was originally an all-White school; it was desegregated in 1970. The "ESG" (Elementary School for the Gifted) program was established shortly afterwards. It was not the first magnet program in Houston, as High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) was the first. Prior to desegregation, River Oaks Elementary had around 800 children. After desegregation, many parents removed their children from River Oaks Elementary, and the school was far below capacity. River Oaks became exclusively a public magnet school in 1986; during the previous school year a total of 60 students were residents of the River Oaks neighborhood. At the time River Oaks had mainly older families. At the time the remaining families who did have children had the money to send their children to private school and preferred to do so. From 1986 to 1995, up to 50% of the houses in River Oaks had changed ownership. By 1995 River Oaks Elementary had a waiting list, and it became one of the most prestigious public elementary schools in Houston. By that year several new families had established themselves in River Oaks and many of them were interested in sending their children to public school. Vanguard and neighborhood program controversy On March 2, 1995, HISD board trustee Ron Franklin introduced a request by the River Oaks neighborhood to have a neighborhood school at the board table. Parents from River Oaks pressured the school into adding back a neighborhood program. Some Vanguard parents felt concern with the proposal, because they liked the Vanguard program and feared that introducing neighborhood children would adulterate the Vanguard program, believing that River Oaks parents would use political influence and money to have underqualified children admitted to the Vanguard program. Some parents believed that the River Oaks neighborhood program would reduce racial diversity at the school. In 1995 the school had about 500 students, with 40% White, 30% Black, 28% Hispanic, and 1% Asian. Large numbers of parents who were White, Black, and Hispanic protested against the proposal. Donald R. McAdams, a former HISD trustee and the author of Fighting to Save Our Urban Schools-- and Winning!: Lessons from Houston, stated that Vanguard parents were afraid of having to give up complete control over the school and share power with neighborhood parents. During that year, the HISD school board voted on a proposal to open the school to neighborhood parents. The four White board members