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HISD superintendent proposes spending $2M
During an Houston ISD workshop on Thursday night, some questioned superintendent Mike Miles proposal to spend up to two million dollars without board approval. FOX 26's Randy Wallace has more from the district's headquarters.
HOUSTON - Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles told the school board Thursday night that by August 28, the first day of school for HISD, all teacher vacancies will be filled.
Currently, there are 206 teacher vacancies.
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Miles told the board 84 teachers have been hired that are not certified.
What really raised eyebrows on Wednesday night was Miles asking the board to spend up to $2 million without board approval.
HISD has a $2.7 billion budget and makes a lot of big purchases.
Miles told the board that he can be trusted to make big purchases without board approval.
The superintendent says it will make the process faster and more efficient. He told the board he will make sure the money is spent wisely.
Some speakers told the board the proposal was a bad idea.
"If approved, the superintendent will have sole authority to execute contracts up from $100,000 to $2 million without board approval. Miles could write up a $2 million contract to his cousin's spin bike company and no one on the board or the public would be wiser," said speaker Ruth Kravitz. "Even if Mike, the superintendent was my 93-year-old father in his prime, I wouldn't give that kind of authority to a single person."
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Another speaker told the board other big districts across the country don't give that much spending power to their superintendents.
The board is expected to vote on the proposal next week.