Parent on HISD letting volunteers clear storm damage: 'That's just lazy'

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- With school set to start next week, volunteers cleared debris left behind by summer storms at one middle school that parents feared was dangerous for their students.

The brush left behind by Hurricane Beryl was top of mind for volunteers from the Near Northside Community Response Team on Wednesday.

"We're going to do as a community what we need to make our community thrive," group founder Belinda Moreno said.

Efforts by these volunteers help the younger parts of the community flourish, and they weren't cleaning debris in their own yards, but rather school grounds.

With class set to start in days, Marshall Middle School parents contacted the group.

"If I walked through this as a child, I don't think I'd be really impressed with the school," Moreno explained. "Hopefully, we can do exactly what we can to make it look presentable to these students and let them know their worth means something to us."

It's an effort that means a lot to parents who were concerned about seeing the debris and had not heard from the school about when it would be removed.

"They said they're working on it," parent Roxann Siller recalled. "They haven't sent us any emails or anything, but when I asked them, they said they're working on it."

When ABC13 asked HISD why it took volunteers and not facility staff to clear debris, a spokesperson issued the following statement:

HISD is aware of and working with the City of Houston to remove the remaining storm debris at Marshall MS. Like all of Houston, HISD campuses were significantly impacted by the May derecho and Hurricane Beryl. Our teams have been doing everything possible to prepare all our campuses for the start of school on August 12, 2024.

We are so grateful to the Marshall MS community who have organized a volunteer cleanup event to show their support for the students and staff following the hurricane. We value their partnership and will continue to work with the City and other partners to make sure the campus is ready for students on Monday.

"Lazy," Siller said. "It's being lazy. I'm sorry to say, but that's just lazy."

HISD officials said staff has been busy this summer getting storm-impacted campuses ready for the school year.

"Several of our campuses and facilities were heavily impacted by severe weather events in May and over the summer. Our facilities teams have been working around the clock to repair damages and keep our schools properly maintained and ready for students on August 12. The District is aware of mold detected in areas on at least two campuses. Steps have been taken to remedy the issue, including deep campus cleaning and a professional mold remediation team working on at least one campus. Air quality assessments have been taken and school and division leadership are communicating any changes with their communities so that all families are prepared for the first day of school. We expect all work will be complete and all schools will be ready to welcome students on August 12."

When ABC13 asked HISD which schools have mold problems, a spokesperson said they would check but have not responded. With the issues left behind by summer storms, some volunteers believe their assistance is what the district needs with school set to start in days.

"If I go to work, I'm going to have a nice living space," Moreno explained. "That's my living space. I want to know that I'm comfortable there. These kids need to be comfortable here, and right now, only is it not comfortable, it's not safe."

The district has made strides to prepare campuses. Just a couple of weeks ago, the district was worried that a dozen schools may not be ready for the start of school. Now, they expect all schools to be ready.

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