page_title: Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts
section_title: Naming discussion
hierarchical_section_title: Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts / History / Naming discussion
caption_attribution_description: English: High School for the Performing and Visual Arts Español: Escuela Secundaria para Artes Visuales y Escénicas
context_page_description: Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts is a secondary school located at 790 Austin Street in the downtown district of Houston, Texas. The school is a part of the Houston Independent School District.
  The school educates grades nine through twelve. The school is divided into six departments: instrumental music, vocal music, dance, theater, visual arts, and creative writing.
  HSPVA was placed as the top school in the Greater Houston Area by Children at Risk's 2009 annual ranking of high schools, and it has continued to be ranked as an "A" grade or higher by Children at Risk. Since 2003, HSPVA has had eight students named US Presidential Scholars in the Arts by the US Department of Education as selected by the National YoungArts Foundation.
  As a Magnet school, HSPVA does not automatically enroll students from the surrounding neighborhood; the surrounding neighborhood is zoned to Northside High School.
context_section_description: On October 13, 2016, the Houston Independent School District Board of Trustees voted 7 to 2 to accept a naming rights contract from the Kinder Foundation for a $7.5 million for capital improvements to the new facility. The school's name will become Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts when the school moves to the new downtown location. The Kinder funds provide primarily upgrades to theater equipment and some performance spaces, such as outfitting the mini-theater.
  The contract was approved by the school board after the Kinder Foundation said it would withdraw the funds if the board did not vote, six days after the public announcement of the deal.
  One HISD board member, Jolanda Jones, spoke against the deal, arguing that it was selling out the rights to name a school and that HISD was not giving attention to the non-specialty schools in the district. Jones and Diana Davila were the only board members to vote against the deal. Most speakers at the board meeting, including community members and HSPVA students and parents, supported the deal (17 speakers in favor, 11 against).
  In April 2017, in response to a petition asking the Kinders to give the name back, Richard Kinder wrote to the superintendent of Houston Independent School District. Citing negative controversy, he offered to release the naming rights, but did not suggest or request the school's name be restored.  By contract, the name change will be effective when the new downtown school building is occupied.
caption: Former Montrose campus
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