Conroe Courier - News
Parents upset about rezoning options
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| More than 75 concerned parents gathered inside the Tough Elementary and Intermediate cafeteria Wednesday night to learn about rezoning options the CISD Attendance Boundary Committee created to ease overcrowding at Tough and Deretchin Elementary and Intermediate. |
By Kassia Micek
THE WOODLANDS – At least one parent called a community forum to present parents with zoning scenarios “lip service” because he believes the Conroe Independent School District will not take parents’ concerns into consideration.
More than 75 concerned parents gathered inside the Tough Elementary and Intermediate cafeteria Wednesday night to learn about rezoning options the CISD Attendance Boundary Committee created to ease overcrowding at Tough and Deretchin Elementary and Intermediate.
“It doesn’t matter what we tell you … you’ll make the decision that will impact our children,” said Richard Plant, who has a daughter in kindergarten at Tough. “I have very little faith in this process. … This is just lip service.”
He, along with several other parents, received a round of applause after they spoke out against rezoning plans.
“I am very disappointed with this,” said Jose Valades, who has two sons at Tough. “You’ll do whatever you’ll do to benefit you and not to benefit our children.
“I am truly disappointed.”
Rezoning at Tough, which opened in 2002, and Deretchin, which opened in 2005, is needed due to overcrowding at the two schools, district officials said. Both have a capacity of 1,000 students. However, Tough’s 2008-09 enrollment is 1,287, and Deretchin’s is 1,324.
“Through analysis, it was determined there was room at Galatas and Mitchell,” CISD Communications Director Kathy Clark said Thursday. “The biggest growth is at Deretchin and Tough, so we’re making sure if there’s room at Galatas (Elementary) and Mitchell (Intermediate), we’re utilizing that space.”
The CISD Attendance Boundary Committee created 21 scenarios involving Tough, Deretchin, Galatas and Buckalew Elementary. Galatas and Buckalew feed into Mitchell. Eleven scenarios involve Tough and were presented to parents Tuesday.
“There are a lot of combinations there,” CISD Deputy Superintendent Jean Stewart said. “You may be able to think of some scenarios that are better than those.
“We have not made up our mind, but some of the scenarios are more likely to achieve what we ware aiming for.”
The district wants to achieve enrollment of between 1,120 and 1,145 at Tough, enrollment between 1,030 and 1,080 at Deretchin, enrollment between 800 and 850 at Galatas and enrollment between 1,175 and 1,200 at Mitchell, Stewart said. Looking through the different scenarios, Stewart pointed out which scenarios achieved those numbers at the four schools.
Although the committee provided the same scenarios to parents at Tough and Deretchin in separate meetings, the reaction was much different, said Debra Riley, a Deretchin parent who attended all four meetings and has a 50 percent chance of being rezoned.
“We see no light at the end of the tunnel,” she said about overcrowding. “The people at Deretchin have a different attitude. We are desperate to get out of overcrowding.
“We think if there’s a fire, the students can’t get out because they won’t hear the fire alarms.”
The overcrowding is so bad that students start eating lunch at 10:30 a.m. and have recess outside just twice a week because classes have to work in shifts to utilize playground equipment.
At Tough, parents don’t mind students learning in portable buildings.
Valades, who has a 90 percent chance of being rezoned, is worried his children will be at a new school every two years if he is rezoned.
“I don’t think moving is good,” he said about that option.
The district is rezoning schools in three feeder zones and began the process in September by reviewing data and creating rezoning scenarios. Then the CISD Attendance Boundary Committee set up forums to inform parents about the scenarios. Those meetings began in early October and ended Wednesday.
The next step is for the committee to reconvene, review scenarios and parental input, create the proposed rezoning plans and present it to parents before taking it to the CISD school board for final approval Nov. 18
For more information about CISD’s rezoning process, visit administration.conroeisd.net/rezoning.
What’s next
The CISD Attendance Boundary Committee will present proposed Deretchin and Tough zoning plans to parents at the following forums:
• Noon, Nov. 11, Deretchin Elementary and Intermediate, 11000 Merit Oaks Drive in The Woodlands
• 7 p.m., Nov. 11, Deretchin Elementary and Intermediate
• Noon, Nov. 12, Tough Elementary and Intermediate, 11660 Crane Brook in The Woodlands
• 7 p.m., Nov. 12, Tough Elementary and Intermediate
More info
For more information about the Conroe Independent School District’s rezoning process, visit administration.conroeisd.net/rezoning.
Enrollment Numbers
Current attendance
1,324: Deretchin Elementary and Intermediate
1,287: Tough Elementary and Intermediate
1,080: Mitchell Intermediate
548: Galatas Elementary
School capacity
1,000: Deretchin Elementary and Intermediate
1,000: Tough Elementary and Intermediate
1,200: Mitchell Intermediate
850: Galatas Elementary
By the numbers
Enrollment trends
Tough Deretchin
2005 1,096 437
2006 1,124 820
2007 1,229 1,197
2008 1,287 1,324
What’s next
The CISD Attendance Boundary Committee will present proposed zoning plans to parents at the following forums:
• Noon, Monday, Houser Elementary, 27370 Oak Ridge School Road
• 7 p.m., Monday, Houser Elementary
• Noon, Tuesday, Ford Elementary, 25460 Richard Road in Spring
• 7 p.m., Tuesday, Broadway Elementary, 2855 Spring Trails Bend in Spring
• Noon, Nov. 3, Armstrong Elementary, 110 Gladstell St.
• 7 p.m., Nov. 3, Travis Intermediate, 1100 N.Tompson
• Noon, Nov. 4, Runyan Elementary, 1101 Foster Drive
• 7 p.m., Nov. 4, Houston Elementary, 1000 N Thompson St.
• Noon, Nov. 6, Giesinger Elementary, 2323 White Oak Blvd.
• 7 p.m., Nov. 6, Cryar Elementary, 2375 Montgomery Park Blvd.
More than 75 concerned parents gathered inside the Tough Elementary and Intermediate cafeteria Wednesday night to learn about rezoning options the CISD Attendance Boundary Committee created to ease overcrowding at Tough and Deretchin Elementary and Intermediate.
“It doesn’t matter what we tell you … you’ll make the decision that will impact our children,” said Richard Plant, who has a daughter in kindergarten at Tough. “I have very little faith in this process. … This is just lip service.”
He, along with several other parents, received a round of applause after they spoke out against rezoning plans.
“I am very disappointed with this,” said Jose Valades, who has two sons at Tough. “You’ll do whatever you’ll do to benefit you and not to benefit our children.
“I am truly disappointed.”
Rezoning at Tough, which opened in 2002, and Deretchin, which opened in 2005, is needed due to overcrowding at the two schools, district officials said. Both have a capacity of 1,000 students. However, Tough’s 2008-09 enrollment is 1,287, and Deretchin’s is 1,324.
“Through analysis, it was determined there was room at Galatas and Mitchell,” CISD Communications Director Kathy Clark said Thursday. “The biggest growth is at Deretchin and Tough, so we’re making sure if there’s room at Galatas (Elementary) and Mitchell (Intermediate), we’re utilizing that space.”
The CISD Attendance Boundary Committee created 21 scenarios involving Tough, Deretchin, Galatas and Buckalew Elementary. Galatas and Buckalew feed into Mitchell. Eleven scenarios involve Tough and were presented to parents Tuesday.
“There are a lot of combinations there,” CISD Deputy Superintendent Jean Stewart said. “You may be able to think of some scenarios that are better than those.
“We have not made up our mind, but some of the scenarios are more likely to achieve what we ware aiming for.”
The district wants to achieve enrollment of between 1,120 and 1,145 at Tough, enrollment between 1,030 and 1,080 at Deretchin, enrollment between 800 and 850 at Galatas and enrollment between 1,175 and 1,200 at Mitchell, Stewart said. Looking through the different scenarios, Stewart pointed out which scenarios achieved those numbers at the four schools.
Although the committee provided the same scenarios to parents at Tough and Deretchin in separate meetings, the reaction was much different, said Debra Riley, a Deretchin parent who attended all four meetings and has a 50 percent chance of being rezoned.
“We see no light at the end of the tunnel,” she said about overcrowding. “The people at Deretchin have a different attitude. We are desperate to get out of overcrowding.
“We think if there’s a fire, the students can’t get out because they won’t hear the fire alarms.”
The overcrowding is so bad that students start eating lunch at 10:30 a.m. and have recess outside just twice a week because classes have to work in shifts to utilize playground equipment.
At Tough, parents don’t mind students learning in portable buildings.
Valades, who has a 90 percent chance of being rezoned, is worried his children will be at a new school every two years if he is rezoned.
“I don’t think moving is good,” he said about that option.
The district is rezoning schools in three feeder zones and began the process in September by reviewing data and creating rezoning scenarios. Then the CISD Attendance Boundary Committee set up forums to inform parents about the scenarios. Those meetings began in early October and ended Wednesday.
The next step is for the committee to reconvene, review scenarios and parental input, create the proposed rezoning plans and present it to parents before taking it to the CISD school board for final approval Nov. 18
For more information about CISD’s rezoning process, visit administration.conroeisd.net/rezoning.
What’s next
The CISD Attendance Boundary Committee will present proposed Deretchin and Tough zoning plans to parents at the following forums:
• Noon, Nov. 11, Deretchin Elementary and Intermediate, 11000 Merit Oaks Drive in The Woodlands
• 7 p.m., Nov. 11, Deretchin Elementary and Intermediate
• Noon, Nov. 12, Tough Elementary and Intermediate, 11660 Crane Brook in The Woodlands
• 7 p.m., Nov. 12, Tough Elementary and Intermediate
More info
For more information about the Conroe Independent School District’s rezoning process, visit administration.conroeisd.net/rezoning.
Enrollment Numbers
Current attendance
1,324: Deretchin Elementary and Intermediate
1,287: Tough Elementary and Intermediate
1,080: Mitchell Intermediate
548: Galatas Elementary
School capacity
1,000: Deretchin Elementary and Intermediate
1,000: Tough Elementary and Intermediate
1,200: Mitchell Intermediate
850: Galatas Elementary
By the numbers
Enrollment trends
Tough Deretchin
2005 1,096 437
2006 1,124 820
2007 1,229 1,197
2008 1,287 1,324
What’s next
The CISD Attendance Boundary Committee will present proposed zoning plans to parents at the following forums:
• Noon, Monday, Houser Elementary, 27370 Oak Ridge School Road
• 7 p.m., Monday, Houser Elementary
• Noon, Tuesday, Ford Elementary, 25460 Richard Road in Spring
• 7 p.m., Tuesday, Broadway Elementary, 2855 Spring Trails Bend in Spring
• Noon, Nov. 3, Armstrong Elementary, 110 Gladstell St.
• 7 p.m., Nov. 3, Travis Intermediate, 1100 N.Tompson
• Noon, Nov. 4, Runyan Elementary, 1101 Foster Drive
• 7 p.m., Nov. 4, Houston Elementary, 1000 N Thompson St.
• Noon, Nov. 6, Giesinger Elementary, 2323 White Oak Blvd.
• 7 p.m., Nov. 6, Cryar Elementary, 2375 Montgomery Park Blvd.
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