Fleming Middle School is one of eight schools that is a candidate for another school to move into if the Houston ISD’s $4.4 billion bond proposal passes next month. ISD’s $4.4 billion bond proposal passes in November. The district calls this a “co-location,” or an alternative to closing down small schools with declining enrollment numbers, i.e., less than 450 students, and moving them within a mile or less from the campus area.
“When we talk about co-locations, the property that is not in use will go back to the community. We’ve had co-location meetings and are asking, ‘What do you want to see on those properties?’ said the HISD representative.
The schools, all of which have a majority of minority enrollment, are:
- Blackshear Elementary School, into Baylor College of Medicine at Ryan Middle School
- Kashmere Gardens Elementary School, into Key Middle School
- Sanchez Elementary School, into Deady Middle School
- Isaacs Elementary School, into Fleming Middle School
- Port Houston and Pleasantville elementary schools, into rebuilt Holland Middle School
- Edison Middle School, into Franklin Elementary School
- Project Chrysalis Middle School, already co-located with Cage Elementary School, will move into the newly built Cage Elementary campus.
While supporters advocate for the need for infrastructural improvements, some have expressed their concern with this model.
Community Voices for Public Ed asks, “Is this a backdoor plan to sell schools in Black and Brown neighborhoods to charters, turning our city into a NOLA-style charter network? If the district uses a facility for non-district purposes, TEC Sec. 11.1542 states it must allow each charter to make an offer, but it’s not required to accept any. Can we rely on our rubber-stamping board of managers to resist selling off our district piece by piece to the highest (lowest) bidder?”
What if the bond doesn’t pass?
District officials say they will use the maintenance and operations budget from HB3, which has a surplus. However, the cost is significant, and the district would prefer not to drain those funds for security upgrades.
State law dictates that school bond elections declare property tax increases on the ballot, irrespective of whether the bond will raise tax rates. This means that if the bond fails, HISD leaders may choose to reduce tax rates in the future, Houston Landing reported. Moreover, residents are currently paying off older HISD bonds, including the one that passed in 2012.
HISD documents show that the bond’s cost, including interest, is $8.9 billion, which must be paid over three decades. The district has said it will finance the bond, keeping its tax rate at roughly 17 cents per $100 of assessed value owing to rising property values. For example, a homeowner whose property is valued at $300,000 with a standard homestead exemption would pay $400 per year. However, those whose homes rise in appraised value (expected to rise by 0.64% next year) will pay a higher tax at the same rate.
If the bond fails, HISD will most likely not hold another election immediately. Trends show bond elections usually happen in November of even-numbered years when there are more voters for presidential and members of Congress elections.
