what do houstonians think about the new hisd ballot?

[philopower]

Originally Posted by hbcu

HISD has proven to hook too many people with with construction bids and we lost Frenchy's (the franchises, not original) as a result of one company screwing up on the construction side and letting it affect the food side

I still say Carnegie was a waste of money when they have a school now but HISD has caved in to certain schools in the past so they can protect certain demographics...Westside, Bellaire, Lamar, HSPVA, HP, etc. will always get priority unfortunately

Uhm Carnegie needed the new campus. The location was absolute crap smack dab in the middle of one of the worst ghettos in Houston.

[Lost_In_Translation]

Originally Posted by philopower

Uhm Carnegie needed the new campus. The location was absolute crap smack dab in the middle of one of the worst ghettos in Houston.

So, it's an HISD school, many of them are.

[predatorprey]

I'm against it.

Annual HISD Budget is $1.58 billion

Yet they want to borrow $1.9 billion. Anyone have the total HISD Debt principle and interest payments?

The amount seems very excessive to current revenues. I'm against this bond request..

[testmo]

HISD is not far behind all the suburban schools, if at all. They nearly all failed the mandatory testing requirement and their graduation rates aren't much better

edit: sorry post referring to Mach's post

[hbcu]

HISD can fix up the current school as why acquire land in the hottest part of Houston and then build a new school and tear down the old one in an area where the value is worth much less.

Carnegie students will travel to timbuktu to go there so location wasn't a major problem. HISD once again wants to protect their non-minority demographic

How could such a small school cost so damn much down the line...they fought to leave Jones, fought to get out this school, etc....they could've been merged with the HSPVA or so

[MikeyAusmus]

Originally Posted by houston-nomad

Yes, I'm for it. It will cost homeowners a bit but will result in higher home values. These schools can't be left to languish.

I 100% agree!! HISD is in a desperate need of renovations and upgrades. Yes it will make the neighborhoods they are in look better, but also help with increasing the level of technology available in the schools. Anything that promotes better education I am all for it!!

[houston-nomad]

Originally Posted by Lost_In_Translation

Memorial high school is 50 years old but it's not presented as a danger to it's students nor do they think that whatever happens there doesn't matter. Old schools don't just fall apart. Poor management causes that.

This is not a fair or accurate statement. It's not fair, because different schools have different budgets, even within the same system. This is because of the wealth and connections of the kids who go there.

Example: To raise money, many schools have auctions. This money goes to the PTO and can fund anything needed, from an art teacher to school supplies to maintenance. At the school my kids go to, most parents are working class. So they might go to the auction and spend $100. They own their own small business, perhaps, or work for some other small business. There's no matching funds. At River Oaks Elementary, a parent might spend $500. They work for Exxon Mobil. The company matches with $500. Ding ding ding! River Oaks Elementary has money to do things at their school that our school will never have.

So, a school like Memorial High School can spend money on maintenance, grounds, etc. that other schools can't. Because these schools are not funded adequately. And if you don't believe that, spend some time at one. Don't just throw around generalizations about mismanagement. Look at how parents and teachers collaborate to collect paper for the classroom because they don't have enough. Look at the kids bringing in boxtops to raise a few bucks, because it makes a difference. They are scrimping and squeezing at these schools, and they're still working with far less than they should be, in a city as wealthy as ours.