citizenjane

I apologize, you are right. The school is scheduled to open the 2011-2012 school year. Too many schools are dates floating around my head early in the morning.

The opening date is not a misprint. I'm not saying if it is or is not possible just that it's not a printing mistake. As to the comment about Tomball Memorial becoming elitist because of it's location, remember that the new Creekside development in the Woodlands will feed into Tomball High school. Only time will tell how the new demographics will effect the schools but there will most defiantly be money flowing from that direction.

It's not about "more" schools it's about the capacity of the one and only high school we have. The second high school has been an issue in TISD for well over a decade. I was on the facility planning committee that studied the projected growth within the district and made the recommendation to the school board. We purchased the land for a HS in the last bond knowing this school would be needed. I also have a child at THS and know first hand the problems with over crowding. You can add portable class rooms all day but what about parking, bathrooms, lockers, cafeteria size, office space for counselors and other admin, etc. Kids have trouble getting to class on time because they they can't get through the halls. Kids won't buy lunch because there's not enough time to get through the line and eat it. Some kids go an entire school year and never use their locker because it's to far away. Simply put, THS is overcrowded. And this doesn't even touch on the issue of "travel time" for some kids in the edges of the district trying to get to the only school we have. My child is on the bus for over an hour, each way. Seems like a huge waste of her time to be sitting on a bus for 2 hours every day. TISD is a very small district and we believe that we will probably never build a third high school (I know, never say never). With the knowledge of how we needed to expand the THS building as it approached max capacity, the Tomball Memorial building was designed to be "expandable". We really don't want to build a third high school either. You seem to be implying that this school is a mistake for the district. If you live in TISD and have specific concerns let me know and maybe I can address them or point you in the right direction. After a lot of study and discussion I really do believe that adding the second high school will be good for our children.

Adding the second high school didn't have anything to do with football or any other sport. It was about student capacity and the quality of education.

This opinion was raised as a reason against the second high school as well as the fear that both schools would not be 5A. After a lot of debate the subcommittee and then the voters of TISD chose to build the second school. Studies were shown that academic performance was better is smaller schools as opposed to mega high schools (3,000+ students). Also while the athletics may not be higher performing, 2 schools means more kids get to participate.

whoops, yes I meant Shaw not Shawn Yes it does make sense and for many more reasons than that but believe me, it was a long time coming. There was a lot of resistence to a second HS and we had to fight just to get the idea before the school board. Quite honestly, without the new Creekside development in the Woodlands pushing Tomball HS over capcity, I don't think it would have happened. I have very much enjoyed reading about Klein's bond process.

It will be located at the corner of Shawn road and Northpointe Blvd.