Touted as a key part in the “overhaul” of the Houston Independent School District (HISD), Sunrise Centers have yet to catch up with district students and parents.
The centers are a $12 million project designed to provide students and their families access to resources like food, clothing, mental health support, and job mentorship in partnership with existing community organizations. It also aimed to help families experiencing poverty, homelessness, and other challenges.
HISD reported the highest number of homeless students in nine years, with over 7,200 homeless students during the 2022-23 school year within an overall declining student population.
The question arises: how many HISD students and families are accessing these centers?
What the numbers say
According to local reports, nearly 600 students and adults use the centers, even though more than 150,000 families are eligible. That’s a small proportion of HISD’s economically disadvantaged population.
HISD Superintendent Mike Miles is facing a budget deficit of $250 million and insists that the Sunrise Centers complement existing resources.
These centers are a crucial addition to the existing wraparound services, aiming to remove any stigmas associated with accessing services by being located off-campus, Najah Callander, HISD’s senior executive director for external engagement, said. She also said addressing needs like hunger and vision problems can help a student’s academic performance and lighten a working parent’s load.
According to Callander, around 70% of HISD students, or 130,000 children, live within a 10-minute drive of a Sunrise Center. The locations were strategically chosen based on survey data from Rice University’s Houston Education Research Consortium, mapping crucial needs for each neighborhood.
The data mapped the geographic distribution of needs, using high school boundaries to divide the district. The high-need areas for health and mental health services, basic needs, and enrichment activities include Kashmere, North Forest, Furr, Sharpstown, Westbury, Madison, Booker T. Washington, Chavez, Worthing, and Sterling, all of which have a majority of minority enrollment.
While the Sunrise Centers face initial challenges in reaching their intended audience, the school district remains optimistic about their potential impact. Callander says she expects the number of people who visit the centers to rise as more awareness is created and transportation logistics are coordinated. HISD anticipates growth not only for the Mission Milby location but for all seven hubs, she said.
