More Cy-Fair parents picking private, charter schools From the cover
Diving deeper
What’s happening
Harmony Science Academy-Bridgeland will also welcome its inaugural group of students in August. Principal Vivien Pham said the Bridgeland community was an attractive choice for Harmony’s expansion because of rapid development near the Grand Parkway. Harmony has ve other campuses within CFISD boundaries, which Pham said have seen higher demand in the last ve years. According to Texas Education Agency student transfer reports, virtual alternatives for students transferring out of CFISD in 2024-25 included online learning through Texas universities, such as The University of Texas at Austin and Texas Tech University. Cy-Fair enrollment in virtual programs increased after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Charter schools are free, publicly funded schools separate from traditional independent school districts, meaning they have more exibility in their curriculum and teaching methods. At least 20 charter schools have opened in the Greater Houston area since 2019, six of which fall within CFISD boundaries. Texas charter districts Bob Hope School and Harmony Public Schools are each opening a campus in Cy-Fair this fall with about 520 students and 650 students, respectively. McLendon said Bob Hope School conducted demographic surveys before settling on its campus at the former Cypress Christian School facility. The district considered factors such as language spo- ken at home and household income, McLendon said, as the charter district has historically served bilingual and low-income students.
According to the PASA analysis, CFISD is expected to see a 1.1% enrollment dip by 2034. That’s a projected net loss of about 1,300 students, factoring in students who transfer into the district and start kindergarten each year. Birth rates have also declined since 2020, the report found, meaning fewer kids are expected to enter the district over the next few years. Chief Operations Ocer Matt Morgan said a 1% decline in enrollment equals a $7.3 million decrease in state funding for CFISD. The district built its Fiscal Year 2025- 26 budget with the 1% decline in mind, Morgan said, noting that enrollment is projected to trend at in the future. “Since declines in enrollment impact state funding, any decline in enrollment is a concern,” Morgan said. “A decrease in funding can impact programs and future pay raises.” Tepera said she believes the enrollment decline was inevitable. She told the board of trustees in April that the district is entering a stabilization phase, meaning demographics are naturally stabilizing after years of rapid growth. This is in part because development is tapering as projects nish, she said.
Mapping private, charter school growth Charter schools Private schools c p
Opened before 2000
Opened 2000-2009
Opened 2010-2019
Opened after 2019
Cy-Fair ISD
p
SPRING CYPRESS RD.
c
p
c
p
c
p
p
290
p
p
c
1960
c
p
Harmony Science Academy- Bridgeland
p
c
45
c
c
Harmony Science Academy- Bridgeland
p
Student transfers out of Cy-Fair ISD over time
p
p
c c
Bob Hope School - Cy-Fair
c
249
8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0
p
c
c
529
p
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
p
+64.58%
c
Bob Hope School - Cy-Fair
c
c
c
6
p
N
c
c
p
SOURCE: LOCAL CHARTER AND PRIVATE SCHOOLSCOMMUNITY IMPACT
610
c
Public input
Breakdown of 202324 transfers
“We’ve always been very supportive of the pub- lic school system,” said Delp, who attended CFISD schools. “But we had always said we are willing to do whatever was best for each of our kids.” Delp said she would consider re-enrolling her kids in CFISD if schools oered more time for students to play outside and freely interact with their peers throughout the day, calling play a “pivotal” part of education.
Local parent Sarah Delp transferred all four of her children out of CFISD schools and into the Aristoi Classical Academy charter school for the upcoming school year. She said she was concerned about the conse- quences of computer-based learning and wanted to switch her kids to a more traditional liberal arts education. Delp also cited CFISD’s library sta cuts in June 2024 as a factor in her decision.
Charter schools: 52.5% Private schools: 30.7% Other school districts: 9.4% Virtual schools: 7.2%
NOTE: NUMBERS MAY NOT ADD UP TO 100% DUE TO ROUNDING OF DATA
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