Prestonwood Elementary
Principal06/24/10
Pam Aitken has been named as the new principal of Prestonwood Elementary, effective July 14.
Ms. Aitken comes to PWE after serving as principal of Forest Lane Academy since 2008. Her previous service in RISD has included assignments as a teacher at Spring Valley Elementary and Dartmouth Elementary. She has served as the assistant principal at Wallace Elementary, O. Henry Elementary, Spring Valley Elementary and Forest Lane Academy.
All of Ms. Aitken’s 16 years in education have been in RISD.
Forest Lane Academy
Principal06/24/10
Von Ensley has been named the new principal of Forest Lane Academy, effective July 14.
Ms. Ensley has been with RISD for 8 years, most recently as assistant principal at Stults Road Elementary. She has a master’s degree from the University of Texas – Arlington and a bachelor’s degree from Southern University.
She began her tenure in RISD as a teacher at Hamilton Park Pacesetter Magnet, and has also served as a teacher and administrative intern at Stults Road.
Overall, Ms. Ensley has worked in public education for 13 years.
Ms. Simonds has 20 years of experience in education, including the last 11 with RISD. Most recently, she has served RISD in several capacities, including district UIL Academic Coordinator, Gifted & Talented Certification Trainer, Advanced Placement Coordinator at Richardson High School and teacher at RHS.
She earned a master’s degree in Education of the Gifted from the University of Southwestern Louisiana and also has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southwestern Louisiana.
She will begin her new duties July 14.
Current News
Gray Named Principal of Westwood JH07/23/10
RISD Superintendent Dr. Kay Waggoner announced today that she has named Troy Gray as the new principal of Westwood Junior High School. Mr. Gray comes to Westwood from Lake Highlands High School, where he was an assistant principal last year. Previously, Mr. Gray was an assistant principal for three years at West Junior High after coming to RISD as a teacher in 2001.
Mr. Gray possesses a bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Oklahoma and earned a master’s degree from the University of North Texas.
He will assume his new duties immediately.
Elementary Registration Begins August 1007/21/10
The 2010-2011 school year begins on August 23. Elementary parents are strongly encouraged to register their children in school prior to the first day of classes. Parents can register at their home campus on Tuesday, August 10, through Friday, August 13, from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Campuses will also be open for registration the following week, but schedules may vary. Please contact your home campus for registration hours.
Please bring the following documents for registration:
Birth Certificate
Social Security Card
Proof of Residence in RISD (gas, water, electric bill, or current lease)
Parent Driver’s License
Current Immunization Record
Every campus has limited capacity for each grade. Waiting to register may result in a child not being able to attend their neighborhood school and being assigned to another through the Overflow Office. Please contact your campus with any questions.
Dillion Named LHHS Principal06/24/10
RISD Superintendent Dr. Kay Waggoner announced today that she has named Peggy Dillon as the new principal of Lake Highlands High School. Ms. Dillon comes to LHHS from RISD’s Westwood Junior High, where she has been principal since 2006. She was named by Dr. Waggoner after an interview and selection process that included staff, parent and community input.
“Lake Highlands High School is a premier high school in Texas, and I’m pleased our search attracted a number of outstanding candidates,” said Dr. Waggoner. “I am very confident that Ms. Dillon is the right choice to lead Lake Highlands High School, and am certain that staff, parents and especially students will enjoy working with her to build upon the success and momentum already in place. We appreciate the parents, community members and staff who provided input as we worked through the selection process. I invite the Lake Highlands community to join me in congratulating Ms. Dillon and welcoming her to Lake Highlands High School.”
Ms. Dillon has 13 years of experience in education, all with RISD. Prior to her service at Westwood Junior High, she was an assistant principal at Pearce High School after beginning her career in RISD as a teacher at Lake Highlands Junior High.
She possesses a bachelor’s degree from UT Dallas and earned her master’s degree in Education Administration from Texas A & M University-Commerce.
She will assume her new duties July 14.
All Four RISD High Schools Ranked
Among Top 3 Percent in U.S.06/15/10
Newsweek recently released their list of America’s Best High Schools for 2010. All four RISD high schools made the list, including:
Pearce High School - #255 in U.S. Richardson High School - #288 in U.S. Berkner High School - #628 in U.S. Lake Highlands High School - #639 in U.S.
According to the report, the rankings evaluate how hard school staffs work to challenge students with advanced-placement college-level courses and tests. With more than 26,000 high schools in the United States, all four RISD high schools ranked among the top 3 percent in the country.
“We’re gratified by these rankings, because they validate our efforts to promote high expectations for all students and to challenge them to achieve at higher levels,” said RISD Superintendent Dr. Kay Waggoner. “Congratulations are in order for the students, staff and communities of these schools, and the elementary and junior high schools that feed into our high schools. These annual rankings are another indicator of the overall quality of education offered to all students in RISD.”
RISD Bond Rating Upgraded – Highest in Texas06/03/10
Richardson ISD received notice this week from two major independent ratings agencies regarding its underlying bond ratings. The news was good, as the district received an affirmation of its existing AA+ rating from Standard & Poor’s and an upgrade to Aaa from Moody’s. No school district in the state has a higher underlying rating and only four other districts have as high a rating from these rating agencies.
The ratings agencies list RISD’s strong management practices and policies, continued sound financial performance, conservative budgeting, strong target reserve levels, aggressive debt repayment schedule, and moderate debt as contributing to these high underlying ratings. The Moody’s upgrade reflects a company recalibration to ensure that comparable standards are in place for ratings regardless of the industry so bond buyers can more accurately compare credit quality and financial strength.
“These bond ratings reflect the conservative fiscal philosophy of our Board of Trustees, and RISD’s outstanding financial management practices under the leadership of Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Support Tony Harkleroad,” said RISD Superintendent Dr. Kay Waggoner. “The ratings will result in savings to our taxpayers in the form of lower interest costs and a lower debt tax rate.”
Band, Thurs., Dec. 11 Richardson HS Area Band Holiday Concert, featuring Richardson HS, West JH and Westwood JH bands, 6:30 p.m. at the Richardson HS auditorium. Lake Highlands HS Band Holiday Concert, 7:00 p.m. at the Lake Highlands HS auditorium.
Theatre, Thurs., Dec. 10 Berkner HS Theatre Festival of Plays, 7:00 p.m. at the Berkner HS Understage Theatre
Basketball Tournament, Thurs., Dec. 10 Richardson HS boys to Flower Mound Tournament at Flower Mound HS, Flower Mound, TX
Theatre, Fri., Dec. 11 Berkner HS Theatre Festival of Plays, 7:00 p.m. at the Berkner HS Understage Theatre
Basketball Tournament, Fri., Dec. 11 Richardson HS boys to Flower Mound Tournament at Flower Mound HS, Flower Mound, TX Lake Highlands HS boys to Brooke Nichols Shoot-Out at Lakeview HS, Garland, TX Berkner HS boys to South Garland Shoot-Out at South Garland HS, Garland, TX
Basketball Fri., Dec. 11 Pearce HS vs. Mabank HS at Mabank HS, Mabank, time to be announced
Wrestling, Fri., Dec. 11 Lake Highlands HS vs. Highland Park HS at Lake Highlands HS, 6:00 p.m. Pearce HS to Plano Tournament at Plano HS, time to be announced Richardson HS to R. L. Turner Christmas Tournament at R. L. Turner HS, 6:00 p.m.
Swimming, Fri., Dec. 11 Pearce HS to TISCA 4A in Frisco, TX, 12:00 p.m - 2:00 p.m
Orchestra, Sat., Dec. 12
All-Region JH and HS Orchestra Concert, 4:00 p.m. at Garland HS
Basketball Tournament, Sat., Dec. 12 Richardson HS boys to Flower Mound Tournament at Flower Mound HS, Flower Mound, TX
Lake Highlands HS boys to Brooke Nichols Shoot-Out at Lakeview HS, Garland, TX
Wrestling, Sat., Dec. 12 Lake HS to Eagle Mountain Saginaw Tournament in Saginaw, 9:00 a.m.
Pearce HS to Plano Tournament at Plano HS, time to be announced
Richardson HS to R. L. Turner Christmas Tournament at R. L. Turner HS, 9:00 a.m.
Swimming, Sat., Dec. 12 Pearce HS to TISCA 4A in Frisco, TX., 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
All RISD staff members can access the RISD Intranet using the link above. However, in order to access
the Intranet
from home, you must first make a dial-up or VPN connection to the district's computer network.
All Four RISD High Schools Ranked 
