Sunnyside residents upset over unruly grass at HISD campuses

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Sunnyside resident Travis McGee told ABC13 he's living in a jungle in his neighborhood.

That jungle is the grass at Worthing High School on Reed Road.

Tuesday morning, he and another resident met with ABC13 to voice their frustration with the unruly landscaping.

"Get the grass cut," Tyrone North said.

North and McGee are both alumni of Worthing.

The grass on campus went well past their knees as they walked around, lamenting its current state.

"It's ridiculous," North said.

Worthing High School isn't the only Houston Independent School District campus in the area with tall grass.

Eyewitness News also found it at Woodson Leadership Academy and Young Elementary.

Additionally, ABC13 received reports that the lawns of Lanier Middle School in Montrose and Fondren Elementary School in southwest Houston are also overgrown.

"They can't even maintain their current schools, and they have the audacity to ask us for a multi-billion dollar bond," McGee said, referencing district's $4.4 billion bond proposal.

Eyewitness News contacted HISD to find out if they were aware of the grass at these campuses and if the issue is indicative of cost-cutting measures or a summer mowing schedule.

A district spokesperson said they usually try to mow every 15 to 21 days and that Worthing High School had been delayed due to weather issues. It's on the schedule to be mowed this week.

Students are currently on summer vacation, but North and McGee said the grass started to look bad while school was still in session.

"This is a school in our neighborhood that we pay our tax dollars to," North said. "The district doesn't care."

North said he offered to cut the grass at Worthing himself but was told he couldn't due to liability reasons.

It is in the City of Houston's Code of Ordinances that grass in the city must be kept at nine inches or less.

ABC13 asked Mayor John Whitmire's office if these schools would be cited for the violation.

A spokesperson said they usually don't cite other government agencies, but could work with the district to rectify the issue.

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