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Lamar CISD considering rezoning of district
FOX 26's Natalie Hee spoke with some parents who are concerned the rezoning will cause more harm than good.
HOUSTON - Lamar CISD is now considering re-zoning portions of the school district. School officials say it’s because of a huge population boom in the last decade. Some parents worry the change will do more harm than good for their kids.
"We know that our children’s school is overcrowded. My son has been learning in a portable classroom in 2nd grade, 3rd grade, and now 4th grade, but he’s had an incredible education," said Mary Barnes, a Frost Elementary Parent.
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For the last seven years, Barnes has watched her home in the Kingdom Heights neighborhood in Rosenberg grow exponentially. But now, that massive growth means her 1st and 4th grader at Frost Elementary, might have to move to Travis Elementary.
Parents say the schools have vastly different ratings.
"If you’re going to put us in another school, it should be something comparable to where they are right now. I don't think it’s fair at all to stick kids from a 9-rated school to a 3-rated school," said Arnaz Ali, another parent at Frost Elementary.
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The proposal is part of a redistricting plan by Lamar Consolidated ISD.
During a November board meeting, trustees revealed a plan that would split Kingdom Heights in half.
"We might lose what we’ve invested the last seven years into and potentially not remain in the home that we want to raise our children in," Barnes said.
Residents say not only could rezoning drastically affect their kids academically, but they also worry it could lower their property values.
"A lot of the folks did raise the issue of property values going down, the safety going out of this neighborhood, making a left on this one-way street because recently we had a teenager, brand new teenage driver, who was hit making a left out of this neighborhood," Ali said.
According to demographic reports released by Lamar CISD, for the 2023-2024 school year, Frost Elementary is already over capacity by nearly 230 kids. Travis Elementary on the other hand, is approximately 200 kids under capacity, according to the reports.
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Parents say they would consider taking drastic action if the rezoning plan passes, including home-schooling or even moving.
Lamar CISD says they’ll be hosting a board workshop for parents to provide input on Monday, December 11.