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Amid pleas to reconsider, the Brownsville Independent School District presented plans again Monday to merge Morningside and Del Castillo elementary schools in Southmost among three pairs of schools slated for consolidation.
The other two are Cromack and Castaneda and Garza and Southmost elementary schools. In each case the newer school is to remain open as the receiving school as BISD seeks to streamline operations amid falling enrollment and solidify its position as the best choice in a competitive environment among public, charter and private schools.
The BISD Board of Trustees could vote on consolidation plans at its meeting Tuesday evening at BISD headquarters on Price Road.
The district has said during presentations to parents at the closing and receiving campuses that it will enhance curriculum and programs by combining resources and has pledged that no BISD employee will lose their job as a result of consolidation.
Teachers are to accompany moving students to their new school.
At Morningside, as at each school, BISD hosted a dinner for parents in the cafeteria, after which Chief Academic Officer Beatriz Hernandez presented an outline of the plans.
Superintendent Jesus H. Chavez and his administration then answered questions submitted by parents, teachers or other interested parties prior to the session, then answered questions in a town hall-type atmosphere.
BISD has said it will absorb potential job losses by attrition, and affected personnel would be reassigned to other campuses.
In response to a question asking what BISD plans to do to keep students from moving to charter schools, Chavez said BISD aims to “promote the great things that are happening already,” and sought parents help to promote the instruction and programs the district offers.
“I say that from the aspect of the programming that we have, if you look at the after-school programming that we have, the enrichment programming, that’s above and beyond the great teaching that happens. I know that parents, you really appreciate the teachers that you have here, and you appreciate the administration that is here, so, yes, continuing to strengthen our programming and emphasizing to other parents that programming that we have. I know that we also need your help with that,” Chavez said to the parents.
“You are here because you believe we have a great school district. Remember, we have choice in our district from the aspect of we have open enrollment, and yes, we have charter schools,” he said.
“We prefer that students stay with Brownsville ISD, the best choice, and it is the best choice because of the instruction that we offer, the rich programs that we have, and you can take a look at the list of programs, elementary school, middle school and high school.
“We have more and better programs than any charter school in this community, so we are the best choice, but please continue to help us spread the word. … If we continue to lose students, it’s not a good thing for Brownsville ISD. If we gain students, that is a great thing,” he said.
Chavez also directed interested persons to the BISD website, where there is a strategic plan that “includes one whole strand around improving the number of students that we have. So there are going to be some improvements that you’re going to see over the coming years relating to improving our enrollment,” Chavez said.
A mother who said her children attended Del Castillo and graduated from Porter High School, as well as one who still attends there, urged BISD to reconsider its plans for the sake of the children.
She said BISD would still have to maintain the closed schools, and asked where is the savings? “I had a choice and I chose BISD because it is my best choice,” she said.
“I don’t see why they have to consolidate. … I love BISD. I have a kid who graduated from Porter. I have three adopted kids who graduated from Porter and I have one who’s there now. We don’t want our students to run away to a charter school. We don’t want our teachers to run away to a charter school. We want you guys to reconsider your plan because BISD is our best choice,” she said.
During her presentation, Hernandez, the chief academics officer, said the district anticipates realizing somewhat more than $1 million in actual savings once Del Castillo and Morningside are consolidated.
Morningside Principal Ivonne Barnes said after the meeting that her goal is for all students to learn “in a loving and nurturing environment.” She said there is ample room at Morningside for the 17 classrooms that would be coming from Del Castillo.
“I’m huge on inclusivity. I like to include all students in everything that we do, and like one of our teachers mentioned, we have the capacity here. We have classrooms that are not at capacity that we can fill with students coming in. We do have classrooms that are empty as well,” she said.
Consolidation of Del Castillo and Morningside is on the agenda as an action item at Tuesday night’s BISD Board of Trustees meeting, as are similar items for Cromack and Castaneda and Garza and Southmost elementary schools.
The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. in the BISD board room at 1900 Price Road.
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Brownsville ISD considers consolidation of three pairs of schools
