$4.4 billion bond would change Cage Elementary, Project Chrysalis

Houston ISD's proposed $4.4 billion school bond would bring a new, expanded building to Project Chrysalis Middle and Cage Elementary schools' shared campus, district officials said at a Thursday meeting at Cage.

The bond would create more shared or "co-located" schools like this one in the East End, proposing to move students at eight schools to seven existing campus at a cost of $580 million .

The co-locations could help address the district's declining enrollment and financial challenges, but several HISD parents and other community members have been concerned that moving to another location would present new challenges and distort the school's sense of community and identity . Cage, a 418-student elementary school as of last year, and Chrysalis, with 270 middle schoolers, are among a handful of already existing co-located schools in HISD.

Najah Callander, senior executive director for external engagement, said the district could have addressed changing enrollment and urgent facility needs in other ways — like reducing the number of schools and rezoning students, or fixing fewer campuses with bond money.

"We decided early on that we were not closing schools. So that was off the table," she said.

Regarding the idea of fixing fewer campuses, the 2012 bond only benefited high schools, she said.

"It was just high schools, and no one else got anything in the bond," Callander said. "And we also felt like it was really important in those foundational discussions that everyone got safe and healthy upgrades to their campus. So co-location is part of what is allowing us to do those things that we value."

HISD's $1.89 billion bond passed in 2012 replaced and repaired 40 schools across HISD, including 29 high schools. It converted five campuses to K-8s, built three new elementary schools, replaced two middle schools, and improved middle school restrooms. About $100 million was spent on technology upgrades, $44.7 million on replacing regional fieldhouses and improving athletics facilities, and $17.3 million was spent of safety and security improvements, according to the HISD website.

Some parents cheered after Senior Executive Director Ray Winkler said there would be a new building on the shared campus under the proposed bond.

The full rebuild for Cage, built in 1983 , would cost $39 million, with an expansion to accommodate Project Chrysalis for $27 million. Heating, air conditioning and ventilation updates, lead abatement, and safety updates would cost an additional $7 million.

Holly Taylor, parent of a Project Chrysalis Middle School sixth grader, said she was all for the bond and that her son might see some of its benefits toward the end of his time at the school.

"As long as the school district is improving, he's going to reap the benefits one way or the other," Taylor said.

HISD parents express skepticism of plans in bond to co-locate 15 schools

Students displaced by Hurricane Beryl

After Hurricane Beryl, Project Chrysalis students moved to the district's Lockwood Annex across the parking lot, interim Chief Operating Officer Alishia Jolivette told the Houston Chronicle.

The annex is a "swing space" meant to temporarily house students, starting with Austin High School students during their campus' renovation under the 2012 bond.

The Lockwood modulars are a huge upgrade compared to Chrysalis' campus, Project Chrysalis principal Eber Perla said.

"They actually have functioning AC," he said. "So, like even our transitions for kids to go from class to class, everything's indoors. So safety is a lot smoother."

Chrysalis students were initially housed in 28 temporary buildings, with at least one of those buildings dating back to at least 1989, according to a certificate of occupancy hanging near one classroom door.

Damaged furniture remained clustered outside of Chrysalis' temporary buildings and walkways Thursday evening. After Beryl, classroom ceiling tiles fell and crumbled onto the floor, photos on Perla's phone showed.

A couple of classroom walls were replaced in post-storm emergency repairs, Jolivette said, a switch out from the old wood panel walls.

However, the buildings had issues prior to Beryl, Perla and Jolivette described.

Rainwater collects between buildings around walkways until it evaporates because there is nowhere for it to drain to, Perla said. The emptied classrooms have aged heater and air conditioning units. One science classroom did not have a working sink, so a bucket used to be filled and pumped out for students to have water during experiments, Perla said. He opened a white sink cabinet to reveal a plastic tank for siphoning water and a red bucket for that water to drain into. Jolivette pointed out weather-beaten doors and warped door frames.

The walkway leading to the restroom is partially uncovered, so students would get rained on while walking to the restroom. The flooring in at least two bathrooms appeared to be cracked or sinking, and the bathrooms used to get repairs about three times in a six-week period, Perla estimated.

"So I've gone into the restroom and my foot fell through the (floor). So that's — was — the repair that we made," Perla said, tapping his foot on the wood now covering the collapsed floor.

It is unclear how long Chrysalis students may stay at Lockwood annex. But students will learn there because it's safer, Jolivette said, and they will not be returning to these temporary buildings.