HISD swears in new trustees, creating an all-female board

HOUSTON - Houston ISD’s new, all-female board of trustees held its first meeting Thursday after four newly elected trustees were sworn in earlier that afternoon.

At the swearing-in Thursday afternoon, Bellaire High School was brought up several times as board members worked to honor the memory of Cesar Cortes.

The 19-year-old ROTC student was shot and killed on campus this week by a fellow classmate.

Newly-elected trustee, Kathy Blueford-Daniels called for a moment of silence for Cesar. She said his tragedy hits too close to home for her.

“I have to acknowledge my baby boy, Patrick Charles Murphy. Who actually is the wind beneath my wings. As a mom who has gone through this, I understand what his family is going through,” said Kathy.

Kathy said her son Patrick was killed by gun violence more than a decade ago. She said his death is what has motivated her to serve on the school board and advocate for young kids to get an education.

“It became more important because the person who killed my son was a high school dropout. Our whole objective is to start with a clean slate, so we can be the face of people working together for the overall objective of our children. That’s what we signed up for,” said Kathy.

Some parents and community members at Thursday’s board meeting urged trustees to prioritize students' safety, particularly the high school and middle school campuses.

FOX 26 asked trustee Wanda Adams if heightened security measures should become a permanent change at Bellaire High school. Adams said that’s something the school would have to decide on their own.