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Since the fall of 2010, when the first Bob Hope School opened in Port Arthur, our charter school system has grown exponentially, from one campus serving 250 students to five campuses with 2,500 enrolled.

Consistent with our mission, our schools are located in high-needs communities with a dire need for better public school options.

Given our schools’ success and impact, and the needs of families in our region, we want many more students to have access to the life-changing opportunities that Bob Hope School provide.

Based on an in-depth analysis of community needs and the severe shortage of quality public school options, our Board has approved an expansion plan to open four new campuses in East Harris County.

To bring this plan to life, we need help. Once a Bob Hope School is open and fully enrolled, public funding covers most of its operating costs – but because Texas provides minimal state funding for charter school facilities, we rely on private funding to launch new schools.

Expanding Excellence is a $25.5 million capital campaign to fund Bob Hope School’ s expansion plan, which will create 3,360 new seats in high-quality schools in East Harris County. By 2029, we anticipate serving 6,260 students across Jefferson and Harris counties.

In 2022, we initiated a strategic planning process that included an examination of several communities that are potential sites for future expansion. We studied the performance of traditional public schools and charter schools, as well as community demographics by zip code.

This allowed us to zero in on communities that met our criteria: high concentration of poverty, large or growing numbers of children and a prevalence of low-performing schools.

Based on a review of needs and opportunities, we selected specific communities in East Harris County as the focus of our expansion efforts:

• BHS Baytown Elementary & Middle School – We opened the Elementary School in August 2023 with Grades Pre-K3-2, adding 3rd through 5th in the subsequent years, and the Middle School is scheduled to open in August 2027;
• BHS Pasadena Elementary & Middle School – We plan to open the Elementary School in August 2025 with Grades Pre-K3-2, adding 3rd through 5th in the subsequent years, and the Middle School is scheduled to open in August 2029;
• BHS Channelview Elementary & Middle School – We plan to open this campus in August 2027; and
• BHS Deer Park Elementary & Middle School – We plan to open this campus in August 2029.

The total cost to implement Expanding Excellence, our East Harris County expansion plan, is $45 million, and we are launching a $25.5 million capital campaign to raise the philanthropic support needed.

The remaining $19.5 million will come from public sources, cash reserves and financing.

To date, we have secured $7 million in commitments, thanks to transformational gifts from Mackenzie Scott and Houston Charter Seed Fund.

The Seed Fund is a culmination of donations from The Brown Foundation, Houston Endowment, Dovetail Impact Foundation, Greater Houston Community Foundation and others to support charter school growth specifically in the Houston area.

If you would like to inquire about Expanding Excellence, please contact Kelsey.Borza@BobHopeSchool.org.

Kelsey Borza is the fund developer at Bob Hope Schools. She can be reached at 409-983-3244, ext. 566 or Kelsey.Borza@BobHopeSchool.org.