Category Archives: Elementary Schools

Mitchell ES construction 60 percent complete

The new Mitchell Elementary School is more than halfway complete, and the building will be ready for the school’s young leaders to move in this summer.  

The $23 million project is tracking at 60 percent completion with site work, paving, underground utilities, structural steel, and fireproofing complete. Exterior and interior wall systems, roofing, and mechanical, electrical and plumbing installation are ongoing.  

The building is enclosed and interior finishes, such as flooring and ceilings, are expected to begin this quarter, as well as insulation under the building.  

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Kolter ES construction more than 70 percent complete

The new Kolter Elementary School will soon be ready for students, teachers, and staff to move in and the Cougars can hardly wait to be back home. 

The $23 million project is tracking at 72 percent completion and slated to be occupied by this summer. Structural steel, roofing, and fireproofing will wrap up this quarter. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing installation is 81 percent complete. 

“We’re only five months away from being able to move into our new school home and we’re thrilled,” Kolter Principal Julie Dickinson said.  

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Crespo ES student wins annual MLK Jr. Oratory Competition

Fourth-grader wins $1,000 prize for original speech inspired by civil rights leader 

Crepo Elementary School fourth-grader Brandon Curbow tackled the timely topics of school safety and gun control while presenting his winning speech at the 24th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Oratory Competition. 

Curbow was awarded first place for his original speech that walked the audience through the feelings a student grapples with during an active shooter drill. 

The event was held Friday at the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church of Christ in downtown Houston. Curbow was among 12 HISD students to participate in the final round of the competition sponsored by Foley & Lardner LLP.  

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Braeburn ES construction 65 percent complete

Construction at the new Braeburn Elementary School is steadily progressing and the building will be ready for the Bobcats to move in this summer. 

The $30 million project is tracking at 65 percent completion with fireproofing complete and structural steel and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing installation to wrap this quarter. Roofing and interior framing are more than 75 percent complete and paving will be completed this month. 

The building is enclosed and interior finishes, such as flooring and ceilings, are expected to begin this quarter. 

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HISD agriculture specialist teaches students how to grow food

Agriculture Specialist Kierra Goosby spends much of her day outside, surveying and preparing school gardens for students to grow vegetables from seed to harvest. 

Goosby’s passion for nutrition education began when she was teaching her family about healthy eating practices. Now, she shares with students what she’s learned over the years. 

“It’s hard to explain in words the level of excitement they feel about planting seeds or watching them sprout,” Goosby said. “They’re excited about each step of the process. It’s very rewarding.” 

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Business Operations donates holiday meals to Henderson ES families

Growing up during the late 1970s and 1980s in Houston’s South Park neighborhood, Chief Operating Officer Brian Busby and his childhood friends could never tell that anyone around them was going without or in need.  

It wasn’t until he was an adult, he said, that he came to understand more about some of the choices that his family had to make — like always cooking at home and never eating out — to stay within their budget. 

“There are a lot of families that go without food during the holidays,” Busby said. “It’s important for us to do what we can do address their needs, especially during the holiday season.” 

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School Choice application deadline for Phase 2 is Feb. 28  

Parents who would still like to apply for a school choice program for the 2020-2021 school year have until Friday, Feb. 28 to do so. 

After all applications in Phase 1 have been offered, eligible Phase 2 students who meet a program’s qualifications will be considered in the order in which their application was submitted should the program have space available. 

Any applications for students who live outside the HISD boundaries will not be considered until Phase 3, even if the application was submitted during Phase 2. 

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School Choice Phase I application deadline approaching for 2020-2021 school year 

Parents who want their child to attend one of the district’s choice programs for the 2020-2021 school year must apply by Friday, Dec. 6, to be included in the first round of consideration. 

Any applications received after the Dec. 6 Phase I deadline will be considered only for schools where space is still available. 

Parents who still aren’t sure which school they want their child to attend next year are invited to attend a final school tour this Thursday, Dec. 5. Arrive at 9 a.m. for elementary and K-8 schools, and at 1 p.m. for secondary schools.  

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Nutrition Services celebrates Thanksgiving with healthier lunch

Parents flooded the Lantrip Elementary School cafeteria Thursday as they joined their children — clad in pilgrim hats, white bonnets, and colorful turkey headbands — for a nutritious Thanksgiving lunch.  

The annual celebration hosted by HISD’s Nutrition Services has attracted thousands of families to school cafeterias for more than 50 years. This year’s menu included roasted turkey with gravy, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, a fresh fruit medley, and ice cream. 

“We get a ton of volunteers, but it takes everyone,” Lantrip Principal Magdalena Strickland said, noting that about half of the school’s 700 families participate in the Thanksgiving lunch each year. “When parents know you care for their kids, they’ll go above and beyond.” 

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Transportation Services ridership audit underway

Transportation Services has eliminated more than two dozen routes as part of an ongoing comprehensive review of bus ridership at 15 select schools. 

The review is focused on schools with low ridership, despite having a high volume of students who are eligible for transportation and have been assigned routes. Reviews have been completed at nine schools, with the remaining six to be finished before the end of the year.  

The department has cut 25 routes since the start of the review, bringing the overall number of routes down to 775 — a five percent decrease.  

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