Torres, a first-grade student at Dunn Elementary School, led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance and the Texas Flag, and the Davis High School Choir performed.
The next board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 13, at 7 p.m. in the boardroom at the Donaldson Administration Building.

Click here to see more moments from the board meeting.