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HISD reports Sunrise Centers served thousands; HERC analysis shows accessibility and attendance links to improved outcomes
Summary
HISD's Sunrise Centers served thousands of families and students in the program's second year; Rice University's Houston Education Research Consortium presented maps of access, demographic reach and preliminary analysis showing multiple visits correlated with better attendance and behavior.
HOUSTON — Houston Independent School District staff and researchers from Rice University's Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC) told the board on June 12 that the district's Sunrise Centers, opened over the past two years, reached thousands of families and showed early signs of positive impact on student attendance and behavior.
Najah Callender, deputy chief of family and community partners at HISD, said the district opened seven Sunrise Centers in a short period and that the second-year program served about 17,000 unique students and provided food to more than 27,000 families; roughly 9,000 families received clothing or uniforms. Callender framed the centers as 'add[ing] services to HISD's existing continuum of care.'
Dr. Gabriela Sanchez of HERC presented geographic mapping used to locate centers and measure accessibility by drive time and transit access. HERC found that roughly eight in 10 HISD families could reach a Sunrise Center within short driving times and that most centers were within walking distance of a bus stop. Using ZIP-code analyses of who attended, HERC found visitor origins concentrated in northern and southeastern areas of the district and highlighted particularly high use of the Youth Development Center, West YMCA and Mission Milby sites.
Researchers reported demographic patterns showing most visiting students identified as Black or Hispanic, most were elementary-age, and more than nine in 10 were classified as economically disadvantaged. HERC also shared preliminary results linking repeated visits to improved outcomes: students with three or more visits showed gains in attendance and behavior, though researchers called the findings preliminary and subject to further confirmation as more data arrive.
Callender and HERC stressed the program's rapid scale-up and reliance on data maps to site centers. Callender noted teams are still finalizing metrics through June 30 to meet grant and program targets. Several board members thanked program staff and partners in the audience.
Board members did not take a formal vote on the Sunrise Centers presentation, but the report was accepted as part of the superintendent's monthly reports and will feed into the district's wraparound-services planning and future budget conversations.
