Edcouch-Elsa ISD expands ‘Honeycomb Closet’ to provide clothing, hygiene and prom resources for students

Edcouch-Elsa ISD officials reported the district-run Honeycomb Closet — also called the Hive Haven — has distributed basic clothing and hygiene supplies to hundreds of students and is expanding services to include prom attire, sports equipment and a planned thrift-style shop.

During the superintendent’s report, Dr. Sandy Ochoa described the closet’s August opening and said it is stocked entirely through community donations. Ochoa said the district had served 693 students through the closet as of its February 13 update and that the program is intended to reduce barriers that keep students from attending school.

The presentation included district enrollment and need figures: the district had 4,347 students and 4,014 were identified as economically disadvantaged; 61 students were identified as homeless. Ochoa said those counts underline the scale of need the closet aims to address.

Officials outlined multiple program components: “Breaking Barriers,” a voucher-based positive-reinforcement system tied to attendance and behavior; “Rent-It, Rock-It, Return-It,” a no-cost sign-out system for prom and interview attire; “Project Play,” to provide cleats and sports equipment for students who cannot afford them; and a “Skill Building” component where students help process donations and gain workplace skills. The long-term goal is to operate a community thrift shop that will continue supplying free basic items while generating small proceeds to replenish supplies.

Board member Ashley Vasquez and other donors were singled out during the presentation for providing dresses and sanitary supplies. Ochoa said the district’s goal for the prom initiative is to collect 200 donated dresses for the spring prom season, with prom dates expected in April or May but not yet finalized.

Administrators said the Honeycomb Closet currently operates out of the district’s DAP/alternative center and asked the board to consider a larger, more accessible site to receive drop-offs and to serve as a customer-facing space. They also proposed coordinating permanent neighborhood drop-off locations and partnering with local cleaners so donated formalwear can be reused year-to-year.

Board members and staff discussed logistics such as operating washers at a future site, maintaining free access to essential hygiene items (sanitary products will remain free), and using student volunteers and community service hours to process donations. No formal board action was required; the report sought community support and operational input.

District officials said the Honeycomb Closet is a donation-driven effort coordinated by counselors, social workers and case managers and asked the public to use campus drop-off points when available.