UPDATE: The Chron reports that both offers for the property have been rejected. Supt’d Grier states he will put the property back on the market.
One of Houston ISD’s best schools is the High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice. I mean, if it produced someone like my friend, HISD Trustee and Attorney Juliet Stipeche, then it must be a great incubator for our city’s future leaders. But the status that it has earned is now threatened by a land sale deal that could leave Houston ISD and the students of HSLECJ shortchanged.
Houston ISD wants to sell the land for a nice price and in turn use that cash to buy more land and build a new HSLECJ. The problem is that while the new school is being constructed, Houston ISD would pay rent to the new owners at a hefty price. Under one deal, HISD would pay a whopping $100,000 per month, and under another one, $250,000 per month. That would end up eating millions of dollars that could be used toward the new school building.
On top of all of this, Houston ISD is yet to find a suitable piece of land to replace the current school that is beneficial to students and all stakeholders. And, moreover, HSLECJ is a school that is 70% Latinos and they deserve a better deal than a high-rent building that cuts into the quality and value of their new school. Bottom line, it’s not a good deal and the Houston ISD Board of Trustees should not rush into the deal. In other words, I agree with the Editorial in the Houston Chronicle, a copy of which I provide below. Give it a read. Then contact your Houston ISD Trustees and tell them to stop the sale of HSLECJ.
doscentavos.net 