HISD Needs $805 Million In Repairs

[musicman]

The Houston school district needs to spend about $1 billion to repair, remodel or replace aging buildings, while also facing an enrollment drop of about 4 percent over the next decade, experts told school trustees today.

Consultants said the projected drop in enrollment will result from a continuing decline in the number of families living in the central city. They said HISD's enrollment has dropped by a similar amount in the past decade, as well.

Voters approved bond issues in 1998 and 2002 totaling more than $1.5 billion to deal with aging schools, but the consultants said much work remains.

full article

[kristiw]

I wish the tax payers could see the way bond money is being wasted on new construction and renovations. My favorite experience was a district getting a chemist involved to match the school's color 'green', so (6) green accent bricks on a mascot wall would be an exact match.

Cost to tax payers? A mere $15,000.00.

School pride? Priceless.

[VicMan]

Let's look at the HISD Bond Page at to see what the repairs typically include. See: http://www.houstonisd.org/portal/site/bond/

A lot of the "truly new" HISD schools are located in areas with increasing child and family populations This includes:

* Daily ES (Far westside, outside Beltway 8)

* Moreno ES (Northside, outside 610)

* Hines Caldwell ES (Southside, outside 610)

Now, St. George Place ES (Uptown area, outside 610) was built to relieve Briargrove ES. It also took over areas of the closed Will Rogers ES, which was torn down with the old administration building.

A lot of the new campuses are "replacement" schools that replace earlier facilities - the district often replaces schools when it determines that construction costs are cheaper than renovation costs.

See: http://www.houstonisd.org/portal/site/Bond...ette.cachetoken

By the way, Cook ES (replaced three small elementary schools: Sanderson, Easter, and Chatham) (Located in northeast side outside 610) is a replacement school.

As an example of a replacement school in an area with decreasing families, in fall 2002, Ketelsen ES replaced Lamar ES and Lee ES sometime around 2002. In other words, while a new school opened, two other schools closed.

See: http://www.houstonisd.org/HISDConnectDS/v/...00028147fa6RCRD

HISD is considering replacing Bowie ES with a campus named after Rod Paige.

EDIT: Yikes! The new HSPVA building looks like it was cancelled! http://www.houstonisd.org/portal/site/Bond...00028147fa6RCRD

What happened? Why did HISD cancel that building?

[houstonmacbro]

So the inner city is growing, it's just growing with DINKs?

[VicMan]

So the inner city is growing, it's just growing with DINKs?

Yep, meaning that a lot of working class and poor families are being pushed outside of 610.

This article is good reading: http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive....id=2006_4231484

There are parts of HISD that can easily expand to bring more children into the district (the southside along 288, the far west and southwest sides, the far northside, etc.)

[houstonmacbro]

Yep, meaning that a lot of working class and poor families are being pushed outside of 610.

This article is good reading: http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive....id=2006_4231484

There are parts of HISD that can easily expand to bring more children into the district (the southside along 288, the far west and southwest sides, the far northside, etc.)

I'm not conservative, but wouldn't common sense dictate a couple of things?

1. Assess which schools could be closed and/or properties sold off
   
2. Repair fewer schools (since there are fewer schools) and possibly bring down the costs
   

Problem seems to be that no one wants to make hard choices.

[musicman]

I'm not conservative, but wouldn't common sense dictate a couple of things?

1. Assess which schools could be closed and/or properties sold off
   
2. Repair fewer schools (since there are fewer schools) and possibly bring down the costs
   

Problem seems to be that no one wants to make hard choices.

common sense solutions are always the best ones, but seems that's never what govt entities do in the end.

[houstonmacbro]

...and the public is no better. We claim we want better fiscal management, but as soon as someone even 'breathes' the words 'school closings' there will be people picketing, gaining petitions, and testifying before the city council.

[musicman]

...and the public is no better. We claim we want better fiscal management, but as soon as someone even 'breathes' the words 'school closings' there will be people picketing, gaining petitions, and testifying before the city council.

if the closings are justified, the district should go before the public to show why. doing things without explanation has been commonplace for too long.

[houstonmacbro]

See my point number 1 (above). We are in complete agreement.

[VicMan]

I have no qualms with school closing!

I have heard (no official word) that J. Will Jones ES in Midtown may get the axe. It would make sense, since Midtown is not a family area.

Here are zoned school closings in and since 2001:

Closed 2007

* Fairchild ES

Closed 2006

* Chatham ES (replaced by Cook ES)

* Easter ES (replaced by Cook ES)

* Anson Jones ES

* Will Rogers ES

* Sanderson ES (replaced by Cook ES)

Closed 2005

* Argyle ES (Was a temporary reliever school in a shopping center)

* Brock ES

* Clinton Park ES

* Douglass ES

* Ryan ES

Closed 2004

* Eighth Avenue ES

* Holden ES

* Milam ES

Closed 2002

* Carnegie ES

* Lamar ES (replaced by Ketelsen ES)

* Lee ES (replaced by Ketelsen ES)

Meanwhile, here is a list of opened zoned campuses:

Opening 2007

* Daily ES

* St. George Place ES

Opened 2006

* Cook ES (Replaced Chatham, Easter, and Sanderson)

Opened 2005

* Hines-Caldwell ES

* Moreno ES

Opened 2003

* Seguin ES

Opened 2002

* Ketelsen ES (Replaced Lamar ES, Lee ES)

* Robinson ES

* Seguin ES

* Pin Oak MS

* West Briar MS

Opened 2001

* Gross ES

* Rodriguez ES

Also, a temporary reliever school, Sharpview ES, opened in 2000 and closed in 2004

[hbcu]

HISD fails to acknowledge also it's magnet school loophole has helped destroy alot of areas with once thriving schools....you have 3,300 kids at Bellaire, 2,800 at Westside and 3,500 at Lamar but in high density areas where Sharpstown, Waltrip, etc. sit they are playing in Class 4A...wonder why?

If they could run the athletes off and the pretty boys from Sunnyside, Hiram Clarke from those certain schools who are afraid to mix it up with their fellow neighbors...the enrollments would even out.

Madison's area is growing and offers the best access to Loop 610..they have 2,300 kids while their FBISD neighbor to the South, Willowridge has dropped enrollment....in the 80s, it was opposite as Willowridge was the growing area and Madison lost enrollment out there

Booker T. and Yates need renovations badly...but HISD also fears those two schools coming back in full force and causing a stir if they bounce back...

[mrfootball]

Generally-speaking people tend to move away from bad schools and gravitate towards good schools. Thus the declining populations in many areas of HISD. Rather than spending hundreds of millions repairing these facilities. They should certainly demo or selloff these useless assets and consolidate or build new ones.

Most upper middle class and nearly all upper class families with children, who don't live in the Bellaire or Lamar feeder systems will wind up sending their children to Private schools.

[VicMan]

HBCU, you may like reading this article: http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive....id=2005_3900502

In it, Bill Miller of Yates HS complains about the magnet programs. He wants them dismantled and to force people to attend their zoned schools (NEVER going to happen!)

Now, I say that B. T. Washington has a chance to turn around, since Acres Homes can absorb more people - Esp. people who are leaving gentrified areas. Also, B. T. Washington has the engineering magnet.

On the other hand, Yates HS is doomed to become a smaller school. The Upper Third Ward will become a college town and yuppieland. The far lower Third Ward area (the Foster Place/South Union area) may still hold on to some of its kids.

Also, Lamar HS trimmed down its magnet program size by kicking out kids who had disciplinary problems (even excess tardiness) - So Yates HS/Sharpstown HS/etc probably got some extra people

Part of the reason why I want to see Willowridge HS, McAulliffe MS, Briargate ES, Ridgegate ES, Ridgemont ES, and Blue Ridge ES in HISD is so Fort Bend Houston is IN HISD and so Madison HS can have a reliever school.

HISD fails to acknowledge also it's magnet school loophole has helped destroy alot of areas with once thriving schools....you have 3,300 kids at Bellaire, 2,800 at Westside and 3,500 at Lamar but in high density areas where Sharpstown, Waltrip, etc. sit they are playing in Class 4A...wonder why?

If they could run the athletes off and the pretty boys from Sunnyside, Hiram Clarke from those certain schools who are afraid to mix it up with their fellow neighbors...the enrollments would even out.

Madison's area is growing and offers the best access to Loop 610..they have 2,300 kids while their FBISD neighbor to the South, Willowridge has dropped enrollment....in the 80s, it was opposite as Willowridge was the growing area and Madison lost enrollment out there

Booker T. and Yates need renovations badly...but HISD also fears those two schools coming back in full force and causing a stir if they bounce back...

[VicMan]

Generally-speaking people tend to move away from bad schools and gravitate towards good schools. Thus the declining populations in many areas of HISD. Rather than spending hundreds of millions repairing these facilities. They should certainly demo or selloff these useless assets and consolidate or build new ones.

Most upper middle class and nearly all upper class families with children, who don't live in the Bellaire or Lamar feeder systems will wind up sending their children to Private schools.

If I was HISD, I would not have repaired Blackshear ES (or I would make sure that the building is used in some OTHER capacity) - I would have instead opted to consolidate Blackshear into Ryan MS and turn Ryan into a K-8. Perhaps HISD could turn Blackshear into a regional Early Childhood center for Third Ward families (HISD will introduce tuition-based PreK). HISD used that trick to turn Concord into an Early Childhood school and move the elementary school kids to Isaacs ES.

Now, even though Kay On-Going (which was renovated with our bond package) later closed as a school, the district is using the building as a HQ for the police department, and there are plans to move the Harper Alternative School to the Kay On-Going campus.

[hbcu]

The impact those specific FBISD schools had on the district's success now is hard to replace...you let them go and they flourish in HISD, that's alot of tax revenue you lose...Madison isn't growing that much to need all of those areas..alot of their students are at Lamar and Bellaire. If anything, expand Madison to accomodate future growth, consolidate Jones, Sterling and Worthing for a big South Side High School off 288 and your problems are solved.

Since the magnet programs, which were phased in to spread blacks out in the old days for number purposes, are killing enrollments, HISD needs to reasses the programs. In all reality, the losers are the inner city areas because they can't get the programs to attract the large amount of students available...if they move Lamar's IB program to Jones or so....they can spread the enrollment out...Health Professions, law Enforcement, Barbara Jordan and HSPVA could've been latched on with exisiting schools in the city as separate wings or combined for one school instead of individual structures needing individual attention

Acres Homes is split 3 ways and HISD isn't dependent on them as much now...Booker T. has a strong program and needs building renovations..if anything, make it bigger and split Kashmere to Wheatley and Booker T.

[VicMan]

HBCU, I found a Houston Chronicle article called "HISD wonders if time is right to seek $1 billion" from the Houston Chronicle. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metrop...an/4911155.html

This does NOT duplicate the insert seen in the newspaper article.

The overall enrollment is expected to shrink from 200,694 students in 2007 to 192,447 in 2016. Knowing that figure...

The South District is expected to grow by 2.2% by 2016 (from 29,639 to 30,281)

The Central District is expected to shrink by 8.0% by 2016 (from 38,425 to 35,343)

The East District is expected to shrink by 10.1% by 2016 (from 32,351 to 29,087)

The North District is expected to shrink by 7% by 2016 (from 39,493 to 36,717)

The West District is expected to shrink by .5% by 2016 (from 54,947 to 54,648)

So, of the three that would shrink substantially, let's look at the newly-yuppie and declining neighborhoods within their bounds (I.E. they are losing low income and family populations):

* Central: Third Ward, Montrose, Midtown, Freedmen's Town, Houston Heights

* East: Eastwood, Second Ward (Also, I believe some industrial areas are losing families too)

* North: Fifth Ward, Northside Village, Downtown Houston, Warehouse District (Yes, that area feeds into Wheatley)

As for other comments:

"consolidate Jones, Sterling and Worthing for a big South Side High School off 288" - I am okay with rebuilding Worthing off of 288 and moving Attucks into the old Worthing campus. Now, the issue is that I wouldn't consolidate Jones and Sterling (at least yet) because the South District is projected to grow by 2.2% by 2016.

"could've been latched on with exisiting schools in the city" - Many magnet groups/parents do not want to be in existing campuses. Some magnets left their comprehensive campuses (While, in the case of MCTC, that school latched on to Wheatley).

"if they move Lamar's IB program to Jones or so...." Jones used to have a magnet, but it split in 2002 and became Carnegie Vanguard High School (CVHS occupies a former elementary school - that school merged into Woodson MS to form Woodson K-8). After the Jones debacle (Read about it here: http://www.houstonpress.com/issues/2002-03-07/feature.html), I do not believe that any magnet program will be willing to relocate to Jones. Also, people want an avenue to get into Lamar even if they aren't zoned to Lamar.

"Booker T. has a strong program and needs building renovations..if anything, make it bigger and split Kashmere to Wheatley and Booker T." - Well, I'm not sure if Kashmere kids want to be bussed to Booker T. (Since B. T. Washington is far away). We could merge North Forest into HISD and let the campuses in better condition survive (while the not-as-good condition campuses are closed or converted into military academy schools or some other niche magnets).

The impact those specific FBISD schools had on the district's success now is hard to replace...you let them go and they flourish in HISD, that's alot of tax revenue you lose...Madison isn't growing that much to need all of those areas..alot of their students are at Lamar and Bellaire. If anything, expand Madison to accomodate future growth, consolidate Jones, Sterling and Worthing for a big South Side High School off 288 and your problems are solved.

Since the magnet programs, which were phased in to spread blacks out in the old days for number purposes, are killing enrollments, HISD needs to reasses the programs. In all reality, the losers are the inner city areas because they can't get the programs to attract the large amount of students available...if they move Lamar's IB program to Jones or so....they can spread the enrollment out...Health Professions, law Enforcement, Barbara Jordan and HSPVA could've been latched on with exisiting schools in the city as separate wings or combined for one school instead of individual structures needing individual attention

Acres Homes is split 3 ways and HISD isn't dependent on them as much now...Booker T. has a strong program and needs building renovations..if anything, make it bigger and split Kashmere to Wheatley and Booker T.

[hbcu]

Jones' best days are behind them and Sterling will lose more residents to Dobie and Pearland...a nice-sized neighborhood, Gulf Meadows off Fuqua and Telephone, is zoned to Sterling but closer to Dobie and alot of folks have crossed the lines over the years...Alot of Sterling kids have went to Lamar and with the new Pearland school coming off Cullen, it's going to continue so might as well consolidate now

HISD should've at one time lumped all magnet programs into one central area with the exception of ones needing access to facilities like Sterling's aviation program...as time went on, you would've got a better account of school enrollment and who's going where...

my deal is...if your going to cross the borders...you can't play sports....that would drop populations at Bellaire and Lamar down alot

[VicMan]

Jones and Sterling could be combined into one attendance boundary.

The reason why Jones, Worthing, and Sterling are in close proximity is due to the days of segregation (I believe Jones and Sterling were White and Worthing was Black). Now, if Jones became a military academy and the attendance boundaries were rezoned to Sterling, let's see what would happen.

Jones: 1,011 in 05-06: http://dept.houstonisd.org/profiles/Jones_HS.pdf

Sterling: 1,114 in 05-06: http://dept.houstonisd.org/profiles/Sterling_HS.pdf

Combined, that would be 2,125 students.

As for the sports rule, why not require out-of-zone students signing up for athletics in Lamar/Bellaire to also take PreAP and AP Core Classes? This requires them to focus on both academics and athletics.

If I had the power to change school district boundaries, I would add Willowridge, and have four comprehensive high schools in the South District. I would put Dobie, Clear Lake, and a newly-built HS (to cover for Houston areas zoned to South Houston HS and Pasadena Memorial HS) in a "Clear Lake Region."

Jones' best days are behind them and Sterling will lose more residents to Dobie and Pearland...a nice-sized neighborhood, Gulf Meadows off Fuqua and Telephone, is zoned to Sterling but closer to Dobie and alot of folks have crossed the lines over the years...Alot of Sterling kids have went to Lamar and with the new Pearland school coming off Cullen, it's going to continue so might as well consolidate now

HISD should've at one time lumped all magnet programs into one central area with the exception of ones needing access to facilities like Sterling's aviation program...as time went on, you would've got a better account of school enrollment and who's going where...

my deal is...if your going to cross the borders...you can't play sports....that would drop populations at Bellaire and Lamar down alot

[hbcu]

You do realize those out-of-zone students would have trouble passing by throwing those classes on them...the coaches at those schools would have heart attacks...Lamar has done a bad job of qualifying athletes for college outside of the "elite" ones...

Jones was the white area (South Park) between 3rd Ward and Sunnyside...it was far from Milby and the Hiram Clarke area wasn't what it was then so that's why it was needed....but at one time, Jones still had 5A enrollment up until the 90s or so when the school changed...

the younger families have migrated south to Pearland, Mo. City, etc. so when people discover South Park's proximity to the loop and the city down the line...no telling who will inhabit the area...

Again, Willowridge isn't going anywhere...too much paperwork for the district to do and it would be an ugly fight.....

[The Great Hizzy!]

HISD fails to acknowledge also it's magnet school loophole has helped destroy alot of areas with once thriving schools... you have 3,300 kids at Bellaire, 2,800 at Westside and 3,500 at Lamar but in high density areas where Sharpstown, Waltrip, etc. sit they are playing in Class 4A...wonder why?

If they could run the athletes off and the pretty boys from Sunnyside, Hiram Clarke from those certain schools who are afraid to mix it up with their fellow neighbors...the enrollments would even out.

Madison's area is growing and offers the best access to Loop 610..they have 2,300 kids while their FBISD neighbor to the South, Willowridge has dropped enrollment....in the 80s, it was opposite as Willowridge was the growing area and Madison lost enrollment out there

Booker T. and Yates need renovations badly...but HISD also fears those two schools coming back in full force and causing a stir if they bounce back...

I especially agree with the bolded part. The fundamental problem with almost all large school districts across the country is that families are losing confidence in them and they are electing to a.) move to the suburbs, b.) bite the bullet and enroll their kids in private schools, and/or c.) both a) and b.)

The magnet program is like a hybrid of public and private school.

[VicMan]

By 1987, Jones had 1737 kids... below today's standards for 5A (I believe that is around 2,000 pupils): http://www.schooldigger.com/go/TX/schools/...503/school.aspx

By 1988, it fell to 1617. In 1989, it fell to 1399.

I want to check to see if Pearland and Missouri City zone out apartments. If so, this means that Stafford and southern portions of Houston will take the slack for apartments around Pearland and Missouri City.

EDIT: Well, it looks like Missouri City does not have very many multi-family complexes allowed.

See its zoning laws here: http://www.ci.mocity.tx.us/depts/planning/.../section123.pdf

And look at its zoning map: http://ims.ci.mocity.tx.us/zoning/viewer.htm

That means that a lot of Missouri City-area apartments would have to be in Stafford (if Stafford allows any more apartments) or Houston (which has no zoning).

NOW, as for Pearland:

The map is here: http://gisweb2.ci.pearland.tx.us/web/imaps/ (You will need Internet Explorer to view this)

Pearland seems to also zone away many apartment complexes. This puts the apartment burden on portions of Houston.

Now, as for the examples for magnet school draining:

Also, Waltrip's population in 2005 (1819) is higher than it was in 1987 (1759); yes, the population fell after 1989, but it rose after 1999: http://www.schooldigger.com/go/TX/schools/...604/school.aspx

Sharpstown was at 1910 in 1987, and 1761 in 1988. Now it is at 1702 in 2005: http://www.schooldigger.com/go/TX/schools/...583/school.aspx

Jones was the white area (South Park) between 3rd Ward and Sunnyside...it was far from Milby and the Hiram Clarke area wasn't what it was then so that's why it was needed....but at one time, Jones still had 5A enrollment up until the 90s or so when the school changed...

the younger families have migrated south to Pearland, Mo. City, etc. so when people discover South Park's proximity to the loop and the city down the line...no telling who will inhabit the area...

I would say that a combination of perception of better schools (this is often true considering some of the zoned schools in HISD) AND lower housing costs are leading families within 610 not zoned to the elite schools to the suburban districts. This seems to be inevitable even without the magnet schools since the housing costs are rising within 610.

There are some families within HISD that cherrypick schools (e.g. they put kids in HISD public school if the kids get into the "good schools," and opt for charter or private school if the kids do not get into the "good schools.")

I especially agree with the bolded part. The fundamental problem with almost all large school districts across the country is that families are losing confidence in them and they are electing to a.) move to the suburbs, b.) bite the bullet and enroll their kids in private schools, and/or c.) both a) and b.)

The magnet program is like a hybrid of public and private school.

[hbcu]

Mo. City was known for not having many apartment complexes and damn near came to blows with Sienna Plantation for the new complexes they are going to build in the neighborhood

They've built a new complex off Hillcroft before Beltway 8 and that's HISD......anything off 288 is HISD

you won't see any complexes come in FBISD closer to Willowridge as the area is landlocked and single family homes sell pretty fast out there....

The africian american areas are ones feeling the effects of the magnet schools....Lamar is using that as a way to get athletes from those areas....but it was a bad effect at the gate athletic wise as those same kids who bus crosstown aren't getting much support when games are played way at Butler Stadium.

[VicMan]

I guess Wheatley has been able to revive itself because of the new campus and the fact that MCTC was merged (sort-of - the program moved but the actual school closed) into Wheatley.

Anyway, this reminds me of the debate about the now mostly-African-American Prince George's County. The Next American City wrote an article about PG County, which is in Maryland near Washington, D. C.: http://www.americancity.org/article.php?id_article=135 - This is the DC equivalent of Missouri City.

In other words, while HISD's student base decreases in the inner city, many suburban districts will find that many of their areas will behave like (formerly) inner city areas.

Mo. City was known for not having many apartment complexes and damn near came to blows with Sienna Plantation for the new complexes they are going to build in the neighborhood

They've built a new complex off Hillcroft before Beltway 8 and that's HISD......anything off 288 is HISD

you won't see any complexes come in FBISD closer to Willowridge as the area is landlocked and single family homes sell pretty fast out there....

The africian american areas are ones feeling the effects of the magnet schools....Lamar is using that as a way to get athletes from those areas....but it was a bad effect at the gate athletic wise as those same kids who bus crosstown aren't getting much support when games are played way at Butler Stadium.

[hbcu]

Combination of things....when HISD was at its peak and beginning to see Fort Bend and Aldine ISD prosper with HISD families, they should've invested more in the area then to keep the mass exodus of folks from leaving. Unfortunately, the exodus extended past AISD and FBISD to areas further and further away now.

With the overpricing and redevelopment of property in 3rd Ward...eventually, it'll knock out people from living there altogether if they have families...

[VicMan]

Now, here are some school closing steps that HISD should perform now...

1. Close J. Will Jones ES

2. Rezone the closed portions of J. W. Jones ES north and west of SH 288 to either Gregory-Lincoln K-8 and/or Macgregor ES

3. Rezone the closed portions of J. W. Jones ES south and east of SH 288 to Blackshear ES

Now, when Blackshear becomes too small, it can be turned into an early childhood school for the Third Ward area. Ryan can become a K-8 and pick up the former Blackshear ES students.

[Flamingyak]

Why was the HSPVA building cancelled? Does anyone know what happened with this project and whether or not it might still go ahead?

HSPVA really needs a new facility, their current one just won't cut it for a great program like this. :-\

[VicMan]

Why was the HSPVA building cancelled? Does anyone know what happened with this project and whether or not it might still go ahead?

HSPVA really needs a new facility, their current one just won't cut it for a great program like this. :-\

I have no idea - Should I e-mail HISD and ask?

[musicman]

HSPVA really needs a new facility, their current one just won't cut it for a great program like this. :-\

there are some facilities with leaky roofs, poor a/c, etc. not sure if need is the right word. i went this past winter for a concert, it looked well maintained IMO.

[hbcu]

go to Booker T., Austin, etc. and see why HSPVA will wait....Westbury has had 3 renovations within the past 20 years