Spring Independent School District

[fresnel151]

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!

You're right on the money. The decline in SISD in the last few years is stunning.

[VicMan]

Spring ISD named new schools. The new middle school is "Dr. Edward Roberson Middle School, A Math, Science and Fine Arts Academy" (opening August 2009 in the former Westfield 9th Grade Center).

The elementary schools are:

* Ralph Eickenroht Elementary School - Opening August 2009 at 1525 Grand Point Drive.

* R.J. Hoyland Elementary School - Opening August 2009 at 2200 Wittershaw Drive.

* Gloria Marshall Elementary School - Opening in 2010 south of the Birnamwood subdivision

* Helen Major Elementary School - Opening August 2009 at 16855 Sugar Pine Drive.

http://www.springisd.org/default.aspx?name=feb09.5new

[LookingToMove]

Could I chime in?

I have a group of friends who grew up in the subdivisions of Olde Oaks, Oak Creek, Ponderosa, Westador. They always talk about what a wonderful experience it was growing up in these areas of FM 1960. And the schools were great schools, back then.

This would have been about 20 years ago my friends were kids growing up there.

I have heard the stories (and seen the statistics on schooldigger and others) about the DRAMATIC decline of the schools these subdivisions are zoned to. However the subdivisions themselves are still nice (from what their parents who still live there say).

So was it overdevelopment of apartments nearby that caused the dramatic decline? Or something else?

And how does Spring ISD claim the schools are diverse, when it's obvious from looking at stats (like Westfield High) it is mostly one minority racial group in the majority?

Honestly after hearing these stories, it makes me completely paranoid about where to buy a home. The subdivision can look really great, even having mansions (like Olde Oaks and Northgate Forest) where you would NEVER think the schools within the subdivision (like Oak Creek/Reynolds Elem and Wells Middle) would rank so low. Generally when you see a bunch of estate-type homes that's supposed to be a good sign for the area? I'm just really confused.

Can a longtime resident of the area or a real estate expert on the area explain all this to me?

[mrfootball]

Could I chime in?

I have a group of friends who grew up in the subdivisions of Olde Oaks, Oak Creek, Ponderosa, Westador. They always talk about what a wonderful experience it was growing up in these areas of FM 1960. And the schools were great schools, back then.

This would have been about 20 years ago my friends were kids growing up there.

I have heard the stories (and seen the statistics on schooldigger and others) about the DRAMATIC decline of the schools these subdivisions are zoned to. However the subdivisions themselves are still nice (from what their parents who still live there say).

So was it overdevelopment of apartments nearby that caused the dramatic decline? Or something else?

And how does Spring ISD claim the schools are diverse, when it's obvious from looking at stats (like Westfield High) it is mostly one minority racial group in the majority?

Honestly after hearing these stories, it makes me completely paranoid about where to buy a home. The subdivision can look really great, even having mansions (like Olde Oaks and Northgate Forest) where you would NEVER think the schools within the subdivision (like Oak Creek/Reynolds Elem and Wells Middle) would rank so low. Generally when you see a bunch of estate-type homes that's supposed to be a good sign for the area? I'm just really confused.

Can a longtime resident of the area or a real estate expert on the area explain all this to me?

I grew up in Greenwood Forest and Ponderosa Forest (graduated HS in 1991). People used to move into these neighborhoods for the great schools, beautiful homes, low crime, big trees, greenery and overall nice quality of life. These neighborhoods (and Olde Oaks, Northgate, etc.) still look great and still have many of the original owners. There are quite a few millionaires living in those $150,000 homes that never appreciated. Unfortunately, due to the way these school zones are drawn, they have large geographic areas on the Southside of FM 1960. Originally, development in the area consisted of nice single-family custom homes in the aforementioned charming, wooded neighborhoods along FM 1960. In those days, there really weren't that many apartments. The entire area on both sides of FM 1960 was white, middle and upper middle class.

Over the years however, with the lure of cheap, available land and great schools, low-income housing began to sprout up on the South side of FM 1960 while nicer developments continued to grow on the North side of FM 1960. This along with the fact that Spring ISD made a decision in the late 80's to annex a portion of land from Aldine ISD in order to get what they thought at the time was valuable (taxable) commercial property along I-45. The trade off was an overnight change in demographics that snowballed, creating lots of problems in Spring ISD which resulted in decreased demand for this area by the middle and upper middle class families that had dominated it for decades. Same story for Klein Forest, except it's downfall was the fact that Klein ISD has a weird shape due to the fact that they gerrymandered in more 'diverse' neighborhoods stretching towards Houston, back in the 1970's in order to obtain more federal dollars. So instead of moving into these school zones, the white Middle / Upper Middle class demographic opted for newer communities nearby, north of FM 1960 - which has been one of the biggest growth areas in the nation for the past 20 years.

Some areas along FM 1960 have faired better than others, and it is directly attributed to the schools and their drawing zones. Klein, Klein Oak, Cy-Fair and Cy-Creek draw mainly from areas of north of FM 1960 (which is nearly built out from FM 1960 going North all the way past Spring-Cypress and from I-45 all the way West to 529) and have remained more desirable along with the new high schools created to absorb the new growth (Klein Collins, Cy-Woods, Cy-Ranch).

Hope that helps.

Edited February 16, 2009 by mrfootball

[VicMan]

Unfortunately, due to the way these school zones are drawn, they have large geographic areas on the Southside of FM 1960.

That will still be true in terms of the middle and high schools.

The elementary school zones will change.

* Starting around 2009: http://www.springisd.org/docs2/ccrd/Map%2008.pdf

* 2008: http://www.springisd.org/docs2/attendance/AllElem.pdf

So this will affect the following elementary schools straddling FM 1960:

* Ponderosa will lose all territory south of FM 1960 to Helen Major (Sugarpine) and Bammel ES. It will take new territory west of Kuykendahl from Reynolds

* Reynolds will lose some territory west of Kuykendahl to Ponderosa and lose some territory south of FM 1960 to Helen Major. Ponderosa will gain territory from Beneke and Thompson

* Bammel ES will gain territory south of FM 1960 from Ponderosa

So Ponderosa no longer has territory south of FM 1960, while Bammel will now have south of FM 1960 territory and Reynolds will continue to have south of 1960 territory.

So what does Spring ISD need to do next?

* Build a school South of FM 1960 to relieve Bammel ES and Reynolds.

* Build more elementary schools and one middle school east of Interstate 45

Edited February 16, 2009 by VicMan

[hbcu]

how many times do I need to repeat this....if a major street from a majority african american /hispanic neighboorhood runs into an affluent neighborhood and there's bus lines, affordable housing along the way.....the affluent area will change...

Veterans Memorial is the sole reason 1960 is what it is..you start in Acres Home and work your way north...but as you drive past the beltway towards 1960 (especially behind that shipley's), someone built some cheap developments years ago that eventually caused people who grew up there to move north when they got older

if anything, the greedy developers who may not live near these areas cause half the problems