CASE Report: Transparency, Communication Prioritized for Bond

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Transparency, Communication Prioritized for Bond

HISD’s board of managers approved a $4.4 billion bond proposal at last week’s board meeting. An important part of the proposal was HISD’s robust plan for community engagement, transparency, and accountability.

HISD has acknowledged the need to educate the community on the bond and has committed to “provide people with a lot of information”.

HISD has already appointed a Bond Community Advisory Committee , which has already held several community meetings to answer questions and gather feedback on the bond proposal.

HISD will also appoint members to a Bond Oversight Committee, which will monitor progress of all projects and help communicate that information to the public.

A bond dashboard will also launch with real-time information on bond projects, progress, timelines, and points of contact. HISD hopes that the consistency and variety of methods of communication will work to keep the public fully informed of all bond-related matters.

Houston Chronicle’s story on the issue is here.

Why it matters: Support for the bond is high. However, amongst the few holdouts, “transparency” has been oft cited as a concern. In order to address any concerns about transparency, HISD is providing multiple channels of communication and information sharing.

By the numbers: The proposal, if passed, would allocate about $2 billion for rebuilding and renovating schools and $1.35 billion for lead abatement, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning improvements and security upgrades. It would also provide $1 billion to expand pre-K, build three new career and technical education centers and make technology upgrades without raising taxes.

The bond will be split into two propositions on the ballot that people will be able to vote on separately. Proposition A would allocate $3.96 billion for school building renovations and expansions, including safety and security infrastructure, while Proposition B would allocate $440 million for technology equipment, systems and infrastructure.

What they’re saying: “Lack of trust was linked to a concern about transparency, so we definitely believe as an administration that it's critically important that we provide people with a lot of information about ... where the community will be involved in bond planning and bond oversight,” said Alex Elizondo, HISD’s chief of public affairs and communications.

Go deeper: Lingering deferred maintenance issues caused challenges on first days of school. The bond’s passage will result in massive investments and upgrades to HISD’s aging infrastructure.

What’s next: Houston voters who are not already registered to vote will need to do so by Oct. 7 to vote on the bond, as well as the other items on the ballot in the general election.

2024-2025 School Year Starts

HISD’s school year started on Monday, and students hit the ground running by diving into their lessons on day one and embracing the momentum of last year’s seismic academic gains.

HISD started classes two weeks earlier this year than in years’ past, a move that was enabled by the district’s newly-acquired District of Innovation status. The added class time will allow teachers valuable time to provide high-quality instruction, which will lead to better outcomes and opportunities for students.

Special credit should be given to HISD staff and volunteers who worked around the clock for several weeks getting the district’s fragile facilities ready for class after devastating storms and deferred maintenance challenges.

HPM’s story is here.

Why it matters: This week marks the beginning of year two of the state intervention into HISD. Year one was an unequivocal success, seeing dramatic increases in STAAR scores and school accountability ratings, and decreases in persistent achievement gaps that left many students behind every year. HISD is now in a position to build off last year’s gains, which means student outcomes could see even higher heights very soon.

By the numbers: Heading into the school year, HISD right-sized its staff , decreasing central office by 1400 and reducing teachers by 748. HISD was overstaffed before, but now those resources are available to be invested into classrooms.

What they’re saying:"Coming from our environment, those students needed some structure like this, to be stern for them," said Coretta Dill, a learning coach at Forest Brook Middle School. "It has changed them, and it changed their grades, and they're excited to come back next week."

“Major Progress” Announced at Convocation

HISD kicked off the new school year with its annual convocation, an event that showcases students, teachers, and staff, and welcomes the HISD community back to school. Thousands gathered for the musical production and address by Superintendent Miles.

Superintendent Miles shared news about the district’s preliminary state accountability data, which show remarkable progress. Results show the district drastically reducing the number of “D” and “F” rated schools by nearly two-thirds, from 121 schools in 2023 to 41 in 2024. This improvement was particularly significant at NES schools, where the number of “D” and “F” schools dropped nearly 80 percent – from 63 schools to 14.

Forward Times’ article is here.

Why it matters: Just one year into the intervention, scores have significantly improved across the district, and especially at NES schools, which have historically struggled academically. If these trends continue, year two of the intervention will result in unprecedented student success: “The (TEA’s) exit criteria calls for zero campuses that have a D or F rating, so we took a big chunk out of the 121, and if we continue to work hard and work well, we'll get that 41 down to single digits at the end of this school year,” said Superintendent Miles.

By the numbers: Of the 85 NES schools, 14 earned As, 39 earned Bs, 17 earned Cs, 12 earned Ds, and two earned Fs this year. In last year’s unofficial ratings, one NES campus earned an A rating, 10 earned Bs, 10 earned Cs, 30 earned Ds and 33 earned Fs.

What they’re saying: The district stated, “Over the last year, HISD embarked on a transformative journey and students made remarkable strides in academic achievement. The first year of the district’s transformation has led to impressive results for students and schools. The district recorded some of its highest academic gains in reading and math that it has ever had.”

There’s more: Lawsuits have blocked the Texas Education Agency from releasing official accountability ratings, meaning communities will be left in the dark about how well their schools are doing. Despite this, HISD calculated and released its accountability scores on its own, demonstrating the administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability.

What’s next: HISD will look to build on last year’s success as the new school year starts this week.

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