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| CASE Report
Smart Brevity ®
count: 3.5 mins...980 words
CASE is a collective of Houstonians committed to ensuring every student within Houston Independent School District (HISD) has the opportunity to receive a high-quality education.
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HISD Faces Infrastructure Challenges
 What’s New:
There are myriad infrastructure and safety challenges at nearly all HISD schools, according to a new report commissioned by the district. Problems outlined in the report include:
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Abnormal carbon dioxide levels
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high lead levels in drinking water
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high airborne contaminants, water damage
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moisture and mold issues
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irregular indoor temperatures
The Houston Chronicle’s full story on the issue is here.
Why it matters:
Environmental contaminants impair the health and safety of students. In order to create the best possible environment for teaching and learning, the various hazards outlined in the report must be addressed quickly.
This report comes on the heels of HISD’s recent announcement that a bond is being explored
, which would fund the renovations and repairs necessary to fix the district’s infrastructure problems.
By the numbers:
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Over 30% of HISD campuses tested positive for high lead levels. In Fall 2023, HISD hired an outside firm to conduct a survey of drinking water outlets at 259 campuses. High lead levels were detected at 187 drinking water outlets across 82 campuses throughout the district.
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213 schools had moisture issues and 106 had secondary water damage in common areas or classrooms.
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257 campuses failed to meet at least one of five recommended standards by either the EPA or the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.
What they’re saying:
Luke Metzger, executive director of Environment Texas said, “It's unconscionable why they haven't taken action sooner. It’s eight years later and we're still talking about this. How many kids have now potentially gone the majority of their school life with the district leaders knowing that this is a problem? It's very frustrating to me that the district just has ignored this and has not taken it seriously because the threat is real.”
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Perspective: “Something in the building”
 A recent Houston Landing piece
captures the dire conditions on some HISD campuses - a result of years of neglect and lack of resources. HISD has not pursued a bond measure since 2012. On average, school districts in Texas ask voters to approve bond packages every five years.
The perspective of parents demonstrates the need for more resources:
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“Rats. Insects. The dust is horrible. The mold, or whatever is in the building. … Sometimes my daughter has migraines,” Jones said. “It’s not just her. It’ll happen with a group of kids, so I know it’s something in the building.”
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“It makes it difficult for the kids to learn when they’re having to wear jackets because they’re cold, or hot because the A/C is out,” Menefee said.
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“Most of the elementary schools were outdated,” Debose said. “They hadn’t had any upgrades or repairs, and certainly no rebuilds.”
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“My kid, she says, ‘Mommy, my pants got wet because the bathroom has water in it,’” Alay said in Spanish.
The bottom line:
HISD students deserve to have safe, clean and future-focused learning environments, and the community should rally in support of more resources for our most urgent needs.
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NES Helping Emergent Bilingual Students
 In the News:
KPRC2 recently interviewed several emergent bilingual students at Fleming Middle School to hear about their experiences in HISD’s new NES model. Historically, there has been inadequate support for the emergent bilingual population in HISD, so the reporters wanted to see if that had changed under the intervention.
KPRC2’s full story is here.
By the numbers:
There are currently 70,203 emerging bilingual students at HISD. Together, they make up about 34% of the district.
Why it matters:
The NES model has vastly revamped schools from how they were in years’ past, so it is important to connect with students to see how they are responding to the changes. For bilingual students, there is greater pressure since they need to keep up with peers academically while also mastering the English language.
New resources:
One new change is that Fleming now has a teacher who works specifically with emerging bilingual students, an option that wasn’t available to them before NES.
What they’re saying:
The students interviewed said that they spoke no English before coming to Fleming, but are now learning English and also get extra support from staff and even peers. When asked “What do you like most about school?” Juan, a seventh grader, responded, “Everything.”
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HISD Schools Earn Top Ranks
 Top Schools:
HISD’s Carnegie Vanguard High School
and DeBakey High School for Health Professions
are ranked number 5 and 8, respectively, in Texas, according to the U.S. New & World Report.
Furthermore, Carnegie Vanguard and DeBakey are ranked number 31 and 70, respectively, in the nation out of 17,660 charter, magnet, and traditional public schools.
The ranking is based on six factors: college readiness, test scores on AP, IB, and state exams, graduation rates, and student outcomes for minorities and low-income students.
The Houston Chronicle’s story is here.
Go deeper:
Carnegie Vanguard is the only high school in HISD whose students are all designated as gifted and talented. DeBakey is a school focused on health professions and partners with several local healthcare institutions.
Why it matters:
These high marks show that HISD can compete on the national stage with any other school district and is producing some of the nation’s top talent.
What they’re saying:
“The 2024 Best High Schools rankings offer a starting point for parents to understand a school’s academic performance, whether it’s a prospective school or one that their child is already attending. Accessible data on our high schools can empower families across the country as they navigate today’s educational environment and plan for the future.” - LaMont Jones, managing editor of education at U.S. News.
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