HOUSTON – Dec. 18, 2018 – A large crowd gathered on the Lone Star College-North Harris campus Tuesday morning to celebrate a new partnership between the college and Spring Independent School District during a special signing ceremony.

The partnership will result in the move of Spring Early College Academy onto the community college campus on W.W. Thorne Drive for the 2019-20 school year, giving the more than 400 Spring ISD students enrolled the opportunity to take all of their high school classes on the college campus.

“Through this dialogue, we are able to create the start of a wonderful partnership,” said Dr. Gerald Fernandez Napoles, president of LSC-North Harris. “We have a strong relationship and history with Spring ISD. This is one of many events to make sure this partnership continues to grow.”

Thanks to the partnership, students will be able to fully experience college life while having the opportunity to graduate with an associate degree and earn a high school diploma at the same time.

“In Spring ISD, we often talk about legacy and how important it is for people to leave a lifelong legacy,” said Spring ISD Superintendent Dr. Rodney Watson. “We all have an opportunity to participate in another milestone in Spring ISD that will leave a lasting legacy for students to continue to follow. We are forever grateful of the support from Lone Star College.”

Last spring, Spring Early College Academy was ranked among the top 10 high schools in the Houston area according to Children at Risk, coming in number seven in the region and number 33 in the state. The non-profit education advocacy group releases its list at the end of each school year, using a variety of metrics to measure school performance, including student achievement, graduation rates and SAT/ACT participation, while factoring in the percentage of economically disadvantaged students.

“I’m excited because this is a new chapter and it gives us more opportunities for our school ,and we can do more and use the resources here at Lone Star College,” said student Maritza Aguilar.

Spring ISD Board President Rhonda Newhouse praised community members for their constant support of the district’s vision and encouraged students to grow into global leaders.

“To the young people coming here next year, we know that you will make us proud,” said Newhouse. “We know that you will become critical thinkers, responsible citizens, and most confidently, I know you’re going to come back and support Spring ISD and the Spring community.”

Spring Early College junior Zoila Martinez gave a moving speech during the signing ceremony, thanking both her high school community and Lone Star College, where she says her mother attended to learn English.

“At this school, I have been surrounded by students who are supportive and helpful of each other, faculty and staff that are patient, kind and always welcoming with a smile on their faces every day,” said Martinez. “The community within this institution has been like a second family to me, and I am very happy for this move because Lone Star has been a part of my family for a very long time.”

Martinez said the move to the campus will afford her and other high school students the resources to excel beyond the classroom.

“To have Lone Star be a place where I get to complete my high school education and further go into pursuing higher education in the future, it makes me overwhelmed with joy,” said Martinez.

This will be the third move for the academy, which started in 2011 in portable buildings located on Southridge Road, and moved in 2016 to a renovated building located on T.C. Jester that will now become a new middle school – Spring Leadership Academy.