News

Effort to Save Failing Schools DALLAS, TX (KERA) - The Dallas School District is making plans to save Spruce and Samuel High Schools, should both fail to meet state academic standards again this year. KERA's BJ Austin says the Texas Education Agency can shut-down schools with five consecutive years of failure.

If the two schools fail for the fifth year, Dallas School Superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa is recommending they be turned into "gender-based" schools: a high school for boys, and one for girls. The District's Irma Rangel Women's Leadership School has been successful. But, Superintendent Hinojosa says remaking Spruce and Samuel as comprehensive gender high schools will be a challenge.

Hinojosa: Those will be schools of choice. Those students will not be assigned to those schools. Now, we're going to have a heckuva sales job to try to get families to go to those schools, because that won't be their assigned school. They'll have to choose to go to that school.

Dr. Hinojosa says the TEA has already promised to help with recruitment - should the plan be put into action. The School Board votes on it Thursday. The District finds out of in MAY if Spruce and Samuel failed again. If so, the NEW gender high schools will have to be ready to open in August.

Send E-mail to BJ Austin

© Copyright 2009, KERA