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HOUSTON

By Ericka Mellon

HISD officials find grim conditions at N. Forestschools

Eric Kayne

Temporary classrooms at North Forest ISD's Fonwood Elementary School will be demolished before

students return in August to resume classes as part of the Houston Independent School District.

July 3, 2013

The HISD leaders tried not to scowl as they walked into classrooms with broken glass, flooded

floors, outdated chalkboards, graffiti on walls, gum on desks and the smell of mildew.

The head of food service swept cockroaches from the high school kitchen and pledged that the

exterminator would return for a second visit.

"It's about expectations. Why would you

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allow this for kids?" Orlando Riddick, the district's high school chief, asked as he toured North

Forest High School Tuesday.

More details: Find out what else they found on the tour

It was the second day of a 55-day clean-up mission that the Houston Independent School District

must assume since the state ordered it to take over problem-plagued North Forest ISD. Dozens of

maintenance workers and high-level staff descended on the campuses this week, and their concerns

quickly stretched beyond cosmetic issues to safety problems.

Buses with worn brakes

Nathan Graf, head of transportation for HISD, determined that most of the 35 buses in the North

Forest fleet were unsafe - with worn-out brakes, tires with little tread, and fuel and oil leaks. Many

were in such bad shape that HISD had to tow them to its service center.

Graf said he suspected that students rode on some of the neglected buses last year, but records

weren't readily available to confirm this. Most were due for their annual state inspection in coming

months, he said, but they did have valid stickers from their last one.

At Fonwood Elementary, one of North Forest's older schools, HISD Superintendent Terry Grier

pointed out exposed wires and broken playground equipment, and noted that one area inside had

failed an air-quality test.

7/4/13 HISD officials find grim conditions at N. Forest schools - Houston Chronicle

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Eric Kayne

Problems noted by HISD officials at Fonwood Elementary included this exit sign, held up with zip ties.

HISD Superintendent Terry Grier said fixing what's wrong could cost $10 million.

Grier said he hopes to find funds to replace the 54-year-old building, but for now it will get a mild

makeover before classes resume in August. Crews this week ripped out mildewed carpeting,

prepared to install doors that meet disability rules and ordered new water fountains. The old ones are

too tall for children and are bolted to the walls, presumably to keep them from falling or being stolen.

"I just keep repeating, 'I can't believe kids were here,' " said the new principal, Kimberly Agnew

Borders, who lives in North Forest and still attends church in the northeast Houston area.

In a music room, violins with no strings lay on dusty shelves. The ceiling in a foul-smelling restroom

was dotted with what looked like spit balls.

The new principal showed Grier the teachers' lounge - equipped with a flat-screen television,

upholstered chairs, a plush couch and flowers.

"I think this tells the story," Borders said.

"It talks about where your priorities were," Grier added.

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Eric Kayne

Alejandro Rodarte rips up old, stained carpet inside a classroom Tuesday as HISD begins its state-

ordered takeover of North Forest ISD's Fonwood Elementary School. Outside, meanwhile, yard crews

tackled overgrown grass and weeds around broken and rusted playground equipment.

Could cost $10 million

For the past few years, a Texas Education Agency appointee has monitored North Forest, charged

with overseeing academics, finances and management issues. Debbie Ratcliffe, a spokeswoman for

the agency, noted that the conservator didn't work full time - the district had to pay her fee under

state law - and couldn't fix all the problems in a long-troubled system.

"One person can't do it on their own, and you've got to have a certain level of cooperation with the

district," Ratcliffe said.

At one point, the state agency's hand-picked superintendent oversaw an $18,000 renovation of the

district's central office foyer, including a 144-gallon freshwater aquarium.

At North Forest High, new principal Pam Farinas expressed shock over a wallpapered room with a

grandfather clock, a dining room table and chairs, a glass coffee table and a display cabinet showing

off Lenox china. She was told parents met there.

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A boarded-up classroom hides broken glass, puddles of water and overturned desks and chairs.

Portable carts that Farinas thought would house laptops are empty. HISD officials say they have no

way to find out whether equipment was stolen before they arrived.

Take a tour: See more photos of the conditions

Grier estimated that the cost of readying the North Forest schools will reach $10 million. Even the

nearby streets need cleaning, he said, and he has asked Mayor Annise Parker's office to help clear

ditches filled with trash.

Time for summer school

The former president of the North Forest school board, Charles Taylor Sr., refused to answer

questions Tuesday about the district facilities and hung up on a reporter.

Beyond the buildings, the new principals are poring over records to determine which students need

to start summer school on Monday. Retired HISD counselors are being brought in to help.

"If you need to hire two or three more - just make it right," Grier said.

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