Video: KHOU 11 News
Erica Melton, Houston Chronicle
North Forest ISD announced Monday that the Texas Education Agency had upheld the decision to close the school district and annex it to Houston ISD this summer.
The ruling, however, does not end the school district’s fight to remain open. North Forest attorney Chris Tritico pledged to once again appeal the closure order, taking his case to the State Office of Administrative Hearings, an Austin court, and to the federal courts if needed.
“We at North Forest ISD are disappointed by the TEA’s decision to merge North Forest with HISD,” North Forest Superintendent Edna Forte said in a statement.
Forte reiterated that the North Forest school board plans to fight for an alternative plan to let a nonprofit management board and some high-performing charter schools run the 7,000-student northeast Houston district.
“Regardless of the outcome, the faculty and staff will continue to move forward with the transformative work we are doing at North Forest ISD to complete a successful year,” she added.
The order by TEA chief deputy commissioner Lizzette Reynolds notes that North Forest failed to improve student test scores and its high school graduation rate sufficiently. The district’s graduation rate for the class of 2011 was 66.4 percent.
(Read more of the story at Chron.com)
OTHER COVERAGE
• TEA Upholds Decision To Shut Down North Forest ISD (KUHF Public Radio)
• TEA rules to close North Forest ISD & merge into HISD (KTRK 13 News)
• North Forest ISD to close July 1 (KPRC 2 News)
• Texas Education Agency closes North Forest ISD (KRIV 26 News)
• North Forest ISD’s Hopes To Avoid Merger Vanishing Quickly (Houston Press)
LOCAL AREA HEADLINES:
- As More Folks Cut Landlines, Harris County Launches 911 Education Campaign (KUHF Public Radio)
- Bun B to be featured as part of Mayor Parker’s plan to curb texting while driving (Chron.com)
- 2 Shepherd ISD teachers accused of bullying student (KPRC 2 News)
- Community residents learn you indeed can ‘fight city hall’ (KRIV 26 News)
- Houston man indicted for sex trafficking of minors (KHOU 11 News)
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- Artist transitions from homeless to entrepreneur with tattoo studio (Your Houston News)
- Severe Drought Moves To Houston, Most Of The State In Drought Conditions (KUHF Public Radio)
STATE, NATION & WORLD:
- Texas Lawmakers Duel Over Medicaid Expansion (Texas Tribune)
- AG Investigating CPRIT Foundation’s Latest Move (Texas Tribune)
- Fast-growth districts chided for use of controversial borrowing (Austin Statesman)
- Lawmakers Grapple With End-of-Life Legislation (Texas Tribune)
- Suspicion in N. Texas DA death shifts to white supremacists (AP)
- Legislators in Connecticut Agree on Broad New Gun Laws (New York Times)
- Immigration Overhaul Inches Forward, But Big Hurdles Remain (NPR)
- Low-Cost Drugs in Poor Nations Get a Lift in Indian Court (New York Times)