Royal ISD provides update on Feb. 10 shooting incident at Royal Elementary

Royal ISD has issued clarifications about a Feb. 10 student in which a Royal Elementary student brought a gun to campus and shot, but did not hurt, two other students.

In a statement, the district said it was notified after its initial report that the item was an air soft gun and not a BB gun. At no time was the campus in an active shooter status. After the incident, a student hid the air soft gun in a backpack.

The district said the campus principal searched the child’s backpack, where the air soft gun was found and confiscated. District police were notified as well. The incident has been addressed with the students who were involved. Counseling services are available for any students in need of assistance.

The district recommended that Royal ISD families encourage their child to report concerning incidents and to monitor their child’s backpack. The district said no weapons of any kind are allowed in any Royal ISD facility.

Katy ISD FFA Livestock Show enjoys record-breaking year

The 2023 Katy ISD FFA Livestock Show auction totals have officially been announced. Student livestock projects raised a record-breaking $945,000 at auction, $130,000 more than in 2022. This year’s livestock show consisted of over 430 student exhibitors. Top auction winners included:

Rabbits

• Grand Champion, Emilie Drake, Katy High School, $5,000
• Reserve Champion, Alexis Grosz, Mayde Creek High School, $3,500
• Grand Champion Showman, Elizabeth Mahady, Cinco Ranch High School, $3,500
• Reserve Champion Showman, Ellis Capiro, Katy High School, $3,000

Broilers

• Grand Champion, Greer Gibson, Katy High School, $8,000
• Reserve Champion, Jaime Hahn, Katy High School, $7,999
• Grand Champion Showman, Jaime Hahn, Katy High School, $7,999
• Reserve Champion Showman, Chris Garcia, Katy High School, $4,500

Goats

• Grand Champion, Austin Carr, Cinco Ranch High School, $5,500
• Reserve Champion, Regina Gonzalez, Cinco Ranch High School, $5,499
• Grand Champion Showman, McKenna Guyton, Cinco Ranch High School, $4,000
• Reserve Champion Showman, Prince Mendez, Mayde Creek High School, $5,499

Lambs

• Grand Champion, Grayson Schneider, Taylor High School, $8,000
• Reserve Champion, Ariyanna Strong, Cinco Ranch High School, $4,000
• Grand Champion Showman, Grayson Schneider, Taylor High School, $8,000
• Reserve Champion Showman, Danielle McCarthy, Taylor High School, $7,999

Swine

• Grand Champion, Kylie Wingfield, Jordan High School, $7,500
• Reserve Champion, Rachel Grant, Cinco Ranch High School, $7,499
• Grand Champion Showman, Isaac Maya, Cinco Ranch High School, $4,000
• Reserve Champion Showman, Daisy Stovall, Cinco Ranch High School, $5,000

Steers

• Grand Champion, Halie Johnson, Morton Ranch High School, $14,000
• Reserve Champion, Emily Evans, Jordan High School, $9,000
• Grand Champion Showman, Riley Silves, Paetow High School, $7,500
• Reserve Champion Showman, Alexsandra Gonzalez, Taylor High School, $13,999

THECB offering new loan to help students complete high-demand degrees

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is now offering a new low-interest loan option for Texas students. The Future Occupations & Reskilling Workforce Advancement to Reach Demand (FORWARD) Loan Program is designed to increase the number of students who obtain high-value credentials in high-demand occupations.

The program is structured to help students complete their degrees with manageable to low debt levels and for students to be able to repay the loan within 10 years.

“The FORWARD Loan Program will help more Texans secure careers in high-demand fields and complete their degrees with manageable debt as they enter the workforce,” Harrison Keller, higher education commissioner, said. “We are committed to increasing educational attainment

for Texans of all ages, with the goal of 95% of all undergraduates completing their credentials with manageable or no debt. This program can be a key piece in achieving those goals.”

The program is open to students who are enrolled in a high-demand credential program that the student will be able to complete in two years or less. Eligible programs include technology, nursing/patient care, teaching, supply chain/transportation and logistics, and energy.

“Texas’ economic competitiveness depends on an educated workforce,” Fred Farias, coordinating board chairman, said. “The FORWARD Loan is one more program that will help more Texas students enter high-demand jobs and allow them to contribute to, participate in, and benefit from our world class economy.”

For additional eligibility information, visit the website, the abbreviated URL for which is bit.ly/41ldjPv.

ARTreach receives a Challenge America grant from the National Endowment for the Arts

ARTreach, a local nonprofit organization that delivers meaningful art programs to the underserved, announced today that it is the recipient of a $10,000 Challenge America grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

The NEA awards grants to organizations that reach historically underserved communities with rich and dynamic cultural identities. ARTreach will use the funding for one of its signature programs, Books Alive Literacy Through the Arts, which brings the magic of theater and the gift of literacy to youth by adapting children’s literature into fully staged, original musicals performed by professional actors. The NEA grant will specifically support the production of Too Many Frogs at 20 Houston Public Library branches. For more information, visit the website artreachtexas.org.

Katy-area student named to University of Arkansas dean's list

Emma Drury of Katy was named to the Fall 2022 dean's list in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas.

Drury joins nearly 2,500 additional Fulbright College students on the Fall 2022 Dean's List. To qualify, students must achieve at least at .375 grand point average for the semester while completing at least 12 credit hours.