K-12 Zone
Will HISD trustees approve the bond plan? Undecided.
By Ericka Mellon on August 8, 2012 at 9:42 PM
Houston ISD trustees were not unified Wednesday night around a proposed $1.9 billion bond plan they are scheduled to vote on Thursday.
A majority of the trustees have not yet committed publicly to supporting the plan, though in interviews they left open the possibility.
None of the trustees has questioned the need to rebuild and upgrade the district's aging schools, but they have expressed questions about the process for selecting campuses and the distribution of the money.
The plan, recommended by HISD Superintendent Terry Grier based on an outside study of the district's facilities, would rebuild, remodel or renovate nearly all the district's high schools and a handful of elementary and middle schools.
Last-minute talks between trustees and Grier and his staff continued Wednesday. Meanwhile, other elected officials upped pressure on HISD officials to modify the proposal.
"I don't know what's going to happen," HISD board president Mike Lunceford said about the board vote Thursday. If the board approves the plan, it would go before voters in November.
Grier declined to discuss the board's indecision but repeated his plea that many of the district's schools need serious improvements to give students across the city access to modern buildings.
"It's very difficult to keep kids coming to crummy facilities," he said. "The thing about these facilities, they get worse every year."
HISD trustee Paula Harris, who has indicated her support for the plan, expressed optimism Wednesday night that the board would rally for a unanimous vote.
"I think there will be nine votes for it," she said. "This board is about children."
Several elected officials submitted an opinion piece to the Houston Chronicle, expressing concern over the process used to select which schools would be rebuilt and the size of the campuses.
The letter was sent by U.S. Rep. Gene Green, state Sen. Mario Gallegos, state Reps. Ana Hernandez Luna and Armando Walle and former Harris County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia.
"It is also worth questioning the district's wisdom of proposing and seeking approval of such a massive bond election in the midst of this recovering but slow economy," the letter said in part.
The bond issue is likely to phase in a 7-cent property tax hike, costing the owner of a $200,000 home an extra $99 a year in 2017.
"We would be inclined to support a thoughtful resource-maximizing plan created via a transparent and fair process," the letter continued. "However, questions remain unanswered on how decisions were made in creating this bond proposal, and they must be answered before we can support this referendum."
State Rep. Sylvester Turner, the loudest critic of HISD's 2007 bond issue, spoke out last week, saying the plan shortchanged Booker T. Washington High. Grier's plan calls for $52 million to build a school for up to 1,300 students. The district's first African-American school enrolled about 825 students last year.
If you're counting votes, here's what the trustees have told me.
*Expected yes votes: Harvin Moore said last week he was in favor of the bond. Larry Marshall said Monday he was a strong supporter. Harris agreed.
*Uncommitted, with some more easily swayed than others:
Rhonda Skillern-Jones said last week she was leaning toward voting yes but said Wednesday that she's still not sold. Lunceford repeated that he's unsure but planned to meet with Grier Thursday morning.
Manuel Rodriguez Jr. said Wednesday that he wants to support the bond and let voters decide but he's worried about the distribution of funds. Asked for specifics, he said, "It's just too much to get into."
Juliet Stipeche has been among the most vocal critics, particularly concerned that her alma mater, the High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, is not included and upset that revisions to Grier's initial plan downsized some schools in her east-side district.
Greg Meyers, the lone HISD trustee to vote against the 2007 bond plan, expressed concerns last week, asking for more detail. He's not prone to support a tax increase.
Anna Eastman said Monday that she falls in the "concerned" camp.
The board is scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. A vote is not expected to take place until a few hours later, with members of the public allowed to address the board and trustees likely to have long discussions. Follow on the blog or on twitter at @e_mellon for live updates.
Ericka Mellon