By CASSIE MCKEE, Four Points News

Getting to Vandegrift High School before the first tardy bell rings can be a challenge with the congested Four Points roads but official tardy slips reflect that students are getting to school on time.

An open records request submitted by Four Points News revealed the total number of tardies per school year for the last three years. According to Leander ISD, there were a total of 1,801 first-period tardy slips issued during the 2011-12 school year, which averaged to 10 tardies per day, based on a 180-day school year. That number jumped to 12.6 first-period tardies per day for the 2012-13 school year and then decreased slightly during the 2013-14 year, with 12.3 first-period tardy slips issued per day.

For each of the three years, there were actually more tardy slips issued for students returning late from their lunch period.

LISD spokesperson Veronica Sopher said she does not feel VHS’s numbers are out of line with district averages.

“The impression that I’ve gotten from that campus is that their tardies are not out of line with other campuses and they are below the national average,” Sopher said. “They’re mindful of it and want to see it improve and are working with parents to make sure their students are getting to school on time and in a safe manner.”

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By SARAH DOOLITTLE, Four Points News

Beloved son, brother and friend Pierce Broe died October 4 after a long battle with brain cancer. He is survived by his parents, Kevin and Janel Broe, his sister, Julianne, 16, and his brothers Carson, 14 and Forrest, 10, all of River Place.

Pierce was active to the end. Saturday, the family was to have left on their Make-a-Wish trip to the Bahamas where they could fish and snorkel to their hearts’ content.

Instead, Pierce was hospitalized on Friday and died on Saturday.

Pierce was a boy well-equipped for the challenges he faced in his fight against cancer. Not only was he brave, he was also unflaggingly positive. He did not complain, made friends wherever he went, and never lost his sense of wonder.

For Pierce, every day was an opportunity for adventure, for plans to be made and carried out. Before cancer, he could be found at his parents bedside at 6:30 most Saturday mornings, ready to chop down a tree, catch a fish or build a fire.

After cancer, while his body struggled against the limitations imposed by his illness, he was still eager to be out in the world, to learn and touch and be part of the action. He didn’t want to miss out on anything.

A neighbor, knowing Pierce Broe’s love of hunting, left a stuffed deer’s head on the family’s porch. That buck’s head, antlers and all, rode front and center with Pierce in his Gator at a mini-marathon for cancer survivors on September 28.
The following weekend, cancer took Peirce’s life.

He went to football practice in his wheelchair, coaching and encouraging his teammates. He skied with his family in Colorado in March, using a specially adapted ski chair on black diamond slopes. And as an honorary member of the Vandegrift lacrosse team, he attended their big game against Anderson High, even telling the team they needed to “man up.” They won their game that day. Continue reading →

By CASSIE MCKEE, Four Points News

The International School of Texas, a private school located nearby off RM 620 and Hudson Bend Road, is celebrating its first year with the addition of middle school students for the 2014-2015 school year. Several local families have had a part in creating the school.

“We’re proud to be celebrating the first successful year of the International School of Texas, an excellent choice for families looking to provide their children a true international education,” said Monique Threadgill, chair of the board of trustees for the International School of Texas. “We’re looking forward to the coming school year when we’ll welcome even more students to our family and continue to improve our beautiful campus and available resources.”

The nonprofit, non-faith based school opened in September 2013 and completed its first year of classes to more than 70 students. In April, 10 families with children at the school formed a Limited Liability Company and purchased the campus land to ensure a continued legacy of international education for their families and the larger community.

One of those families was Cross and Susan Moceri of nearby Marshall Ford. They first got involved with the school late last year as they sought a school for their daughter, Natalia, 3.

Students learning at the nearby International School of Texas.

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