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Two New Charter Schools to Open in August, Connections Academy Renamed
Charter schools have been some of HISD’s most successful campuses, and they have also been very popular with many students and parents. On July 16, 2009, the Board of Education voted to enlarge HISD’s portfolio of educational options by approving the applications to create two new charter schools. The trustees also authorized a name change for a district electronic-course pilot program.
One of the applications was for the creation of a seventh early college high school that would be an HISD internal charter school governed by the district’s staffing and budget rules and conduct high-school classes on the Texas Southern University campus. The goal is to open in August with a projected 100 ninth-grade students and add the higher grade levels one at a time over the next three years for a maximum of 400 students, with transportable buildings brought in if needed. The design team for the school includes parent, community, business, teacher, and HISD South Region representatives. “It’s always exciting to give our students another choice and opportunity,” trustee Diana Dávila said.
The board also approved the application by Pro-Vision Educational Services, Inc., to create Vision Academy as an external charter high school. Pro-Vision’s Pro-Vision School has been serving HISD male middle-school students for the past 13 years. To be located at Pro-Vision’s headquarters at 4590 Wilmington Street and monitored by HISD’s Alternative and Charter Schools Office, the new high school will open in August with a maximum of 32 full-time students the first year. Its nontraditional program is designed to prepare male high-school-age students to pursue postsecondary education or vocational trade certifications. Vision Academy will also serve the students’ families through a socio-educational program that includes parent support groups, parent training, student community-service initiatives, and community involvement. Pro-Vision’s middle school “has turned some rough characters into fine young men,” trustee Paula Harris said, “and I look forward to seeing what it does with ninth-graders.”
Finally, the board changed the name of Houston Connections Academy to Texas Connections Academy at Houston. The electronic-course pilot program opened in December as a partnership with the Maryland-based Connections Academy, which operates free virtual public schools in 15 other states. Combining home-schooling, personalized distance learning, strong parental involvement, and traditional public education aligned with Texas’ academic standards, the program serves students in grades 3–8. The new name reflects the statewide scope of its potential enrollment, with students (including those in private schools or being home-schooled) able to enroll in the program while living anywhere in Texas.
