To apply or not? That is the question Houston ISD trustees have to answer at their April 8 board meeting.

The Houston Press and the Houston Chronicle have been reporting on whether the school district will apply for a $12 million federal magnet school grant. The plan would create or improve magnet programs at the following schools: Jones High School, Garden Oaks Elementary School, Fondren Middle School, Dodson Elementary School and Whidby Elementary School.

Trustee Larry Marshall has been speaking out against the magnet school plan since Superintendent Terry Grier first proposed it. Marshall has called the plan "overly ambitious." Marshall said Thursday that with anticipated budget shortfalls, now is not the time to be setting up more magnet programs.

In the video below, HISD Superintendent Terry Grier responded to Marshall and said he wanted to be very clear that no local funds would be used for these five magnet programs if the district receives the federal grant. Grier also said that even if HISD does not get the federal grant, all the magnet programs except for Garden Oaks would move forward.

Trustee Paula Harris said no matter what happens, "everyone is not going to be happy. I can't even understand why we would even consider not applying for this grant. I would hate to lose this money."