Hardin-Jefferson Independent School District

School district in Texas

Hardin-Jefferson Independent School District is a public school district based in Sour Lake, Texas (USA). The district covers south-central Hardin and northwestern Jefferson counties.

In addition to Sour Lake, the district serves the cities of China, Nome, and Bevil Oaks, as well as the unincorporated community of Pinewood Estates.

Hardin-Jefferson won the 2007 Boys Basketball State Championship, beating Abilene Wylie 56 to 44.

In 2009, the school district was rated "recognized" by the Texas Education Agency.[1]

## History[edit]

### Hurricane Harvey damage and new construction[edit]

In 2017, the site of the original Henderson Junior High School was damaged by flooding from Hurricane Harvey, with the storm causing $30,000,000 in damages. From the 2017-2018 to the 2024-2024 school years, middle school students were educated in portable buildings. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers awarded the district nearly $28,000,000 of federal grants as part of a cost-sharing agreement in 2020 to replace Henderson Middle School. The school district passed two bonds in 2021 to use the funds to build a new Henderson Middle School, field house, and auditorium.[2] Construction began the same year.[3]

### Racially-motivated renaming controversy[edit]

In March of 2023, the school board of trustees, wholly composed of white members, voted to rename the new middle school Hardin-Jefferson Junior High to "align the name" of the middle school to other schools in the district after approximately 60 years of the school being named in honor of former principal J.H. Henderson. The decision to rename was met with disapproval from some members of the surrounding communities, accusing the district of wiping the name of J.H. Henderson, as principal of the then-Black school China High School which was later repurposed as a desegregated middle school 1960s. Henderson had been "the only Black high school principal to survive integration in China" and was praised as an educational pioneer of both the White and Black communities within the district, having served 29 years as a teacher.[4][5] Previously, more schools in the district had long been named in Henderson's honor. The board reassured that they were seeking alternative ways to honor Henderson and past employees' legacies[5] and adopted a new policy for the renaming of facilities that "could provide for community input to be presented to the board", which was met with additional criticism, with allegations of a more sinister reason being behind the changes, and questioning why no elementary schools were renamed.[6] The policy set requirements deceased persons had to meet in order to have a school named in their honor and an extensive community review process.[7]

## Schools[edit]

* Hardin-Jefferson High (Grades 9-12)
* The high school campus, newly built for the '09-'10 school year, sits along Texas State Highway 326 next to its predecessor, now Henderson Middle School.
* Hardin-Jefferson Junior High (Grades 6-8)
* Newly built for the 2023-2024 school year was built along Texas 326 next to Hardin-Jefferson High School and its predecessor Henderson Middle School.
* Sour Lake Elementary (Grades PK-5)
* Serving, largely, that of the district that lies in Hardin County (as well as some Nome residents), the campus sits along Highway 326 south of Sour Lake.
* China Elementary (Grades PK-5)
* Previously located in the center of China, the district instead allocated the old middle school campus (with considerable renovations) for use as the new elementary.

### Former[edit]

* Henderson Middle (Grades 6-8)
* Previously located in China where China Elementary now stands, the district relocated the middle school staff and students to the old high school campus in 2009. Shut down due to damages called by Hurricane Harvey.
* Henderson Village (Grades 6-8)
* Portable classrooms opened in 2017 due to damages to Henderson Middle. Closed in 2023 due to new middle school opening.

## Notable alumni[edit]

* Ben Broussard – Major League Baseball first baseman[8]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "2009 Accountability Rating System". Texas Education Agency. Archived from the original on 2015-10-25.
2. ^ Windes, Isaac. "FEMA will pay to rebuild 2 SE Texas middle schools". Beaumont Enterprise.
3. ^ "'We aren't gonna stop fighting' : Hardin-Jefferson ISD school board votes to pass policy for naming buildings". 12newsnow.com. June 26, 2023. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
4. ^ Ramos, Ralph (May 24, 1973). "Black Educator". Beaumount Enterprise. pp. 4A.
5. ^ a b "'We aren't gonna stop fighting' : Hardin-Jefferson ISD school board votes to pass policy for naming buildings". 12newsnow.com. June 26, 2023. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
6. ^ Juan, Angel San (2023-06-14). "Questions arise about HJISD board's motives in getting rid of Black educator's name from school building". KBTV. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
7. ^ Malick, Olivia; Hollinshead, Matt (2023-06-28). "Henderson name still missing from Hardin-Jefferson schools". Beaumont Enterprise. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
8. ^ "Ben Broussard Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved November 26, 2012.

## External links[edit]

* Hardin-Jefferson ISD

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School districts in Texas served by Region 5 Education Service Center

Chambers County|

* East Chambers ISD
* Other districts are served by Region 4 ESC

Galveston County|

* High Island ISD
* Other districts are served by Region 4 ESC

Hardin County|

* Hardin-Jefferson ISD
* Kountze ISD
* Lumberton ISD
* Silsbee ISD
* Warren ISD
* West Hardin CISD

Jasper County|

* Brookeland ISD
* Buna ISD
* Colmesneil ISD
* Evadale ISD
* Jasper ISD
* Kirbyville CISD
* Vidor ISD

Jefferson County|

* Beaumont ISD
* Hamshire-Fannett ISD
* Hardin-Jefferson ISD
* Nederland ISD
* Port Arthur ISD
* Port Neches-Groves ISD
* Sabine Pass ISD

Liberty County|

* Hull-Daisetta ISD
* Other districts are served by Region 4 ESC

Newton County|

* Brookeland ISD
* Burkeville ISD
* Deweyville ISD
* Kirbyville CISD
* Newton ISD

Orange County|

* Bridge City ISD
* Little Cypress-Mauriceville CISD
* Orangefield ISD
* Vidor ISD
* West Orange-Cove CISD

Tyler County|

* Chester ISD
* Colmesneil ISD
* Spurger ISD
* Woodville ISD
* Warren ISD

Brookeland ISD also extends into Sabine and San Augustine counties
Chester ISD and Woodville ISD also extend into Polk County, which has other districts served by Region 6 ESC
Colmesneil ISD also extends into Angelina County
(The East Chambers, High Island, and Hull-Daisetta districts were previously served by Region 4)

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Education in Jefferson County, Texas

Currently operating K-12

Beaumont ISD|

* Beaumont United
* West Brook

Hamshire-Fannett ISD|

* Hamshire-Fannett High

Nederland ISD|

* Nederland High

Port Arthur ISD|

* Memorial High

Port Neches-Groves ISD|

* Port Neches–Groves High

Sabine Pass ISD|

* Sabine Pass School

Other schools|

* Bob Hope School (charter)
* Texas Academy of Leadership in the Humanities (state-operated)
* Legacy Christian Academy (private)
* Monsignor Kelly Catholic High (private)

Tertiary

Universities|

* Lamar University
* Template
* Lamar Institute of Technology

Former schools

Beaumont ISD|

* Beaumont High (1900-1975)
* Charlton-Pollard (1900-1975)
* Beaumont-Charlton-Pollard High (1975-1986)
* French High (-1986)
* Central High (1986-2018)
* Clifton J. Ozen (-2018)

French ISD|

* French High (-1986)

Port Arthur ISD|

* Stephen F. Austin HS (-2002)
* Thomas Jefferson HS (-2002)
* Abraham Lincoln HS (-2002)

South Park ISD|

* Forest Park
* Hebert
* South Park High

Private|

* Bishop Byrne High

Galveston College serves students in Sabine Pass ISD
Hardin-Jefferson ISD's Hardin-Jefferson High School in Hardin County serves a section of Jefferson County
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