HISD plans to cut enrollment at costly alternative school
HISD Supt. Terry Grier, reversing course, told the school board this morning that he plans to recommend continuing the contract with Community Education Partners to serve children with discipline problems.
To cut costs, which Grier said was his major concern with CEP, the district will reduce the number of students it pays the private company to serve.
Instead of paying CEP a flat $18.3 million for 1,600 students, the district will pay for 1,200 students next school year. That will cut costs by as much as $4.6 million, according to HISD's report. The district will set aside $1 million in case it exceeds the 1,200-student cap, however, so the cost savings might not be as great.
The district will reduce the number of students it pays to serve by another 200 over two years.
Chief Financial Officer Melinda Garrett said the district considered contracting with the Harris County Department of Education instead, but it would cost as much as $2.5 million for a facilty. CEP has its own buildings.
Grier said there wasn't enough time for the district to develop its own disciplinary alternative program.
Grier had ordered a study of CEP shortly after taking over HISD last fall. The study isn't complete (the Texas A&M University researcher fell ill), but Grier and Chief Academic Officer Chuck Morris said it has been difficult to gather data from CEP. Preliminary results, Grier said, showed that student attendance rates at CEP were around 75 percent. The goal in the current contract is 85 percent.
In a revised contract with CEP, the district plans to require CEP to collect more data such as more carefully tracking dropouts.
I hope to talk to Grier after the school board workshop to understand better why he has decided against severing ties with CEP. As School Zone and Chronicle readers know, this
To cut costs, which Grier said was his major concern with CEP, the district will reduce the number of students it pays the private company to serve.
Instead of paying CEP a flat $18.3 million for 1,600 students, the district will pay for 1,200 students next school year. That will cut costs by as much as $4.6 million, according to HISD's report. The district will set aside $1 million in case it exceeds the 1,200-student cap, however, so the cost savings might not be as great.
The district will reduce the number of students it pays to serve by another 200 over two years.
Chief Financial Officer Melinda Garrett said the district considered contracting with the Harris County Department of Education instead, but it would cost as much as $2.5 million for a facilty. CEP has its own buildings.
Grier said there wasn't enough time for the district to develop its own disciplinary alternative program.
Grier had ordered a study of CEP shortly after taking over HISD last fall. The study isn't complete (the Texas A&M University researcher fell ill), but Grier and Chief Academic Officer Chuck Morris said it has been difficult to gather data from CEP. Preliminary results, Grier said, showed that student attendance rates at CEP were around 75 percent. The goal in the current contract is 85 percent.
In a revised contract with CEP, the district plans to require CEP to collect more data such as more carefully tracking dropouts.
I hope to talk to Grier after the school board workshop to understand better why he has decided against severing ties with CEP. As School Zone and Chronicle readers know, this