HISD Superintendent Dr. Terry Grier promised that North Forest High School will remain open, but as for the rest of the district, there may be a lot of changes.
July 1 is a date that looms large over the North Forest school district. It's the day on which North Forest ends and the consolidation with the Houston school district begins. But North Forest hasn't yet given up.
Chris Tritico, attorney for NFISD, said, ""It's a big mess. Almost a thousand families have been uprooted because of this."
Tritico is the attorney for the school district that the state education commissioner ordered shut down, because of unacceptable test scores and graduation rates. The argument is that North Forest made progress in the past two years. The case is being appealed before the state and Tritico is asking the justice department to intervene.
"To merge them from a 250,000 person district into a three million voting block, they're diluted to nothing," Tritico said.
In the meantime, North Forest workers are preparing to apply for jobs with HISD. Non contract employees were sent termination notices effective June 30. Teachers haven't been informed of terminations yet.
HISD has 600 jobs in the district. Of that number, there are 400 teaching positions open.
Dr. Rodney Watson, with HISD Human Resources, explained, "There is no process that every employee is guaranteed a job, but every candidate is guaranteed an opportunity an opportunity to apply."
About 100 people showed up for an informational session to help guide them through the application process.
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