| As the Houston Schools get approval for funding new | | | | YMCA Trustees point to the safety, personnel and |
| and existing facilities, they may also stand to save land | | | | upkeep responsibilities that need to be addressed |
| costs and reap benefits from a partnership with the | | | | before giving this project a green light. Liability issues of |
| Greater Houston YMCA. Public discussions between | | | | having Houston Schools' students on the same ground |
| the two involve a shared facility that would house both | | | | will need to be considered. At this point only a single |
| a YMCA campus and a Summerwood Middle School. | | | | entrance exists for both the YMCA and the Houston |
| The proposed site involves 18 acres of land owned by | | | | Schools' building. Also, some YMCA personnel would |
| the YMCA. | | | | have offices in the school. Will the two cultures mix? |
| As more reports are released on childhood obesity, | | | | Partnerships with corporations, businesses and other |
| more findings link a sedentary lifestyle to diseases like | | | | non-public entities like the YMCA seem to be the new |
| diabetes, and television watching and video games | | | | direction of education. Mega grants from companies |
| seem like national pass-times, parents of Houston | | | | like Microsoft and smaller partnerships are giving |
| Schools would love to see the middle school facility | | | | inner-city schools funding they no longer get from the |
| merged with the YMCA. Houston Schools are in a | | | | public sector. For Houston Schools the YMCA |
| better position than some other large cities such as | | | | partnership may only be the beginning of this approach. |
| Detroit where voters refused to fund another penny | | | | Donald McAdams, in his book Fighting to Save Our |
| for critical issues like leaky buildings and out of date | | | | Urban Schools...and Winning! Lessons from Reforming |
| technology. Still, the potential cost saving of this project | | | | Houston Schools elaborates on the twelve steps |
| could mean a lot to Houston Schools. | | | | taken in this successful assessment of school reform. |
| While Houston Schools would gain about $600,000 | | | | Among his lessons are that "Non-traditional |
| from the shared land arrangement, many details are | | | | superintendents might be the best reformers" and that |
| still unresolved. For Houston Schools the benefits list is | | | | "Business leaders play an important role in urban |
| pretty promising. They include saved land costs, state | | | | reform." Houston Schools do have one of the better |
| of the art facilities, and ease of promoting healthy | | | | reputations among large cities. |
| behavior with students. Assistant Superintendent for | | | | As for the YMCA and Summerwood Middle School, |
| Support Services of Houston Schools Mark Krueger | | | | the anxious parents and students of Houston Schools |
| has said that the partnership could work since the two | | | | will have to be patient just a little while longer. This |
| entities have similar schedules. So what concerns | | | | partnership would be the first of its kind and needs |
| exist? | | | | more exploration by everyone involved. |