HOUSTON – As Houston ISD weighs closing 12 campuses across the district, another major question looms: what happens to the buildings and the land they sit on?
One of those schools is Burrus Elementary in Independence Heights, a well-rated campus described on the district’s website as “more than just a school; it’s a community.” But with development booming nearby, some believe the property could soon become something very different.
Realtor Tim Surratt says the land Burrus sits on could be worth millions.
“For instance, where we are right now, I counted over 50 new homes being built in this neighborhood,” Surratt said. “They’re replacing houses that were $110,000 with $350,000 and $400,000 houses.”
Driving through Independence Heights, it’s easy to see the transformation, older homes torn down and replaced with new construction lining street after street.
“There’s so much pressure to live close into the city, and this land is going to remain valuable,” Surratt said. “They’re not making any more inner-city land.”
If Burrus closes, he believes the property would be highly attractive to developers.
“They’re very hot commodities,” he said. “There’s so much land, they could build a nice apartment complex or a new subdivision with 30 or 40 homes, maybe more.”
Surratt argues that selling campuses like Burrus could allow HISD to reinvest in other schools.
“I think HISD has the opportunity to reinvest the money from selling these schools and make their schools better to where people want to go to HISD and don’t look for other options,” he said.
Enrollment Decline and School Choice
Surratt points to declining enrollment as a driving force behind the potential closures.
“HISD has been losing four or five percent per year in student population,” he said, citing school choice and the growth of charter schools as factors.
He also says many of the families moving into neighborhoods like Independence Heights are not choosing homes based on local schools.
“In this neighborhood, people were not moving here because of the schools,” he said. “Their kids are either too young right now, or they plan to decide later where to send them.”
Another realtor, Daisy Cone, notes that declining school enrollment can also signal slower family household growth in some inner-city areas, potentially impacting development pricing and demand over time.
‘I’m Outraged’
But for longtime homeowner Michael Owens Sr., the possible closure of Burrus Elementary feels personal.
Owens has lived in Independence Heights for 25 years. He says he has watched the neighborhood change rapidly.
“I sat and watched them build all these houses, and they built them so quick and fast,” Owens said.
He says realtors and developers constantly contact him, trying to buy his home.
“I’m so sick of them calling me, texting me, asking me about my property,” Owens said. “I’m not going nowhere.”
When asked about Burrus being on the closure list, Owens didn’t hesitate.
“I’m outraged,” he said. “You shouldn’t close it. I’m really mad.”
He believes if the school closes, the land will ultimately be redeveloped into more expensive housing.
“They already made their mind up,” Owens said. “If they take the school, they’re gonna put these big old houses over here.”
Owens worries the closure would benefit newcomers rather than longtime residents.
“It’s not gonna do nothing for the community,” he said. “It’s gonna do for the people that’s moving in here.”
HISD Superintendent Mike Miles has said no final decision has been made. If closures are approved, the district plans to meet with the community before determining how the properties will be used.
Some campuses could be sold. Others could be repurposed for social services or alternative uses, Miles said last week.
If Burrus closes, students would be rezoned to Kennedy Elementary, about two miles away.
The HISD Board of Managers is expected to vote February 26 on whether to move forward with the proposed closures.
For now, the future of Burrus Elementary, and the land beneath it, remains uncertain. But in a neighborhood where development is already reshaping the landscape, many residents believe whatever decision is made could have lasting consequences.