Poe Elementary, as of 2001, had about 700 students. It has bilingual programs for all grade levels and a fine arts magnet program.[5] The 1980 Houston/Harris County Metropolitan Area Southwest-Westpark Corridor Transitway Alternatives: Environmental Impact Statement of the Urban Mass Transportation Administration described Poe as "a thriving, well-integrated magnet school".[6]
From 1974 to 2021 the Poe Cooperative Nursery School (Poe-Co), a privately-operated pre-school, was located on the Poe school grounds; it was established in 1974 in order to revive enrollment at Poe Elementary. It earned National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation in 1991, making it the first parent cooperative preschool to do so. Poe-Co moved from the Poe Elementary grounds after HISD removed private preschools from public school properties.
The Poe Elementary School bombing occurred on September 15, 1959, when a man named Paul Orgeron detonated a bomb during recess at Poe Elementary School, killing himself, a teacher (Jennie Katharine Kolter), a custodian (James Arlie Montgomery, for which Montgomery Elementary was named[9]), and three 7-year-old boys (Billy Hawes, Jr., John Fitch, Jr., and Dusty Paul, Orgeron's son). Ruth Doty, the principal, was partially deafened in one ear by the blast.[citation needed] Unlike school attacks in the early 21st century, there was no constant national and international media coverage of the Poe attack. No memorial was constructed at Poe Elementary. HISD named two new elementary schools after victims of the attack: Kolter Elementary School in Meyerland and Montgomery Elementary School in Southwest Houston.[10]
Ann McClellan served as principal of Poe beginning circa 1990, and according to the Houston Chronicle, during her tenure Poe "earned its reputation for high TAAS scores and academic standards."[15] She served in that capacity until 2001, when Debbie Verdon became principal on July 23. Verdon previously worked in the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District as a principal.[15]
When the 2005-2006 school year concluded, Will Rogers Elementary School closed. Poe Elementary School gained the portion of the Will Rogers zoning boundary that was east of Weslayan.[16][17]
Poe Elementary, which has a light pink, velour brick exterior, copper sheet metal in a natural tone, and a multicolored natural slate roof, uses an American Colonial and Georgian theme. It was the prototype of Architect Harry D. Payne's school design for HISD.[20] Poe's sister schools are River Oaks, Briscoe, Field, Henderson, and Wharton elementaries, which all share the same floor plan. Payne gave each of those schools its own unique exterior.[21]
The school library, previously consisting solely of the area of three classrooms, received an over $80,000 renovation and expansion in 2002. Parents and other area residents contributed $50,000 while the parent-teacher organization (PTO) held fundraisers and other events to generate $40,000. As of 2002[update] the school library had six IBM compatible computers and four iMacs.[22]
Poe Elementary has a fireplace and chimney given to the school by Ima Hogg. As of 2010 the fireplace is located in the art classroom.[23]
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The school has dance, music, Suzuki violin, and visual art classes as part of its magnet program.[18]
Transportation
As of 1985[update] about 200 Poe students lived north of U.S. Highway 59 and used a bridge on Woodhead Drive to travel to the school, south of the freeway; at least twenty students regularly traveled as pedestrians while about 66% of those north of U.S. 59 were driven in private cars. School bus service was not available since the students lived too close to the school.[24]
School culture
Every year Poe Elementary holds a carnival patronized by members of the Boulevard Oaks community, parents, and future parents. The carnival raises funds to cover budget gaps not supported by HISD or by the State of Texas.[25] The school also holds an annual auction fundraiser.[26]
At first, students had a choice of white, red, yellow, or navy blue T-shirts and polo shirts and school T-shirts.[28] Later the school banned all non-Poe logo shirts. As of 2006, all shirts must have the Poe logo.
Students must wear khaki bottoms.
The Texas Education Agency specified that the parents and/or guardians of students zoned to a school with uniforms may apply for a waiver to opt out of the uniform policy so their children do not have to wear the uniform; parents must specify "bona fide" reasons, such as religious reasons or philosophical objections.[29]
Poe Cooperative Nursery School
Poe Cooperative Nursery School in 2017, when it was on the campus of Poe Elementary
There is a formerly affiliated private preschool, Poe Cooperative Nursery School (Poe-Co), which historically shared a campus with the public Poe elementary school. It was established after a decline in enrollment at Poe Elementary in the 1970s that occurred due to racial integration.[30] While the parents themselves administered the school and served as assistants in the classrooms, HISD provided the building space and the supporting utility and maintenance services.[30]
Then-HISD superintendent Billy Reagan suggested that a private preschool open on the grounds of Poe Elementary.[31] The preschool opened on February 4, 1974,[11] with two classes of students. The enrollments of these two classes were filled shortly after PoeCo opened. Poe Elementary received an increase in enrollment after PoeCo opened.[30] The preschool was originally held in temporary locations,[11] with some located in the Poe property and some outside of Poe.[30] In 1985 two classrooms in the north wing of the Poe school building were converted into preschool classrooms.[11] The preschool earned National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation in 1991, making it the first parent cooperative preschool to do so.[11]
Each parent of an enrolled student must work at the preschool for two days out of every month.[32]
PoeCo holds an annual garage sale to support its operations.[33] PoeCo parents also assist in the wider Poe Elementary carnival by manning booths and/or babysitting for parents who work in the carnival.[34]
In 2020 HISD announced that it will expel private preschools from HISD campuses. HISD was trying to build its own public preschools, and HISD receives funding from the state for public preschool students but not private preschool students.[31] It moved to St. Matthew Lutheran Church effective June 2021.[35]
Poe Elementary serves as a polling location during elections. The Houston Press ranked it as the best polling center in Houston in 2003.[51]
References
Driscoll, Amy. Cases in Early Childhood Education: Stories of Programs and Practices. Allyn and Bacon, 1994. ISBN0205150217, 9780205150212. Chapter 7, Poe Cooperative Nursery School "Parent Involvement: Building Community for Children and Parents" is on pages 113-130.
^Markley, Melanie. "Winds of change alarm River Oaks Vanguard parents."[dead link]Houston Chronicle. Sunday April 2, 1995. p. A33. Retrieved on October 22, 2012. Available on NewsBank (Record: HSC04021265468), accessible with a Houston Public Library card. "Indeed, River Oaks Elementary ceased to be a neighborhood school in 1986. [...] As it now stands, River Oaks children are zoned to one of three schools outside their community -- [...] Poe Elementary on the other side of the Southwest Freeway in Southampton [...]"
^Payne, Harry D. A.I.A. "Six New Elementary School Buildings for the Houston Independent School District." American School & University, Volume 2. Educational Division of North American Publishing Company, 1930. p. 84-88. CITED: p. 87 (PDF p. 4/5) - See: page 37 of Volume II. - This source refers to Poe as "Chevy Chase Elementary School"
^Ewing, Betty. "River Oaks grads, you can relive those good old days." Houston Chronicle. Monday November 29, 1976. Section 2. Page 1 ().
^Galloway, Melissa Bech (March 14, 2002). "Poe Elementary School library receives myriad of renovations". Houston Chronicle. p. ThisWeek p. 1. - NewsBank Record: 3527291. Available from the Houston Public Library website, accessible with a library card number and PIN.
^"School Uniforms", Texas Education Agency. June 2, 2008. Retrieved on June 20, 2017. "(c) A parent or guardian of a student assigned to attend a school at which students are required to wear school uniforms may choose for the student to be exempted from the requirement or to transfer to a school at which students are not required to wear uniforms and at which space is available if the parent or guardian provides a written statement that, as determined by the board of trustees, states a bona fide religious or philosophical objection to the requirement."
^ abcdDriscoll, p. 114 (see Search view #1 and Search view #2 and "Their+discussions+resulted+in+the+founding" Search view #3) "In the early 1970s, enrollment at Poe Elementary School declined dramatically in response to the court-ordered racial integration of the Houston Independent School District. Poe parents approached the superintendent with their concern about declining enrollment and the loss of neighborhood children to private schools. Their discussions resulted in the founding of a preschool as a way of attracting community families to Poe. (Hansen, 1992) The school district provided space, utilities, and nominal maintenance, while parents coordinated administrative details[...]"
^Hewes, Dorothy W. It's the Camaraderie: A History of Parent Cooperative Preschools. Center for Cooperatives, University of California, 1998. ISBN1885641230, 9781885641236. p. 328.
^Harris County Block Book Maps: Southampton: JPG and PDF Southampton Addition: JPG and PDF
^McCoy, Terence (October 10, 2012). "Millionaires Clash Over Shadyside Mansion". Houston Press. Retrieved December 20, 2016. "In 1983, the Shadyside property owners' association bought the only two streets inside the community, Remington and Longfellow lanes,[...]" - The street names may be used to find the location of the community and compare it to the Poe boundary map.
^Wollam, Allison. "Riverside Terrace bucks housing slowdown." Houston Business Journal. August 15, 2008. Retrieved on April 18, 2009. "It’s becoming common practice for homes in the Riverside Terrace area — a historic Inner-Loop neighborhood bounded by Scott, North MacGregor, Almeda and Wheeler[...]"
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