UPDATES ON HISD'S PLANS FOR SHARPSTOWN SCHOOLS
We have also been asked if SCA has a petition against the changes that residents can sign. The answer is "No, not at this time." If we do, we'll post it here and the update on Facebook.
WHAT SHARPSTOWN RESIDENTS CAN DO NOW
Posted 6/22/10
We've received several inquiries from residents asking what can be done now. You can help by contacting the folks listed below. Contact them as often as possible. Be sure to let them know you are from Sharpstown. Encourage others to do the same. Keep calling, keep emailing...maybe we will get some responses to our requests and action on the improved communication they promised. Be sure to also express your opinions about what they are doing and what your concerns are.
What We've Been Requesting & What We've Been Promised:
* Timetable for when HISD plans to conduct the traffic study around Sharpstown Middle School & Neff Elementary
* The current architectural & site plans for the new relief school they plan to build on the Sharpstown Middle School grounds--including information on the retention pond they talked about building
* Specifics on cost & neighborhood impact (see below)
Concerns That Have Been Voiced:
* Too much traffic (while they intend to go back to enrollment levels of 5 or 6 years ago, they assume that because there were large numbers of students then that it's just fine to have an overpopulation again).
* Parking concerns (not enough parking)
* Problems at the SPARK Park (The HISD Administration has passed the buck to the City of Houston and takes no responsibility for what goes on at the Sharpstown Middle School field after hours)
* Other schools will become "dumping grounds"
* Students on the west side of 59 will be forced into programs they don't want or forced to find other schools
Here's Who To Contact:
Greg Meyers, HISD Trustee & Board President: gmeyers@houstonisd.org - (713) 556-6300 (note: Greg is not often at the main office, so leave a message if he's not in)
Dr. Charles Morris, Deputy Chief Academic Officer: cmorris9@houstonisd.org - (713) 556-6900
Mark Smith, Assistant Superintendent Academic Services: msmith@houstonisd.org - (713) 556-6900
Dr. Michele Pola, Chief of Staff: mpola@houstonisd.org - (713) 556-6011
Dr. Terry Grier, Superintendent: HISDSuperintendent@houstonisd.org - (713) 556-6300
REMEMBER -- KEEP EMAILING & KEEP CALLING;
ENCOURAGE OTHER SHARPSTOWN RESIDENTS TO DO THE SAME
REQUEST WHAT WE'VE BEEN PROMISED * TELL THEM YOUR OPINIONS
And if you're willing to help with any further moves like protesting to the City of Houston to close down or change the operation of the Spark Park or protesting issuing building permits for the new relief school, send an email to sharpstownscan@yahoo.com.
SHARPSTOWN HOMEOWNERS MEET WITH H.I.S.D.
Posted 6/18/10
As previously announced in the SCAN and on www.sharpstownscan.com, officials from the Houston Independent School District met with more than 50 Sharpstown homeowners at the Bayland Park Community Center on Monday evening, June 14th. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss redevelopment plans of the Sharpstown Middle School campus and answer questions the homeowners have raised earlier or might now have.
Subjects discussed were, to a considerable extent, those previous shown in our newsletter and on our website and Dr. Pola was prepared to address them. H.I.S.D. was represented by Dr. Michele Pola, Chief of Staff for the H.I.S.D. superintendent. Accompanying her were Mr. Mark Smith (Assistant Superintendent, Academic Services), Kevin Hobbs (School Improvement Officer), John Allen (former Sharpstown High School Principal & new School Improvement Officer), Jeff Amerson (Sharpstown Middle School Principal), Chang Yu (International High School Principal), Bob Taylor (Sugar Grove Academy Principal [soon to be Sugar Grove Middle School]). SCA thanks all the H.I.S.D. participants for joining us that evening.
Among the items discussed at the meeting were:
Traffic and Parking
It is H.I.S.D.’s belief that adequate off-street parking will be available for busses, student drop-off, student pick-up, student vehicles, faculty and visitors so that those do not need to be parked at or block neighborhood homes. In addition to the schools’ parking lots, off-street loops or lanes will be designed and used to mitigate interference or blockage of the main residential streets. H.I.S.D. was asked about “no parking” signs being erected on the adjacent streets and indicated that was a City of Houston responsibility. H.I.S.D. was reminded that they would have significant influence in that being achieved, although they showed no interest in doing that or assisting Sharpstown in that regard. They were also asked about assistance with speed bumps on the adjacent streets since the City of Houston has, for budget reasons, curtailed the speed bump program.
Timeline and Implementation
The timeline for campus restructuring is divided into two parts. Phase One involves shifting populations of students, including moving the entire International High School student body from the temporary buildings on Sharpstown High School's campus to the second floor of the Sharpstown Middle School building. Phase Two involves the construction of a new building on the northwest corner of the Sharpstown Middle School campus (at Neff & Tanglewood, with the building facing Neff). Groundbreaking is scheduled for some time in the first quarter of 2011, with completion in approximately 18 months.
Interface of Various Age Students
Many had expressed concerns about younger students being assimilated in buildings with high school students. H.I.S.D. believes their plan adequately deals with this through class scheduling and separations between the various parts of the campus.
Security
H.I.S.D believes that, through the efforts of its own police force and that of others (City of Houston, Constables on Patrol, etc.), security can be maintained. This was of particular interest to our homeowners due to co-existence of multi-age students on one campus, potential gang activity, possible fights on the campus, etc. If before/after class problems such as trash, crimes, disturbance, etc. impinge on the surrounding/feeder streets and homes, H.I.S.D. has assured us that they will take an active role in curtailing or preventing such problems.
Additional Information to be Furnished by H.I.S.D.
These would include specifics on cost, neighborhood impact, a timetable for the traffic study and the current architectural plans for the new relief school to be built on the grounds. H.I.S.D. refused to give any indication about when they would get any of the requested information to us, and you can help by contacting key players directly to request the information:
Greg Meyers, HISD Trustee & Board President: gmeyers@houstonisd.org
Dr. Charles Morris, Deputy Chief Academic Officer: cmorris9@houstonisd.org
Mark Smith, Assistant Superintendent Academic Services: msmith@houstonisd.org
Dr. Michele Pola,Chief of Staff: mpola@houstonisd.org
Dr. Terry Grier, Superintendent: HISDSuperintendent@houstonisd.org
H.I.S.D. Strategic Direction
Cards were passed out at the meeting for attendees to provide input. You can leave your comments online at www.houstonisd.org/strategicdirection.
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HISD'S PLANS FOR SHARPSTOWN
by Margaret Mitchell
On 2/17/10 and 3/3/10, HISD Board Trustee Greg Meyers invited several Sharpstown community members and business leaders to participate on a committee to discuss the future of Sharpstown schools and brainstorm ideas. One immediate concern was addressing the need for additional space of the International High School (IHS) currently being housed on the Sharpstown High School campus. At the end of our last meeting, we were told that they (HISD) would be speaking to school administrators about the ideas shared. There was no further communication from HISD.
On 5/11/10, three committee members discovered that "community meetings" had been scheduled on 5/12 & 5/19 to unveil "the plan". "The plan" has a fast-tracked timetable (most completed by August 2010), and will not be discussed by nor approved by the HISD board because it has been deemed "an administrative move."
Very little is known about "the plan" beyond the Powerpoint presentations on 5/12 & 5/19 and an email sent to me by Mark Smith, Assistant Superintendent Academic Services. Key elements include:
* IHS will move to the Sharpstown Middle School (SMS) building, sharing space with SMS
* SMS will convert to an international program beginning with the incoming 6th grade class
* 5th grades will move from Sugar Grove back to Bonham & McNamara; Sugar Grove will become a middle school (grades 6-8)
* Neff relief school will be built on the northwest corner of the SMS property and will be grades 2-5; Neff will be PK-1
HISD's projected student enrollments by 2012 are: 468 (Neff PK-1) + 637 (Neff Relief 2-5) + 594 (SMS/Int'l Academy 6-8) + 573 (IHS 9-12). That's 2,272 students + 465 at St. Francis de Sales + faculty, staff, administrators, parents, visitors, cars, buses & traffic in the area between Neff & Carvel. Too many people in too small a space.
I have made numerous requests for specifics on cost, neighborhood impact, traffic and parking issues, security concerns (11 year olds & 18-19 year olds sharing space), and timetable for the traffic study. The few residents lucky enough to find out about and attend the "community meetings" also voiced these and other concerns. To date, Greg Meyers, Mark Smith, and Deputy Chief Academic Officer Dr. Charles Morris have not answered any of these questions or concerns.
While there are some good ideas in "the plan", SCA questions the fast-track timetable and the lack of community notice or meaningful input. Dr. Morris did not attend either meeting, while Mr. Meyers and Mr. Smith left early. Attendees at the meetings were assured that "the plan" was not final, but within a few days, letters from IHS were sent to parents of incoming 9th graders announcing the move.
Your SCA Board has passed a resolution: "Inasmuch as Sharpstown homeowners and parents are concerned and have limited information insofar as the redevelopment of the Sharpstown Middle School campus, grades to be added or deleted from that campus, other existing schools to be moved to that campus and the impact of these changes (parking, safety and otherwise) on the surrounding residential community, it is the SCA Board's decision to become actively involved on behalf of our homeowners."
More information and a chance for your input will be available at our town hall meeting. Please come and bring your neighbors. Updates can be found at www.sharpstownscan.com.