Preserve Jack Yates HS Front Building and Land Marker

Jack Yates alumni, parents, and community request that HISD Board of Education Trustees and Superintendent vote in favor to save the Front Historical Preservation of Jack Yates High School building marker and landmark for a blended campus, just as you have granted for Wheatley, Worthing, Kashmere, Waltrip and Lamar just to name a few high schools.

We request a blended campus to preserve the legacy and original structure of Jack Yates Sr High School in an effort (1) to maintain what we already have as the school’s address of 3703 Sampson St., (2) obtain a historical building marker and (3) obtain an historical land marker. In addition, we need a true feeder pattern Middle School that's compatible with our pathways to expand enrollment.

Under the current rebuild provisions, we’re losing the following: (1) Historical Landmark (new school will have to be existing for 100 years before obtaining markers due to the new statues), (2) 1.5 acres (including 100 ft front, 400 ft wide easement and a retention pond), (3) 80,000 sq ft of building space, (4) swimming pool (learn to swim for students, swim team and Maritime Program), (5) auditorium space, (6) 2 gyms (instead of 1 gym with sliding partition walls), (7) tennis courts ("Mattress Mack" Jim McIngvale donated funds to build 4 courts in 2010), (8) outside basketball courts, (9) the ability to expand our enrollment capacity and (10) for HISD to ensure and prevent bait and switch tactics to build a new building for the University of Houston. The preservation paradigm, creates a new Jack Yates without losing key elements of our current footprint. Supporting programs and offices used by students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni and community can be utilized in the original building as a way to maintain a sound structure and bring in additional funding to support the school. The 2012 Parsons Report is supporting evidence that the foundational structure is sound and needs no construction work.