The Woodlands Edition | December 2023

BY EMILY LINCKE & JESSICA SHORTEN

The context

What they’re saying

Stay tuned

The TISD board of trustees did not discuss or take action on the school issue at its Nov. 14 meeting. The last TISD regular meeting scheduled in 2023 was held Dec. 11, after press time. However, at an Oct. 25 meeting of The Woodlands Township board of directors, parents asked if the township could provide additional support in convincing district ocials to return to the original plan to prevent students being transported from Creekside Park to Tomball. While members of the TISD board were present, they did not speak or provide any solutions at the township meeting due to not having full board authorization. “We’re grateful to be here tonight to listen to parent concerns,” TISD board President Lee McLeod said. “We’ve been listening to parent concerns. ... All of the feedback is helpful. That’s all I can say.” At the Oct. 25 meeting, township ocials requested a town hall meeting with the district to look at possible land sharing opportunities to prevent moving the school, but in a subsequent interview board member Richard Franks said the township would not become involved in the conict. About 4,600 students of TISD’s total 22,000 students reside in Creekside Park in The Woodlands.

In addition to discussions about the interme- diate school, TISD leaders are evaluating the attendance boundaries for all 23 campuses in the district, including those in Creekside Park. Leaders said they hope to propose the bound- ary changes to trustees in January. The discussions around Intermediate School No. 5’s location are not the cause of the district’s ongoing boundary redesign, TISD leaders stated in a Nov. 9 email. However, the introduction of a new intermediate school will help reduce crowding at Creekside Park schools in part because sixth graders will move to the new school, according to district information. “The continued fast growth across the dis- trict and building new schools as part of Bond 2021 are the driving factors [for rezoning],” the email states.

“If you don’t want to build on the junior high site, then rent property or build onto the existing schools; use portables. I personally would support practically anything that does not have a long commute for our children.”

CHRISTI DAVIS, A TIMBER CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PARENT

“We have been told by our legal counsel that the best course of action is to recognize the eorts of parents but not be involved at this time.” RICHARD FRANKS, THE WOODLANDS TOWNSHIP BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEMBER

2028-29 enrollment projections

“We continue to make phone calls and visit with individuals, and I continue to be hopeful that we can do what we can do for the students and the community.” MARTHA SALAZARZAMORA, TOMBALL ISD SUPERINTENDENT

Capacity

Projection with original elementary school proposal Projection with new intermediate school

Creekside Forest elementary

714

Creekview elementary

920

“[Tomball ISD] proposed a plan to us that they were going to use the bond money for, and that’s not what they’re spending the money on today.” DAVID SWIDERSKI, TOMBALL ISD PARENT

Timber Creek elementary Intermediate No. 5

920

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LOCAL OFFICE

Jerry Coker 713-224-3426 ¡Hablamos Español!

THE WOODLANDS EDITION