Second Houston ISD school board meeting sees more shouting, altered format for attendees

Second HISD Board Meeting sees more control, but shouting continues

FOX 26 Reporter Sherman Desselle has more on another dysfunctional board meeting at Houston ISD.

HOUSTON - The Houston Independent School District (HISD) Board of Trustees held a tense meeting Thursday night as public outcry over the district's leadership grew.

The meeting was held in a new format, with different seating arrangements for board members and staff, media seating, and a lot less space for regular attendees. There was also a new check-in process for registered speakers, which agitated many people who showed up to the meeting.

An overflow room was available for people to watch the meeting through Zoom, but only those who had registered could speak. Speakers were given one minute to address the board, down from two minutes in previous meetings.

When asked about the new format after the meeting, Board of Managers President Audrey Momanaee said it was to allow more discussion between the board and the superintendent about the budget. She also said the format could change again.

"This is supposed to be a public meeting, and the public is not in here," said State Rep. and former Board Member Jolanda Jones. "No one's going to respect you this way. I'm incredibly disappointed."

The board did vote unanimously to waive a requirement that Miles have a current state certification. Miles's certification is currently inactive according to online records.

Miles proposed a budget that includes cuts to central office and chief administrative support staff positions, as well as vendor and contractor services.

Miles said the budget, which totals $2.2 billion, is not too different from the previous board's decision. However, he said the district needs to prioritize its needs in order to avoid a fiscal cliff.

"We've only had a couple of weeks to dig into the budget," Miles said. "We're not going to change it. We're going to try to prioritize the needs."

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Miles said the district is overspending on vendor and contractor services. He also said some central office and chief administrative support staff positions could be cut.

However, the Superintendent said he will not cut salaries for effective teachers in the district's 29 priority schools, which include special education instructors.

"If we do nothing different, then we will reach a fiscal cliff," Miles said. "We need to make some tough decisions in order to ensure that we can continue to provide a high-quality education for our students."

The board is expected to vote on the budget in the coming weeks.