Houston ISD School Closures 101: Clear answers for concerned parents

The Houston Independent School District (HISD) will vote Thursday on whether to close 12 HISD schools by the end of the academic year.

• HISD superintendent announces closing 12 schools

Families and students have plenty of questions about what this means, and KPRC 2’s Keith Garvin will be answering them this afternoon.

• Houston City Council Member Edward Pollard calls for HISD superintendent to address school closure plan

These are the questions we submitted to HISD and are awaiting answers for:

1. Will the school closures lower property taxes?
2. How will HISD ensure student safety for students who will now have a longer walk to school, including managing crosswalks and traffic concerns? Parents who have walked the route from Port Houston to Pleasantville Elementary report hazards such as aggressive dogs and speeding cars. What specific safety measures will be put in place to address these concerns?
3. HISD has said that most student relocations will be less than a mile away. How does the district explain cases like Burrus Elementary being rezoned to Kennedy Elementary, which is about two miles away? 
4. Will transportation (bus service) be provided to students who are being rezoned or relocated? If so, how will eligibility be determined?
5. What exactly will the student relocation process look like? When will families receive final placement details?
6. If a child is reassigned to a school with a lower academic rating, how will HISD ensure the quality of education is not negatively impacted?
7. What will happen to principals, teachers, and staff at closing schools? How will class sizes be affected at receiving campuses?
8. Will special education services be available at all receiving schools? If a program does not currently exist at a receiving campus, will it be added?
9. How will HISD ensure continuity of services for students with special needs during and after the transition?
10. Beyond enrollment decline and infrastructure concerns, what specific factors led to the decision to close each individual school?
11. What will happen to the vacant school buildings? Will they be repurposed, demolished, or sold? Who will be in charge of leading this process? 
12. Is there anything parents can do at this stage to influence or stop a school closure, or is the decision solely up to the board?

Have a question that’s not on this list? Drop it in the comments!

• Port Houston Elementary parents push back as HISD weighs closure

KPRC 2 News reached out to HISD around noon. We will update the article once we hear back!