Houston ISD board managers were forced to end their May 16 budget workshop early and postpone a specially called session scheduled for later that night after damaging winds caused power outages at the district’s administrative building and left debris scattered across the parking lot.
The overview
Board managers were set to discuss the district's plan to manage a projected $450 million budget shortfall at the workshop. However, managers were forced to go into recess during the public comments portion of the meeting after the administrative building lost power.
Shortly after, managers reconvened the meeting to announce the board would go into executive session until further notice, causing community members in attendance to break out into chants of, “Hey, hey, ho, ho, [HISD Superintendent] Mike Miles has got to go.”
District officials eventually reconvened the meeting around 7:30 p.m.—about two hours after the meeting began—to announce the remainder of the workshop and the specially called meeting that would have followed would be rescheduled.
After the meeting, Houston ISD officials announced the closure of all campuses on May 17 due to damage caused by the storm.
A closer look
As of May 17, HISD officials noted:
- 136 HISD campuses are still without power.
- Dozens of campuses sustained wind and tree damage.
- A handful of campuses sustained more extensive damage, including Robinson, Paige, Sinclair and Pugh elementary schools.
While district officials said they were not sure when power outages would be restored, they said they are hoping to reopen campuses by May 20.
Also of note
More than 150 community members signed up to speak at the workshop, but fewer than 20 were able to voice their concerns before board managers effectively ended the meeting.
The majority of the individuals who spoke raised concern over the district’s $450 million budget shortfall.
Among the individuals who were able to speak was Jackie Anderson, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers.
“You continue to believe or are acting in a way that [suggests] you are not accountable to us, and therefore you have created a tale of two cities—us versus them,” Anderson said. “Your actions are callous, and your spending is out of control.”
HISD District 2 trustee Kendall Baker, who has been serving the district in an advisory capacity since Miles and the board of managers were appointed in June, raised concerns over the district’s plans to cut wraparound support services throughout the district.
Earlier this month, district officials confirmed plans to cut an undetermined number of employees providing wraparound support services to students on issues related to housing insecurity, clothing and food scarcity.
Officials said support services would still be provided at seven Sunrise Centers throughout the district, which they said serve as community hubs where students and their families can access essential services from a variety of partners and providers.
“We know that the Sunrise Centers cost the district $12 million [per year], and wraparound specialists cost $10 million,” Baker said. “Why aren’t we saving the $2 million? ... We must be fiscally responsible. We must listen to the community because the community has been present since June of last year.”
Board managers were set to consider taking action on the employment status of a number of principals and teachers who had received letters asking them to either resign or risk facing termination at the specially called meeting scheduled after the workshop.
The backlash from the firings resulted in protests outside schools across the district throughout the week. Protest organizers said community members would be in attendance to voice their concerns at the meeting. It remains unclear how many individuals signed up to speak at the specially called meeting.
Another protest is being planned for 7:15 a.m. May 22 at Herod Elementary School, 5627 Jason St., Houston. The protest, organized by Jane Lesnick, was previously planned for May 20, but was postponed with Herod among the schools that will remain closed that day because of ongoing issues caused by the May 16 storm.
The May 22 protest will allow parents, students and community members of southwest Houston to speak out against the terminations and demand that they be halted.
What’s next
Officials have not yet announced a date for the rescheduled workshop and specially called meeting.
Additionally, a protest scheduled to take place outside Houston City Hall on May 18 has been rescheduled to run from 9:30-11 a.m. May 25 at the same location.
