HOUSTON – Community members are voicing concern after Houston Independent School District announced plans to close 12 schools by the end of the academic year last week.
The proposed closures are hitting some neighborhoods harder than others.
Eight of the campuses are located in Northeast Houston, prompting frustration from families and alumni who say the schools are deeply rooted in their communities.
“That was our family school,” said James Cox, who attended Fleming Middle School.
Cox said his entire family attended Fleming and now his nephews go there, too.
“I had some good memories at Fleming. We had older teachers that really taught us — education, projects, homework, sports,” Cox said.
With Fleming on the closure list, Cox said many families are left wondering what comes next.
“A lot of kids need this guidance. A lot of kids depend on these schools around here — especially when some parents don’t have transportation,” Cox said.
Cox said he has noticed the quality of education has gone down since he attended, and he worries the closures will make matters worse.
“We don’t see books, we don’t see homework, you know, we see mostly laptops," said Cox. “We would like to see them uplift these kids again.”
HISD Superintendent Mike Miles acknowledged the closures are difficult but said the decision was driven by multiple factors, primarily facility conditions and declining enrollment.
“It’s a combination of facilities and whether or not we can move kids into a better facility,” Miles said.
Miles said some campuses face mounting maintenance and repair costs tied to aging infrastructure.
“We have a responsibility to be fiscally responsible and put our kids in the best environment possible,” said Miles.
We looked at the ages of the schools set to close and this is what we found:
Briscoe Elementary School - 1928
Alcott Elementary School - early 1950s
Burrus Elementary School- original 1911, current 1928
Cage Elementary School - 1910
Fleming Middle School 1968
Franklin Elementary School - originally 1913, rebuilt 1948, 1979
Hobby Elementary School - 1964
McReynolds Middle School (originally Johnston Junior High) - 1926
Middle College High School - 2014
Henderson Elementary School - 1956
Port Houston - 1909
Ross Elementary - 1924
There are several schools that are also just as old or older that are not set to close, including Lanier Middle School which was built in 1926 and Harvard Elementary School which was built in 1898.
Joseph Berck, who attended Burrus Elementary School, organized a community meeting opposing the proposed closures.
“I care about the community. I care about people,” said Berck.
Berck worries closures will have a ripple effect on the community.
“Small businesses will close, property values will go down. I’ve seen it time and time again,” Berck said.
HISD said it plans to hold meetings with families at affected campuses to discuss student transitions, transportation and staffing.
The HISD Board of Managers is scheduled to vote on the proposed closures on Feb. 26.