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Despite community members' pleas with Houston ISD's appointed board, the district's managers retroactively approved up to $870 million in purchasing agreements after the district admitted to violating procurement policy for about 16 months.
State-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles said the district discovered board approval was not obtained for these agreements because they "mistakenly" believed those agreements did not require such approval. That admission came after the Houston Landing's questions regarding the retroactive ratification of those agreements, according to its article that first reported the $870 million figure following its analysis.
On top of that, the board declared at least 17 properties surplus for sale after closed session (the agenda did not note the properties' legal descriptions, addresses, or land area). A community activist, who for months had been ringing the alarm in opposition to property sales, was handcuffed and dragged through the board room after she repeatedly shouted before board members voted on the motion.
This week's must reads:
Photo by: Staff photographer
In a 7-1 vote, the board approved approximately 130 of the proposed cooperative agreements, with Rolando Martinez voting against and Cassandra Auzenne Bandy abstaining, Megan Menchaca reported.
Janette Garza Lindner, the board's audit committee chair, said the board planned to publish an audit of the purchases publicly on the committee's website. The audit by RSM — a firm external to the district but considered its internal auditor — reviewed purchases exceeding $1 million to ensure that the spending followed the appropriate processes, she said.
Community members asked the board not to approve the agreements.
During public comment, Brianna Van Borssum urged the board to do the right thing and refuse to sweep the district's "mishandled fiscal procedures" under the rug.
"Seventy-two days ago, this community made themselves clear," Van Borssum said. "Mike Miles cannot be trusted with $4.4 billion. Now, we know that he was already practicing ways to mismanage HISD funds."
The Houston Chronicle asked on Tuesday for the values of the purchase orders issued under the agreements but did not receive a comment or a list responsive to this request after multiple follow-ups.
Inside the Reporter's Notebook
The Houston Chronicle on Dec. 2 put in a request under the Texas Public Information Act for information on the properties listed for surplus, including specifying information like the properties' addresses and legal descriptions, as well as market and appraised value if available and applicable.
The district requested a ruling on Dec. 16 from the Attorney General's Office following this request, saying it "believes the responsive information contains confidential information and/or information that may be excepted from disclosure under the TPIA" and citing the act's sections.
The district filed a 15-day letter request for a ruling on Dec. 20 with sample information that HISD wished to withhold.
"HISD believes in good faith that release of the information contained in these documents would impair HISD's negotiating position with respect to the sale of the properties at issue," that letter reads.
What Else Happened This Week
 Photo by: Elizabeth Conley, Staff Photographer |
From more funding to law changes, here's what five Houston-area school districts are asking lawmakers to prioritize this legislative session. Read More |
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 Photo by: Raquel Natalicchio, Staff Photographer |
Ahead of the Legislature's regular session, Texas AFT survey indicates burnout and safety concerns in education. Read More |
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 Photo by: Karen Warren, Staff Photographer |
HISD has taken "corrective action" against a policy that charged families fees for picking up their children more than 30 minutes late at Herrera Elementary. Read More |
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 Photo by: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle |
The school's principal linked the introduction of rodents to the cold weather in a Tuesday email to parents. Read More |
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 Photo by: Yi-Chin Lee, Staff Photographer |
The high school mourned another student's death as officials received a grant to improve rail safety. Read More |
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 Photo by: Jon Shapley, Staff Photographer |
The DA needs to provide more details in its case against a former HISD administrator alleged to be involved in a teacher certification exam cheating ring, a judge ruled. Read More |
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 Photo by: Yi-Chin Lee, Staff Photographer |
Students indicated teachers had rigorous expectations of them, while teachers indicated they were split on district's direction. Read More |
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The Calendar Ahead
• Jan. 20: No HISD classes for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• Jan. 22: HISD to launch pre-K school choice application for 2025-26 year
• Jan. 28: HISD Board of Managers budget workshop at the Hattie Mae White Center at 3 p.m.
• Feb. 13: Board of Managers meeting at Hattie Mae White Center at 5 p.m.
• Feb 14: HISD staff development day
• Feb. 17: Holiday- President's Day
• Feb. 27: HISD Board of Managers budget workshop at the Hattie Mae White Center at 3 p.m.
Chronicle readers are invited to a private Zoom with Sean Teare, Harris County's District Attorney, as he enters his first month in office. Join us |
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Meet The Team
Photo by: Susan Barber
Our HISD coverage is fueled by reporting from Megan Menchaca, Nusaiba Mizan, Claire Partain and Anastasia Goodwin. Jennifer Radcliffe is the education team editor.
You can reach out to any of them by emailing them at their firstname.lastname@houstonchronicle.com, filling out this survey or by replying directly to this email.
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