Spring Independent School District

[VicMan]

The Spring Independent School District (ISD) covers areas in unincorporated Harris County and a VERY small portion of Houston. Spring ISD serves many communities, including Spring, Olde Oaks, Ponderosa Forest, and Bammel.

Spring ISD has two high schools, Spring and Westfield.

Westfield, which is divided into two campuses (one 9th and one 10-12), is overcrowded. The school's poor academic performance caused property values to drop, so Spring ISD built a new high school called DeKaney High School. DeKaney, named after former Spring ISD board member Andy DeKaney, will open in fall 2006. DeKaney will relieve Spring and Westfield High Schools.

Spring ISD will also open two new elementary schools (Jenkins and McNabb) and one middle school (Bailey), all of which will feed into Spring High School.

: EDIT: The previous phrase about the elementary schools is not correct, actually

So, what else should the district do to improve?

Edited August 20, 2006 by VicMan

[mrfootball]

A while back there was talk of some movement from the residents of Olde Oaks and Northgate threatening to secede from Spring ISD and be annexed by Klein ISD (specifically Klein Collins). Does anyone know the story on this? Is this even an option?

At a SISD community meeting last year, they said that that new high school was breaking ground in 2009 or something like that. They have some land near Wells Middle School (Olde Oaks) that they already have slated for it. And it will apparently be fed from a zone cutting north-south through that westernmost portion of the district. Which is unfortunate, because I think it would be wonderful to see its zone cut right along 1960 all the way to I-45, drawing from Olde Oaks, Ponderosa, Westador, etc. But the folks in the district are very "race sensitive" so they won't do any such obvious thing.

I imagine this is the straw that broke the camel's back for the residents of Olde Oaks/Northgate.

Edited April 26, 2006 by mrfootball

[ENGcons]

My understanding that Northgate and Olde Oaks wanting out of Spring goes like this. Those neighborhoods are forcing the SISD Boards hand by doing their best to vote down any School Bonds that are up for election. Basically trying to get kicked out. In the meantime they have petitioned Klein for annexation, and it has been discussed by the board behind closed doors, reults of those discussions are something I am not privy to.

Anyhow, Klein really has nothing much to gain from annexing these neighborhoods since the tax base is all residential. So I have no idea which way they will go. It is a process that will not be easy, and I can't believe that SISD would willingly give away that area without getting something in return. Perhaps Klein can trade SIS those areas, and give them Klein Forest, or the south sliver of the district in return? Yeah, in their dreams.

Another funny thought would be if Klein took in Northgate, and Olde Oaks, then zoned them to go to Klein Forest. Grass isn't always greener.

[mrfootball]

Since Klein Forest HS is already significantly overcrowded, I couldn't see that scenario playing out. I'd like to see Klein re-zone the residents of Greenwood Forest, Woods of Wimbledon, and the KF part of Huntwick over to Klein HS. This would help relieve the overcrowding problem at KF and re-establish stronger property values in those aforementioned neighborhoods.

In any scenario with Olde Oaks & Northgate leaving SISD, I'd like to see Ponderosa Forest involved. These are great neighborhoods that are worth saving.

[SpringTX]

Magnet schools. Just like the inner city. The only thing that I can see SISD doing with any positive effect at this late stage in the game is introducing magnet schools. This year, they're opening their first magnet high school (the Wunsche Academy). It'll be interesting to see how this works out. It sounds like it'll be very simple at first, but we can hope that they'll continually refine it to meet the needs of the middle-class residents in the district who want a decent education for their kids.

The "Tier 4" program was SISD's substitute for magnet schools for a long time. But it wasn't enough - it didn't provide a "holistic" solution for a teenage middle-class kid's life. There was too much exposure to violence (from the "general population" as they're called). Virtually all extracurriculars were out of the question. So kids didn't build any sense of community; they were scattered at various private programs and activities after school. Some of these private activities cost almost as much as private school tuition. And these private activities simply brought these kids in contact with kids from private schools and from other school districts (mostly Klein ISD). Which exacerbated the lack of enthusiasm, lack of caring, and lack of pride in the Spring ISD schools by these middle-class kids.

Spring ISD needs magnet schools that draw a number of middle-class kids, give them a great education (comparable to what they could get in Klein ISD or at a private school), have a safe environment for them, and cater to their middle-class values with a sense of community and school pride through participation in extracurricular acitivities and school functions and having parents volunteer and so on.

[pineda]

I can't see the Klein district even considering the petitions of Northgate/Old Oakes. Number one; I agree with the poster that said it would be all residential, which is why Klein is considered a "poor" district already under the Robin Hood school funding plan. IF they could even consider annexing anything at all, I would imagine they'd want commercial/industrial/retail to up their tax base. We're already too loaded up with "rooftops" to consider taking in more of them. Number two; the Klein district is already so busy with its' own growing pains/possible solutions that I just don't see them realistically considering getting into a battle over neighborhoods with Spring ISD. Plus, Northgate/Old Oakes would be a heckuva long drive to Klein Collins! Klein Collins itself does not NEED more neighborhoods like this piling into it, it's filling up rapidly on its' own zoned neighborhoods up and down F.M. 2920 as it is. My own take on the Klein/Spring issue is that Spring is playing "catch-up" these days, dealing with problems on a reactive basis only and dealing with a recent parade of successive Superintendents for the district who only stuck around long around to collect a fat salary and screw up the district royally. I think Klein has been paying close attention to all this and is trying to deal with problems on a more proactive basis as a result. We have a very good Superintendent, Dr. Jim Cain, who makes it a point to consistently meet with not just administrators and school board officials, but also the teachers, students, parents and "community stakeholders", i.e. taxpayers. Also, I haven't heard any discussions regarding re-zoning between already established neighborhoods and already established schools, such as Greenwood Forest going to Klein High instead of Klein Forest. Both these schools are at capacity now, although Klein Forest just added a new wing to their school to accomodate more students. Klein Forest has been mentioned as becoming a magnet school in 2007. A few years ago, the Klein district considered re-zoning Spring Creek Oaks to Klein Oak, rather than keep them at Klein High. I attended that meeting as a parent from Klein Oak. Boy, that was soooo much fun, listening to all the parents from Spring Creek Oaks practically screaming that their child would attend Klein Oak "OVER THEIR DEAD BODY FIRST" and threatening lawsuits. Klein Oak had just lost a significant amount of their student population when the too-closely-placed Klein Collins opened, and the district school board saw the overcrowding at the rapidly deteriorating Klein High and thought people might like their kids at a less crowded school. Big mistake, turns out they'd rather have their kids at Klein High which is surrounded by strip shopping centers and high traffic rather than at "that hick school, Klein Oak"! What a hoot! Several people actually stood up at a podium to say that they couldn't imagine sending their children to a school "out in the middle of nowhere" with "no shopping at all(?)" and "all those cows in the fields" surrounding Klein Oak. I didn't understand this because I'd much rather have my kids at a school surrounded by fields filled with cows, rather than within easy walking distance of neighborhood bars and liquor stores, but to each his own. Needless to say, the measure failed and the Spring Creek Oaks kids got to stay at Klein High. Meanwhile, Klein Oak is already back up to capacity.

Edited April 27, 2006 by pineda

[ENGcons]

pineda, the school board election is coming up in Klein. Just curious, are you going to the debate at Klein on May 4 I believe, and who are you leaning towards, if you don't mind me asking.

[pineda]

Yep, I'll be there. Will you? If I see you there, I'll let you know. (I actually like both candidates and I'm hoping that the forum will help me decide which one will be better for the board.)

Edited April 27, 2006 by pineda

[ENGcons]

I will be there. I am leaning towards Jim Smith. He has lived in Klein for a long time, kids went to Klein schools, and has had a vested interest in the district for a long time. The other guy, who's name is escaping me has only lived in the district for about 8 years, and has no kids. So I am not quite sure I understand his motivation for running.

It will be sad to see Rick Mann leave the board, and he will be tough to replace. I know Rick and went to school with his kids. I believe Rick and some other board members are supporting Jim in this election.

Edited April 28, 2006 by ENGcons

[mrfootball]

I will be there. I am leaning towards Joe Smith. He has lived in Klein for a long time, kids went to Klein schools, and has had a vested interest in the district for a long time. The other guy, who's name is escaping me has only lived in the district for about 8 years, and has no kids. So I am not quite sure I understand his motivation for running.

It will be sad to see Rick Mann leave the board, and he will be tough to replace. I know Rick and went to school with his kids. I believe Rick and some other board members are supporting Joe in this election.

Do all School Boards typically have the same number of members?

[CDeb]

It's amazing how much Westfield HS has changed. I grew up in Olde Oaks (parents still live there) and graduated from Westfield 11 years ago. It was a pretty solid school then. I would have put the top of my class up against that from any other public school in the area. There was some gang activity around, but it was pretty easy to avoid and I never felt unsafe at school. I guess being in band helped a lot as well.

Nowadays, from what I hear, it's a pretty scary place. A good friend of mine, who actually graduated from Klein HS the same year, ended up teaching at WHS and just left last year to teach at Klein Oak. She had plenty of horror stories, results of changing demographics and incompetent administration.

It will be interesting to see if the new high school changes things at Westfield for the better, if at all.

And these private activities simply brought these kids in contact with kids from private schools and from other school districts (mostly Klein ISD). Which exacerbated the lack of enthusiasm, lack of caring, and lack of pride in the Spring ISD schools by these middle-class kids.

Man, you have no idea how right you are. Even in the early 90's, when Westfield was still a pretty good school, we always had a lot of contact with kids from Klein ISD schools through church activites. It always pissed me off to hear some of my classmates whine about how much they wish they went to Klein instead. It was pretty sad.

[mrfootball]

It still pisses me off to this day that my alma mater has gone downhill like it has because there's nothing that resembles the school I once attended. When I went there (class of '91), it was no different from Cy-Creek, Klein, Klein Forest, or McCullough.

Today, Klein and Cy-Creek are pretty much the same as they always have been. McCullough is now The Woodlands HS/College Park and Klein Forest has gone the same route as Westfield.

[ENGcons]

It still pisses me off to this day that my alma mater has gone downhill like it has because there's nothing that resembles the school I once attended. When I went there (class of '91), it was no different from Cy-Creek, Klein, Klein Forest, or McCullough.

Today, Klein and Cy-Creek are pretty much the same as they always have been. McCullough is now The Woodlands HS/College Park and Klein Forest has gone the same route as Westfield.

mr football I couldn't agree more. I graduated from Klein Forest in 1990 and it is not even close to the same school it was back then. I had friends at Cy Creek, and dated a girl that was at Westfield and i can see how far these schools have slid. It is very dissapointing to see what used to be a great schools go downhill so fast. Unfortunatly I think the downhill slide all these schools are facing is a irreversible trend.

[genghiskahn]

mr football I couldn't agree more. I graduated from Klein Forest in 1990 and it is not even close to the same school it was back then. I had friends at Cy Creek, and dated a girl that was at Westfield and i can see how far these schools have slid. It is very dissapointing to see what used to be a great schools go downhill so fast. Unfortunatly I think the downhill slide all these schools are facing is a irreversible trend.

I wouldn't call it an irreversible trend, just not one that will reverse for a good while. There are some great subdivisions all along 1960 that will eventually improve as more and more businesses are based out of Greenspoint and the Woodlands.

I'm from the area as well. I think it's fairly easy to diagnose the origins of the rapid decline of Westfield High School, once one of the premier high schools in the state, and the entire area. Everyone expected development to continue north at the same pace it had been moving. Then, the Woodlands was founded and pushed a lot of the high dollar investment up north of the county line, leaving a lot of the 1960 corridor without development. After the expansion of I-45 in the mid '90s (along with the construction of the Hardy Toll Road), there was no more reason to consider the 1960 area for a home rather than the Woodlands. It's quicker now to get to the Woodlands Mall from downtown than it is to get to 1960 and Kuykendahl. Places where there would have been subdivisions, middle class homes, etc. ended up with apartment complexes. Apartments tend to bring more transient residents and those who cannot afford to own homes which lead to declining schools. (This is not a knock against people who live in apartments. Many of them work incredibly hard just to make ends meet. Unfortunately, this means that they have less time to supervise their children and the children suffer because of it. It is a vicious cycle.) One of the main factors that lead to stable neighborhoods and better schools is home ownership. As the 1960 area rate of home ownership declined (mostly due to the huge numbers of apartments constructed in the early to mid '90s), so did everything else.

[RedScare]

It's quicker now to get to the Woodlands Mall from downtown than it is to get to 1960 and Kuykendahl.

WTF?

It's 4 miles from Rankin and I-45 to 1960 and Kuykendahl. From that same point to Woodlands Mall is over 15 miles. I realize that the Woodlands is suburbanite Viagra, but no matter how hard you try, it's still the same distance from Downtown as it has always been.

I happen to know. My brother lives in the Woodlands, and my parents live in Cypresswood.

[pineda]

I realize that the Woodlands is suburbanite Viagra,

[mrfootball]

Oh jeezus...not more Woodlands evangelists.

Seriously. It's not that great. In fact, its kind of creepy.

Edited July 1, 2006 by mrfootball

[genghiskahn]

It's 4 miles from Rankin and I-45 to 1960 and Kuykendahl. From that same point to Woodlands Mall is over 15 miles. I realize that the Woodlands is suburbanite Viagra, but no matter how hard you try, it's still the same distance from Downtown as it has always been.

Okay, so I used a little hyperbole , the point still stands that the ease of travelling up I-45 to the Woodlands attracted desirable development that would have grown up along 1960.

Actual distances are the same as always but many people don't measure their commutes in miles as much as they measure them in minutes. I give the Woodlands developers tons of credit here, they've been able to grow with the freeway system and tie in things like the Woodlands Parkway exit for ease. My point wasn't to bash the Woodlands at all but to point out a few of the reasons for the rapid decline of the Westfield area.

[Mom22Blessings]

Don't worry genghis.....if you ever happen to say anything positive at all about The Woodlands you are branded as being a crazy person.

It's the same analogy that people use to brand christians as being right winged bible thumpers.

It does take a good 35-40 min to travel from downtown to TW Mall though. This is with midday traffic. I would guess it would take 30-35 to make it to 1960/Kuyk.

Edited July 3, 2006 by Mom22Blessings

[VicMan]

http://www.schooldigger.com/go/TX/schools/...721/school.aspx

This graph shows how quickly Westfield changed.

Spring HS is here http://www.schooldigger.com/go/TX/schools/...720/school.aspx

Klein Forest HS is here http://www.schooldigger.com/go/TX/schools/...522/school.aspx

[mrfootball]

Interesting website.

Westfield changed rather quickly, KF changed even quicker.

It's also interesting to look at the Neighborhood demographics feature. Looking at it, you see that the 77090 zip code is still largely white, but the schools aren't.

http://www.schooldigger.com/go/TX/schools/...y=18#menuselect

[hbcu]

real simple answer...Klein Forest received the southern half of Acres Homes for racial purposes years ago and the part of Inwood that was zoned to KISD switched over to being majority black.

Bammel N. Houston offers direct access to Acres Homes and homes along the street changed as public access improved...if you drive down Veterans its 100% minority and it's a straight shot to I-45 and Acres Homes

Westfield changed the same way but it wasn't because of rezoning...that area, along with Klein Forest, was a move-up area from Acres Home and Aldine ISD and anytime a suburban area borders a large, minority area, the suburban area changes if the homes aren't out of price range in addition to an abundance of apartments

[houstongirl]

Hopefully it will help some of the issues. Glad to see they named it after Andy Dekaney. Great guy.

[VicMan]

Spring ISD is building even more schools.

http://www.springisd.org/default.aspx?name=oct08.ground2 - The district broke ground for three elementary schools:

* 2200 Wittershaw Drive

* 16855 Sugar Pine Drive

* 15252 Grand Point Drive

All are in the south of the district

All three are to open in August 2009 - http://www.springisd.org/default.aspx?name=oct08.boundary

Some of the options for the new boundaries are here http://www.springisd.org/default.aspx?name=boundary.feedback - Compare to the current boundary setup here: http://www.springisd.org/docs2/attendance/AllElem.pdf -- All three attendance boundary plans would alter the boundaries of Bammel, Beneke, Clark, Cooper, Heritage, Meyer, Ponderosa, Reynolds, Thompson.

Spring ISD also created a five zone high school boundary map projection. By 2015 the district predicts that it will build two new high schools, with one in the south of the district and one in the north of the district: http://www.springisd.org/images/5zone1.jpg -- The district predicts there will be 3,000 students per school http://www.springisd.org/images/5zone2.jpg - A district release about this plan is here http://www.springisd.org/default.aspx?name=feb08.5zone

[Aldine]

Spring ISD is building even more schools.

http://www.springisd.org/default.aspx?name=oct08.ground2 - The district broke ground for three elementary schools:

* 2200 Wittershaw Drive

* 16855 Sugar Pine Drive

* 15252 Grand Point Drive

All are in the south of the district

All three are to open in August 2009 - http://www.springisd.org/default.aspx?name=oct08.boundary

Some of the options for the new boundaries are here http://www.springisd.org/default.aspx?name=boundary.feedback - Compare to the current boundary setup here: http://www.springisd.org/docs2/attendance/AllElem.pdf -- All three attendance boundary plans would alter the boundaries of Bammel, Beneke, Clark, Cooper, Heritage, Meyer, Ponderosa, Reynolds, Thompson.

Spring ISD also created a five zone high school boundary map projection. By 2015 the district predicts that it will build two new high schools, with one in the south of the district and one in the north of the district: http://www.springisd.org/images/5zone1.jpg -- The district predicts there will be 3,000 students per school http://www.springisd.org/images/5zone2.jpg - A district release about this plan is here http://www.springisd.org/default.aspx?name=feb08.5zone

Spring's Five Zone Plan pretty much dooms HS#5 of being just like Westfield. Also, opening Dekaney did nothing to bring Spring's reputation as a school district up. Having played Dekaney, it's just like its friend Nimitz about two miles down the road. HS #5 will be nice architecturally but it's getting the bottom part of the district bordering the Eisenhower zone. I think if families start moving into Spring again, they will want to move into the HS#4 zone, because it seems like it will become the districts premier school if they go with the five zone plan.

[houstonmacbro]

So, what else should the district do to improve?

Smaller classes, better instructors, a VISION and EXPECTATION for what they want for their school and students (excellence), better parent-teacher-student partnership building.

I think you also missed one of the newer Spring HS named Wuensche (sp?).

[VicMan]

Wunsche, already open, is a magnet school. The "zoned" schools in SISD are Spring, Dekaney, and Westfield.

BTW I think the area south of Cypress Creek that is indicated in the five year plan as being zoned to Spring HS should be zoned to DeKaney HS instead.

Smaller classes, better instructors, a VISION and EXPECTATION for what they want for their school and students (excellence), better parent-teacher-student partnership building.

I think you also missed one of the newer Spring HS named Wuensche (sp?).

Edited November 11, 2008 by VicMan

[VicMan]

Alright, the Fall 2009 elementary boundaries have been approved: http://www.springisd.org/docs2/ccrd/Map%2008.pdf

Also when the time is right new schools should be built to accommodate territory zoned to schools on the other side of the freeway so that kids do not need to be bussed across the freeway.

Edited November 23, 2008 by VicMan

[VicMan]

Spring ISD is converting the former Westfield 9th Grade Center into a magnet math and science middle school: http://www.springisd.org/default.aspx?name=dec08.middle

[tcklme]

First of all, there is no school district in this area is that is perfect -- they all offer both positive and negative unique issues. I'd have to say that Spring ISD has not done nothing to better the students, nor better the property owners that pay taxes by making DIVERSITY their number one priority and focus.

I know of people that intentionally moved into Spring ISD after reading all about the great things taking place there (puhleeze!) via online, and through biased marketing tools created by the district, and I do feel sorry for them.

We moved out of Spring ISD because of the high schools, and we don't for one second reqret the move. It was good for my kids' education, and it was good for our home value. Our kids grow up so fast, yet it goes by sooo slow when it's in a bad school setting!