HISD Proposes Closing Jones, Fleming, Dodson, Port Houston, And NQ Henderson

[VicMan]

HISD is considering closing:

• Jones High School
• Fleming Middle School
• Nat Q. Henderson Elementary
• Port Houston Elementary
• Dodson Elementary

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=9407490

Jones is in South Park and parts of southeast Houston are zoned to Jones. Fleming is north of the Fifth Ward and half of the Fifth Ward is zoned to it. The Port Houston neighborhood is zoned to Port Houston Elementary. Much of the Third Ward is zoned to Dodson Elementary.

[IronTiger]

Any tears shed for any school?

[Slick Vik]

Daniel Gibson went to Jones. He really lit it up in high school, had some great battles against Tac Minor.

[plumber2]

Jones was built about the same time as Waltrip and Bellaire. Would you feel bad about either one the other's closing instead?

[Blue Dogs]

Nope, I support the decision by Supt. Greir to close down these schools for good.

Take that dumbass Quanell X

[little frau]

Television reports keep saying that HISD insists enrollment is down in these schools.  With the possible exception of Port Houston Elementary, I find this a little hard to understand. 

 

Where have all the people with school age children gone?

 

 

 

 

[HoustonMidtown]

Television reports keep saying that HISD insists enrollment is down in these schools.  With the possible exception of Port Houston Elementary, I find this a little hard to understand. 

 

Where have all the people with school age children gone?

 

The burbs.....

[hbcu]

or Bellaire, Westside and Lamar...or Pearland ISD as there are neighborhoods closer to Dawson off Cullen where kids are changing addresses and going there instead of Worthing, HISD, etc.

 

ask any african american kid from those 2 schools where they live in HISD and 95% will provide you with an address zoned to another school on the south side...I've been to graduation parties in 3rd ward for kids from Bellaire..lol

 

HISD's open enrollment has created that problem as it has drained neighborhood schools.....if they enforce the zone changes Jones is back to regular enrollment...if they make kids play sports for their zoned school alot of schools grow

The suburbs have hurt but not as bad as FBISD's enrollment has dropped...charter schools such as KIPP and Yes smack dab next to HISD schools are the killers

[plumber2]

Charter schools were conceived as an alternative to public schools, but they have been usurped by business venture folks. and with the help of conservatives in the legislature, they are secure and have a strong foothold inside inner city neighborhoods........and also a steady stream of local tax dollars to boot. 

[hbcu]

and they now want public funds to rebuild their schools....

[VicMan]

It's true that PTOs and administrations in historically black neighborhoods don't like the outflux of students to schools they perceived as better. HISD can and should cap transfer enrollments at Westside, Lamar and Bellaire but there's not much they can do against charter schools. Even charters that are lottery only are still "selecting" in a way as they are getting motivated parents versus those who aren't motivated.

 

Can HISD ask Pearland ISD to screen students who are going to Glenda Dawson to make sure they aren't lying about their addresses?

 

I think Jones should be made into a "Barbara Jordan south" so that those who want to go into the trades can attend that school.

 

or Bellaire, Westside and Lamar...or Pearland ISD as there are neighborhoods closer to Dawson off Cullen where kids are changing addresses and going there instead of Worthing, HISD, etc.

 

ask any african american kid from those 2 schools where they live in HISD and 95% will provide you with an address zoned to another school on the south side...I've been to graduation parties in 3rd ward for kids from Bellaire..lol

 

HISD's open enrollment has created that problem as it has drained neighborhood schools.....if they enforce the zone changes Jones is back to regular enrollment...if they make kids play sports for their zoned school alot of schools grow

The suburbs have hurt but not as bad as FBISD's enrollment has dropped...charter schools such as KIPP and Yes smack dab next to HISD schools are the killers

 

[hbcu]

white flight is the cause as no one would believe Cullen was a predominately white area at one time....blacks ended up following instead of making it their own and leaving behind folks who weren't as motivated as the first generation of families...you know its trouble when you see the suburban districts go through the same thing

 

the key to this process is reducing white flight as it promotes, black flight, etc..

[VicMan]

White flight has run its course in HISD. The white enrollment has gone up slightly. Black flight however is happening. In the Fifth Ward there will likely be gentrification. In South Park, I'm not sure anything can be done about the black flight. HISD is building schools in the far south of the district. I bet the gap between Sunnyside and Pearland will be filled in. Maybe someday there will be a new high school in far south Houston. It would be interesting if they named it after Jones.

 

white flight is the cause as no one would believe Cullen was a predominately white area at one time....blacks ended up following instead of making it their own and leaving behind folks who weren't as motivated as the first generation of families...you know its trouble when you see the suburban districts go through the same thing

 

the key to this process is reducing white flight as it promotes, black flight, etc..

 

[hbcu]

the little bump in the Heights is a temporary...if whites are for real they're going back to Sam Houston, Kashmere, etc...

[VicMan]

I don't think a lot of white people are moving to the neighborhoods zoned to Kashmere or Sam. Now, if Reagan or Waltrip had a surge of white students, that would be a sign of things.

 

the little bump in the Heights is a temporary...if whites are for real they're going back to Sam Houston, Kashmere, etc...

 

[Ross]

the little bump in the Heights is a temporary...if whites are for real they're going back to Sam Houston, Kashmere, etc...

 

Whites can't "go back" to Kashmere, that area has always been mostly Black.

[Slick Vik]

or Bellaire, Westside and Lamar...or Pearland ISD as there are neighborhoods closer to Dawson off Cullen where kids are changing addresses and going there instead of Worthing, HISD, etc.

 

ask any african american kid from those 2 schools where they live in HISD and 95% will provide you with an address zoned to another school on the south side...I've been to graduation parties in 3rd ward for kids from Bellaire..lol

 

HISD's open enrollment has created that problem as it has drained neighborhood schools.....if they enforce the zone changes Jones is back to regular enrollment...if they make kids play sports for their zoned school alot of schools grow

The suburbs have hurt but not as bad as FBISD's enrollment has dropped...charter schools such as KIPP and Yes smack dab next to HISD schools are the killers

 

What does open enrollment mean? No matter where you live you can go to whatever you school you want? I was unaware of this.

[Ross]

What does open enrollment mean? No matter where you live you can go to whatever you school you want? I was unaware of this.

 

Within certain constraints, yes, HISD allows your child go to whatever school suits them best. We are zoned to Love, but our son goes to Harvard, because we like the IB curriculum. For Middle School, we are zoned to Hamilton, which is a decent school, but we've applied to a number of magnet schools. For non-magnets, students can transfer to any school that has space.

 

This is a great way to do things, as it allows parents who care to get their kids into better performing schools, while parents who don't care can send their kids to the nearest school. It provides internal competition among HISD schools, and minimizes the need to pay more rent than you can afford just to get into a good school.

 

After watching my son through 5 years of elementary school, I am pretty convinced that parents have to be involved for schools to succeed. If the parents don't care about the schools, and just expect teachers to teach while the kids do no homework, don't read at home, and just play video games, then failure is likely.

 

[Slick Vik]

Within certain constraints, yes, HISD allows your child go to whatever school suits them best. We are zoned to Love, but our son goes to Harvard, because we like the IB curriculum. For Middle School, we are zoned to Hamilton, which is a decent school, but we've applied to a number of magnet schools. For non-magnets, students can transfer to any school that has space.

 

This is a great way to do things, as it allows parents who care to get their kids into better performing schools, while parents who don't care can send their kids to the nearest school. It provides internal competition among HISD schools, and minimizes the need to pay more rent than you can afford just to get into a good school.

 

After watching my son through 5 years of elementary school, I am pretty convinced that parents have to be involved for schools to succeed. If the parents don't care about the schools, and just expect teachers to teach while the kids do no homework, don't read at home, and just play video games, then failure is likely.

 

 

I guess the parents are responsible for picking up and dropping kids off then.

[Ross]

I guess the parents are responsible for picking up and dropping kids off then.

If the child goes to a school that's more than two miles away, they are eligile for a bus ride, but have to catch the bus at their zoned school. That's the basic premise, anyway. HISD is hard core abotu not busing anyone within two miles of their school. Spring Branch apparently buses everyone, even if it's 3 blocks.

[VicMan]

I bet that the takeover of North Forest saved Kashmere High School. All HISD needed to do was rezone the southern chunk (with B.C. Elmore) to Kashmere, and now they have sufficient students. I wonder what will happen to the property values in North Forest?

 

If/when the absentee landlords in the northern Third Ward sell out for redevelopment, maybe the City of Houston can facilitate the construction of new public housing in North Forest, and/or apartment developers can build in North Forest.

 

If the child goes to a school that's more than two miles away, they are eligile for a bus ride, but have to catch the bus at their zoned school. That's the basic premise, anyway. HISD is hard core abotu not busing anyone within two miles of their school. Spring Branch apparently buses everyone, even if it's 3 blocks.

 

You can be bussed if you are zoned to the school and are either two or more miles away, or you have hazards in which you can't walk past. You can also be bussed if you are in a magnet program at another school. I haven't been able to find the SBISD busing policy.

[IronTiger]

Says in Swamplot that they're demolishing North Forest High School. I thought it was retained by HISD when it merged, guess not!

[VicMan]

Now HISD is only seeking the closure of Jones High and Dodson Elementary. Port Houston, Fleming, and NQ Henderson are no longer on the closure list. http://blogs.houstonisd.org/news/2014/03/05/three-schools-eliminated-from-hisd-closure-consolidation-proposal/

 

Says in Swamplot that they're demolishing North Forest High School. I thought it was retained by HISD when it merged, guess not!

 

Where is the Swamplot story?

 

https://twitter.com/tgrierhisd/status/380343353243492352 is a Twitter feed showing demolition on one side of the campus. HISD plans to put a new high school building on the same property.

[IronTiger]

Now HISD is only seeking the closure of Jones High and Dodson Elementary. Port Houston, Fleming, and NQ Henderson are no longer on the closure list. http://blogs.houstonisd.org/news/2014/03/05/three-schools-eliminated-from-hisd-closure-consolidation-proposal/

 

 

Where is the Swamplot story?

 

https://twitter.com/tgrierhisd/status/380343353243492352 is a Twitter feed showing demolition on one side of the campus. HISD plans to put a new high school building on the same property.

Swamplot demo report. 4 buildings being razed.

[little frau]

I'm still a little surprised about Dodson.  That's the school where parents would camp out on the sidewalks just to be at the front of the line for Montessori openings each fall.  I remember that the various TV stations would cover the story and the parents were always very eager to get their kids enrolled.

 

There must be other options now for Montessori.  I can't imagine that parents no longer seek that method of education for their kids.

[VicMan]

I wonder if HISD wants to sell the Dodson campus due to its location. The Montessori program could be moved to a nearby school.

 

I'm still a little surprised about Dodson.  That's the school where parents would camp out on the sidewalks just to be at the front of the line for Montessori openings each fall.  I remember that the various TV stations would cover the story and the parents were always very eager to get their kids enrolled.

 

There must be other options now for Montessori.  I can't imagine that parents no longer seek that method of education for their kids.

 

[little frau]

On 10 o'clock news, it's official that Dodson will be closed.  Jones escaped the cut, for now, but not by much.

 

 

[VicMan]

On 10 o'clock news, it's official that Dodson will be closed.  Jones escaped the cut, for now, but not by much.

 

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=9465319

 

Dodson is closing. As stated earlier, it's probably the value of the I-45 freeway property. The Montessori program is moving to Blackshear.

 

Even though the Jones campus is still going to be used, the zoned school program is closing and students will be rezoned to Worthing and Sterling. Jones will become a career training school and will not have athletics.

[Slick Vik]

If the child goes to a school that's more than two miles away, they are eligile for a bus ride, but have to catch the bus at their zoned school. That's the basic premise, anyway. HISD is hard core abotu not busing anyone within two miles of their school. Spring Branch apparently buses everyone, even if it's 3 blocks.

 

So parents are responsible for picking up and dropping off if they get into another school that they aren't zoned to? For example the earlier story about someone from Third Ward going to Bellaire.

[Ross]

So parents are responsible for picking up and dropping off if they get into another school that they aren't zoned to? For example the earlier story about someone from Third Ward going to Bellaire.

 

If the child goes to a school over two miles away, they can ride the bus, with pick up and drop off at their zoned school, or the parents can take them.