Spring Independent School District

Westfield High School

Spring Independent School District is a school district based in the Gordon M. Anderson Leadership Center in unincorporated Harris County, Texas, United States.^[1] It is located in north Harris County.^[2]

The district will serve over 32,100 pre-kindergarten through twelfth-grade students this fall in a diverse and growing district located 20 miles (32 km) north of downtown Houston in a suburban area of Harris County that spans 57 square miles (150 km²). The district's ethnic breakdown is 38.9 percent African American, 37.6 percent Hispanic, 18.6 percent white, 4.6 percent Asian and Pacific Islander and 0.2 percent Native American.

Spring ISD serves a small portion of Houston and portions unincorporated Harris County including the community of Spring.

In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency.^[3]

History

Spring ISD formed in 1935 from the combination of the Harrell Common School District and the Spring Common School District.^[4]

The district's demographics changed as time passed. In the 1995–1996 school year the district had 28% low income students. Its racial demographics were 56% White, 20% Black, and 18% Hispanic. In the 2005-2006 school year the district had 55% low-income students. The demographics included 39% Black, 33% Hispanic, and 23% White.^[5][6]

In 2006 its two high schools, Spring and Westfield, had a combined population of 7,500. Dr. Robert Sanborn, the president and CEO of the organization Children at Risk, said that Spring ISD should have had schools in the top ten high schools featured in the Houston Press article "These Kids Go to the Best Public High School in Houston" as Humble ISD and Spring Branch ISD did. Instead, both Spring ISD schools ranked in the "Tier Two" list.^[7]

In 2008 Spring ISD's virtual school opened.^[8]

Northgate Forest secession proposal

Northgate Forest, a subdivision, garnered attention all over the Houston area when 190 residents filed a petition to withdraw from Spring Independent School District and join neighboring Klein Independent School District. The petition for detachment began circulating in December 2006, after Northgate residents helped defeat a bond issue for the district that November. Northgate Forest's primary complaints were that the district's SAT and TAKS scores had been declining consistently in recent years, that the district was spending money inefficiently, and that taxes were too high. Residents cited a section of the Texas Education Code that allows a given area to secede from the school district they are zoned to if another district will agree to absorb them. Jim McIngvale, an area resident and salesman also known as "Mattress Mac", said that he disagreed with the proposal.^[5]

In April 2007, the Klein ISD Board of Trustees denied Northgate's petition for detachment, shortly after Spring ISD unanimously rejected the proposal. Klein ISD stated that the petition did not fulfill all the legal requirements stipulated by the Texas Education Agency for the detachment to be valid. A small contingent of Northgate residents filed a new claim immediately after. Both school districts involved have declared they view the matter as closed.^[9][10][11]

The spokesperson for the group, Tom Mathews, said in 2007 that 45 school-aged children reside in the community. Seven attend Spring ISD schools, and the rest attend private schools. According to Mathews, the schools are low performing, so most parents do not send their children to the zoned schools.^[10]

Schools

All of the schools are located in unincorporated Harris County.

Elementary schools

• George E. Anderson Elementary School
  • Anderson, which opened in 1979, was named after a board member.^[4] It was a 1989-90 National Blue Ribbon School.^[12]
• Bammel Elementary School
  • Bammel, the second Spring ISD elementary school, opened in 1965. It was named after the Charly Bammel family. In 2010 the school's current two story facility opened.^[4]
• Joseph S. Beneke Elementary School
  • Beneke, which opened in 1986, was named after a former board member.^[4]
• Carolee Booker Elementary School
  • Booker, which opened in 2008, is named after Carolee Booker Jordan King, a teacher.^[4]
• Chet Burchett Elementary School
  • Opened in August 2005,^[13] Burchett is named after a former board member.^[4]
• B. F. Clark Primary School (PreK-2)
  • Clark Elementary School opened in 1991. It was named after a former SISD employee who served as a bus driver, coach, counselor, textbook custodian, principal, and teacher.^[4]
• B. F. Clark Intermediate School (3-5)
  • Opened in 2003, Clark Intermediate is across the street from and has the same namesake as Clark Primary.^[4]
• Milton Cooper Elementary School
  • Cooper, which opened in 2005, is named after a former SISD administrator.^[4]
• Ralph Eickenroht Elementary School
  • The school, which opened in 2009, is named after a former music teacher.^[4]
• Heritage Elementary School
  • Opened in 2000, Heritage is SISD's 15th elementary school. Heritage was named to reflect upon the ethnic heritages of the students and to honor the surrounding community.^[4]
• Pearl M. Hirsch Elementary School
  • Hirsch opened in 1978 and was named after a Spring ISD teacher.^[4]
• R.J. Hoyland Elementary School (opening August 2009)
  • Hoyland, which opened in 2009, is named after Dr. R.J. Hoyland III, a board member.^[4]
• Mildred I. Jenkins Elementary School
  • Jenkins, which opened in 1976, was named after a school nurse.^[4]
• Donna C. Lewis Elementary School
  • Lewis, which opened in 2006, is named after a longtime volunteer.^[4]
• Joan Link Elementary School
  • Link opened in 1982. It was named after the secretary of the SISD superintendent and board of trustees.^[4]
• Helen Major Elementary School
  • Major, which opened in 2009, is named after a teacher.^[4]
• Gloria Marshall Elementary School
  • Marshall, which opened in 2011, was named after a Spring ISD administrator who served as a teacher and principal. It is the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold-certified school in SISD.^[4]
• Ginger McNabb Elementary School
  • McNabb, which opened in 2006, is named after a teacher.^[4]
• Otto H. Meyer Elementary School
  • Meyer, which opened in 1976, was named to honor Otto H. Meyer and Avalt H. Meyer, who served on the SISD board of trustees.^[4]
• Northgate Crossing Elementary School
  • The school, which opened in 2008, is named after the Northgate Crossing neighborhood.^[4]
• Ponderosa Elementary School
  • Ponderosa, which opened in 1970, is named after its subdivision. As of 2010 it is one of three two-story elementary schools in SISD.^[4]
• Pat Reynolds Elementary School
  • The school opened in 1972 as Oak Creek Elementary School, after the subdivision. It was renamed in 2005 after an SISD administrator.^[4]
• Salyers Elementary School
  • Opened in 1959 as Spring Elementary School, it was the first dedicated elementary school of Spring ISD.^[14] It was also the first Spring ISD facility to be air conditioned. It was renamed in 1986, after J.O. Salyers, a board member, and Gertie Mae Salyers, a PTA member.^[4] The new location was built in 2003.
• Lewis Eugene Smith Elementary School
  • Smith opened in 1986. Its namesake served as a business teacher, the principal of Spring High School, and an assistant superintendent.^[4]
• Deloras E. Thompson Elementary School
  • Thompson opened in 1996. It was named after a board member.^[4]
• John A. Winship Elementary School
  • Winship, which opened in 1972, was named after former superintendent John Winship.^[4] Winship Elementary School's classes began in the northern hemisphere fall 1972; the Winship campus opened on December 15 of that year.^[15]

Middle schools

Zoned schools

• Rickey C. Bailey Middle School
  • Bailey opened in August 2006 and was dedicated on October 15 of that year.^[16] Named after a board member, Bailey is across the street from Burchett Elementary.^[4]
• Bammel Middle School
  • Bammel was the second middle school in SISD. It was named after the Charly Bammel family. In January 2004 the school moved to a new location. After the move, the previous location became the Westfield Ninth Grade Center. In 2009 that facility became Dr. Edward Roberson Middle School, A Math, Science and Fine Arts Academy.^[4]
• Stelle Claughton Middle School
  • Claughton, which opened in 2003, is SISD's fifth middle school. It was named after Stelle Claughton Lacefield, an administrator and teacher.^[4]
• O. B. Dueitt Middle School
  • Dueitt opened in 1980. It was named after a board member who was a member of a family that first settled in Spring around 1876.^[4]
• Twin Creeks Middle School
  • Twin Creeks opened in 1984. It is named for its location between two creeks, the Cypress Gully and Spring Creek. It replaced Wunsche Middle School.^[4]
• Edwin M. Wells Middle School opened in 1977 and was named after an SISD school board member.^[4]

School of Choice

• Dr. Edward Roberson Middle School, a Math, Science and Fine Arts Academy^[17]
  • Roberson opened in 2009. Its facility was the home of Bammel Middle School and later the Westfield Ninth Grade Center.^[4]

High schools

Andy Dekaney High School

Spring High School

Zoned schools

• Andy Dekaney High School
  • Dekaney opened in 2007
• Spring High School
• Westfield High School
• School of Choice
  • Carl Wunsche Sr. High School - Career Academy of Spring ISD (opened fall 2006)
  • Early College Academy at Southridge - Early College High School of Spring ISD (opened fall 2011)

Former schools

• Southwell School – A segregated school for African-Americans, Southwell operated on the property of what is now B. F. Clark Park from 1925 to 1945.^[4]
• Wunsche School – The Wunsche family donated 13 acres (5.3 ha) of land along Spring-Cypress Road for a school site in 1935; the donation required that the district name the school after Carl Wunsche, a family ancestor. Wunsche served middle and high school. An addition serving elementary school students opened in 1947. In 1958 the elementary school students were moved out. In 1969 Wunsche became the district's first middle school. In 1983 the campus closed, and it was replaced by Twin Creeks Middle School. The facility was renovated to serve as a multipurpose campus.^[4]

Other facilities

• Gordon M. Anderson Leadership Center – The district's administration building, Anderson received its current name in 2001. It was named after a former superintendent.^[4]
• L. C. Nagy Exhibition Pavilion – The district's show barn, Nagy opened in 1997. It was named after the L.C. Nagy family.^[4]
• Leonard George Stadium – Opened in 2000, the stadium is located behind Spring High School. It was named after the coach.^[4]
• James C. Leo Drive – An access road between Bailey Middle School and Burchett Elementary School, Leo was named in 2005 after a former SISD administrator.^[4]

Spring ISD Department

The Spring Independent School District Police Department opened in 1991. Its current command facility opened in 2003.^[4]

Zangle ParentConnect

Spring ISD once had a web-based program called "Zangle ParentConnect", a program for parents to monitor their child's academic progress. That has now been replaced by mySpringISD, which is similar to Zangle.^[18]

PIV

Spring ISD began using the Pinnacle Internet Viewer software in spring 2005 at Westfield Ninth Grade Center and the following school year district-wide. This software enabled students and parents to view their grades at home via the Internet. Beginning in the 2006–2007 school year, Spring ISD no longer uses the software.

See also

• List of school districts in Texas

Alumni organizations

• Spring High School Alumni Association
• Westfield High School Alumni Association

References

1. "Board Calls for Bond Election on May 12." Springboard News (Spring Independent School District). March 2007. Vol. 15, No. 8. Retrieved on March 27, 2011.
2. Zaveri, Mihir and Ericka Mellon. "Spring ISD finds mass scheduling errors, scrambles to help seniors graduate." Houston Chronicle. February 11, 2015. Retrieved on February 11, 2015.
3. "2009 Accountability Rating System". Texas Education Agency.
4. "75 Years of Education, 1935-2010." Spring Independent School District. Retrieved on February 5, 2011.
5. Mellon, Ericka. "SUBURBAN SECESSION / Neighbors petition to join Klein / Northgate Forest residents complain of lower property values and performance with Spring" (Archive). Houston Chronicle. Thursday April 5, 2007. B1MetFront.
6. Spencer, Jason. "A new kind of white flight?" Houston Chronicle. March 12, 2007.
7. Spivak, Todd. "The Also-Rans." Houston Press. March 2, 2006. Retrieved on April 20, 2009.
8. Sanz, Alex. "Virtual school goes online in Spring." Texas Cable News. Friday August 22, 2008. Retrieved on February 5, 2011.
9. Mellon, Ericka. "Spring subdivision staying in current district - for now / Northgate wants to join Klein ISD, but its detachment petition is denied" (Archive). Houston Chronicle. Friday April 6, 2007. B3.
10. Jackson, Kim. "Texas Education Agency to hear Northgate Forest detachment petition" (Archive). Houston Chronicle. Thursday April 26, 2007. ThisWeek 8.
11. "Spring ISD Board Rejects Northgate Petition" (Archive). Spring Independent School District. April 5, 2007.
13. "Chet Burchett Elementary School." Burchett Elementary School. Retrieved on December 5, 2008.
14. "About Salyers Elementary School." Salyers Elementary School. Retrieved on December 5, 2008.
15. "About Winship Elementary." Winship Elementary School. Retrieved on December 5, 2008.
16. "Home Page." Spring Independent School District. October 5, 2006. Retrieved on February 5, 2011.
17. "Spring ISD Will Open Middle School of Choice in August 2009." Spring Independent School District. December 1, 2008.
18. mySpringISD Can be accessed here

External links

• Spring ISD

Other

• http://www.northgatecountryclub.com/