The HISD bond package might be a tough sell in one of the communities most directly affected by it.
Fifth Ward community leaders said Monday that they won't support any bond that consolidates several schools in their area.They fear the $805 million bond that HISD will ask voters to approve Nov. 6 unfairly targets schools in the predominantly black community. It was poorly planned and doesn't take into account anticipated growth in the inner city, they said.
"If a school closes on this side, somebody's going to have to pay for that," said Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston, who hosted a standing-room crowd of more than 120 in the first community meeting held to discuss the bond.
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"Brand new state-of-the-art schools will help revitalize the community," [Superintendent Abelardo Saavedra] said.
But leaders said the Fifth Ward needs better teachers and stronger magnet programs, not new buildings.
They said they fear HISD is trying to make money off their community by selling the property to developers.
"It's going to be hard to convince us to vote for $1 billion," Dutton said.
He added that nearly 40 percent of elementary-school children in the Fifth Ward transfer to other schools, mainly magnet programs. "We'd rather have an old school than no school."