HISD’s Post-Storm Recovery
A Race Against Time In the wake of the severe storm that struck last Thursday, the Houston Independent School District (HISD) is on the brink of a critical decision. This Sunday, HISD will determine the feasibility of welcoming students back to their campuses come Monday. The storm’s wrath left a trail of destruction, rendering multiple campuses inoperable and putting the district’s resilience to the test.
20240518 HOUSTON TEXAS
Post Storm Damage, Cleanup & Power Restoration#hisd #pisd #hou pic.twitter.com/rkdc27RlHL— Robert Waloven (@comlabman) May 19, 2024
Superintendent Mike Miles of Houston ISD conducted an on-site assessment of the damages at Sinclair Elementary—one of the hardest-hit campuses. The aftermath of the storm was evident with tree limbs, debris, and insulation strewn about the school’s perimeter. Sinclair was not alone in its plight; Pugh, Robinson, and Paige Elementary Schools also bore the brunt of the storm, suffering structural damages like broken windows and toppled trees. Despite these setbacks, officials have confirmed the buildings’ structural integrity remains intact.
The district’s maintenance crews have been working tirelessly around the clock. Their efforts have brought power back to 59 schools, a significant improvement from the initial 136 affected. HISD’s primary objective is clear: to resume normal school operations by Monday. However, Superintendent Miles has outlined a contingency plan—if a student’s home campus is still powerless, alternative arrangements will be made to transport them to a different school.
As the community holds its breath, CenterPoint’s Outage Tracker indicates that 350,029 residents are still without electricity. The company has assured that restoration efforts are underway, with a completion target set for Wednesday.
HISD is poised to make its announcement regarding the schools’ operational status starting at noon on Sunday, a decision that will shape the immediate future of the district’s educational landscape.
