Over two dozen Creekside Park residents and parents spoke at The Woodlands Township board meeting on Oct. 25 requesting aid as Tomball ISD plans to locate a $54.6 million intermediate school at FM 2920 and Hufsmith-Kohrville Road, which parents claim would be an hour's drive from the original location.
However, estimates from Google show the proposed school site at the Tomball Innovation Center is 5-6 miles from Creekside Park Junior High.
The background
Tomball ISD announced plans in April to construct an intermediate school at the Tomball Innovation Center as opposed to the elementary school that was approved in the Tomball ISD 2021 bond referendum.
According to the district’s director of project development, Jim Ross, constructing the intermediate facility in Creekside Park would cause “overcrowding” of schools in the area and not provide enough green space for fields.
What’s being done
The intermediate school was intended to serve residents of Creekside Park in The Woodlands. However, parents have requested the township provide additional support in convincing district officials to return to the original plan to prevent students being transported from Creekside Park to Tomball.
While members of the Tomball ISD board were present, they did not speak or provide any solutions at the township meeting due to not having full board authorization. However, the township requested a town hall meeting with the district to look at possible land sharing opportunities to prevent moving the school.
Quotes of note
“We really believe [in partnerships] here in The Woodlands. There's got to be a solution to this if we need to come in and get creative because we've got more parks per capita than anybody in the United States,” board member Brad Bailey said. “I want to look at every opportunity to do this because putting these children in buses for an hour and a half, two hours a day is just not right.”
“We're grateful to be here tonight to listen to parent concerns. We've been listening to parent concerns. I have no comment. I cannot speak on behalf of the [Tomball ISD] board tonight. All of the feedback is helpful. That's all I can say,” Tomball ISD board president Lee McLeod said.
