Category Archives: High Schools

Board approves plan to rebuild four Harvey-damaged schools

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education during its December meeting on Thursday approved a plan to rebuild four elementary schools that sustained the most severe flood damage as a result of Hurricane Harvey.

Facilities assessments of the four elementary schools — Braeburn, Scarborough, Kolter, and Mitchell — found significant property damage, as well as a strong need to raise the elevation of the buildings to prevent potential future flood damage.

The cost to replace the four schools is estimated at $126 million, which will be funded by a combination of Operations reserves and Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) funds. Continue reading →

Construction on new Yates HS surpasses halfway mark

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Construction of the new Yates High School is more than halfway complete, with crews already in the process of installing floors, painting walls, laying pavers, pouring sidewalks, and erecting permanent fencing.

A CenterPoint transformer and meter also has been set, meaning power soon will be connected to the building, allowing crews to begin testing mechanical systems inside the building.

The main entry facing north is nearly complete, with the main entry facing south and building signage soon to follow. The elevator also will soon be installed, and project officials plan to begin ordering new furniture in January.

Continue reading →

Austin HS hosts community meeting to discuss temporary campus move

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Students, faculty, and community members gathered Tuesday in the Austin High School auditorium to learn about the construction plan for their new facility, as well as the logistics of their relocation to a temporary campus.

Austin High School is being re-built as part of HISD’s voter-approved 2012 Bond Program. The $79.6 million project calls for a new facility that accommodates 1,800 to 2,000 students and preserves the architecturally significant structure of the current building.

To accommodate construction and ensure safety, students and staff will relocate to a temporary campus — made up of 15 temporary buildings offering all of the school’s current academic and athletic programs — along S. Lockwood Drive. Students will report to the temporary campus, which is directly behind the current school, when they return from winter break on Jan. 8.

Continue reading →

More than 2,500 elementary students to step into the holidays with new kicks in East End

Students in Houston’s East End will get brand-new shoes in time for the holidays, thanks to the Navigation Area Business Association’s annual Shoes for Kids donation.

The event will take place Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017 at 6  p.m. inside the gym and cafeteria at Austin High School (1700 Dumble, Houston 77023).

For the 30th year, NABA will donate more than 2,500 pairs of shoes to students from 10 HISD elementary schools: Burnet, Carillo, DeZavala, Franklin, Gallegos, J.R. Harris, J.P. Henderson, Lantrip, Page, and Tijerina. Continue reading →

Wisdom HS to host immigration town hall meeting on Dec. 3

Wisdom High School will host a free town hall meeting on Sunday, which will be moderated by City Council Member Amanda Edwards regarding the passage of Texas Senate Bill 4 (SB4) and the discontinuation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

The “Be The Solution: Youth & Family Immigration Town Hall” will be held at the campus (6529 Beverly Hill, 77057) from noon to 3:30 p.m. and will include a lunch and resource fair, and a panel discussion with Charles C. Foster, Immigration Attorney & Chairman of Foster LLP; Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo; Norma Torres Mendoza, DREAMer; Jill Campbell, Immigration Attorney with BakerRipley; Juliet Stipeche, Director of Education for the City of Houston; and Joy Alessi, Co-Director of Adoptee Rights Campaign.

The event will be translated in Spanish.

To register, please click here.

Carnegie Vanguard HS senior selected as Houston’s next Youth Poet Laureate 

Houston’s 2017-2018 Youth Poet Laureate, Rukmini Kalamangalam, is a senior at Carnegie Vanguard High School.

For the third year in a row, Houston’s Youth Poet Laureate is an HISD student, and this year, the honor goes to Carnegie Vanguard High School senior Rukmini Kalamangalam.

Kalamangalam has big plans for the coming year. As part of the job, she is a cultural arts advisor on Mayor Turner’s Youth Council.

“I would like to establish a space where young poets and other artists can collaborate and share their experiences,” she said. “I would also like to start a column in a local publication where students can publish their favorite poems, and I would like to implement poetry readings in public places where people gather.”

Carnegie Principal Ramon Moss is especially proud of Kalamangalam. Continue reading →

Austin HS moving to temporary campus in January

Austin High School students and staff will relocate in January to a temporary campus in preparation for the start of construction on their new building.

Construction of the Temporary Learning Center — dubbed by school officials as the “TLC” and made up of temporary buildings — is nearing completion, with plans for students and staff to report to that location on Jan. 8, which is the first day of the spring semester.

The temporary campus was built to ensure student and staff safety during construction. It is located along South Lockwood Drive, directly behind the existing school building.

“It’s becoming a reality. The move is starting to set in,” Austin High School Principal Steve Guerrero said during a recent Project Advisory Team meeting. “It’s still a move, but we’re working to make sure the transition will be as smooth as possible.”

Continue reading →

New Westbury HS addition set to open spring 2018

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Construction on the new addition for Westbury High School is approaching 75 percent completion and on track to open in the second quarter of 2018.

The building is now fully enclosed with permanent power and HVAC systems up and running. Work will continue on exterior masonry and interior finishes into the first quarter.

“I love the new building,” Westbury Principal Susan Monaghan said. “Having the opportunity to walk through and see it room by room has us even more excited. We can’t wait to move in.”

As part of the Houston Independent School District’s 2012 Bond Program, Westbury is receiving a new two-story addition with 26 classrooms, flexible learning centers, two new gyms, and a multi-purpose dining commons area. Continue reading →

HISD Board of Education approves revised turnaround plan for Kashmere High School

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education approved a revised turnaround plan for Kashmere High School during a special meeting on Thursday.

This is the eighth consecutive year for Kashmere High School to be deemed as “improvement required” — one of the designations used by the TEA to determine whether schools are meeting state standards. As a result, the district is required to submit to the state a plan detailing how it will improve student achievement at the school.

HISD submitted an initial turnaround plan on Oct. 19, but it was rejected last week by Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, who asked the district to resubmit the plan with a more detailed description of the budget, staffing, and financial resources required to implement the turnaround. Continue reading →

Special Olympics Field Days kick off; volunteers still needed 

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HISD kicked off its fifth annual Special Olympics Field Days on Tuesday at Joe Kelly Butler Fieldhouse, held in partnership with Special Olympics Texas.

The three-day event gives students with intellectual and developmental disabilities a chance to showcase their athletic skills by taking part in fun athletic contests. The friendly competition includes basketball, tennis, soccer, and track and field for all ages, as well as flag football for high-schoolers.

Elementary students got their Special Olympics Field Day on Tuesday. Middle-school students will have their events on Wednesday, while high school students will participate on Thursday. Opening ceremonies begin daily at 9 a.m. with the Parade of Athletes, Torch Pass, and the Declaration of Games Open.

Volunteers are still needed over the next two days to help with setup and breakdown, athletic events, escorting students around the facility, serving lunches, and other tasks. Volunteers will be provided with on-site instruction and modeling for their specific assignment so they are prepared to work with the students, who range from elementary to high school age.

To register to volunteer for the one or more of the events, click here.