HISD and Mike Miles are planning to pave over recently renovated Grimes Park in Sunnyside to build a new Career & Technology center. Read more in Sunnyside blindsided by plans to demolish a renovated park.
In 2023, Grimes Park underwent a major renovation funded by the Houston Parks Board 50/50 Parks Partners public/private partnership that added walking paths, lighting, a new basketball court, tennis courts, and converted the softball field into a fully functional football field. Grimes Park is owned by HISD and has been leased by the City of Houston since 1977.
Now, HISD wants to tear it all up.
HISD publicly presented this CTE project as being built at Grimes Elementary, closed in 2011. HISD never publicly stated that it would require tearing up the recently renovated park to build it.
And this isn't the only option. HISD owns numerous similarly-sized neglected properties in Sunnyside, including nearby Fairchild Elementary, closed since 2007, and Rhoads, closed since 2011.
It is the same as paving over recently renovated Pumpkin Park in wealthy, exclusive River Oaks to build a facility for Lamar High School students. It would never happen.
Why, then, is it acceptable in a predominantly Black community like Sunnyside? Racism, classism, or both?
Email the HISD Board of Managers, City Council and anyone you know on the Parks Board and ask for a pause on the project until HISD determines whether nearby HISD properties (one is a little over a mile away about the same size) can be used instead. To speak at City Hall on Tue, sign up here.
This could save the park and help our Houston schoolchildren.
Registration for the September 26–27 Network for Public Education (NPE) National Conference in Conroe closes this week! NPE is offering you a special Buy 1, Get 1 Free deal to CVPE members who attended the summer forum. NPE was founded by Diane Ravitch and there will be public education advocates from around the country at the conference.
And you don't have to find your own partner. The only requirement is that at least one person in the pair attended the CVPE Forum.
Want to take advantage of this offer?
👉 Fill out this form: Conference Pairing Form
We'll match you with another person who wants to attend and email both of you with the pairing information.
Important: One person in each pair must purchase a conference ticket this week to activate the Buy 1, Get 1 Free offer.
📅 September 26–27
📍 Conroe, Texas
🎟️ NPE 2026 National Conference Registration
Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with public education advocates from across the country and bring someone with you!
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