HISD trustees’ absences noted

Attendance at meetings eyed after vote on bonus for Grier

In a system where students covet perfect-attendance awards, no Houston school board member would qualify.

Newly released public records show that six of nine HISD trustees missed at least one-fifth of their 42 meetings in the last year, absent for key votes or discussions affecting the nation’s seventh-largest school district.

Outgoing trustee Paula Harris, who left office this month, racked up the most absences, missing 16 meetings, or 38 percent. Trustee Greg Meyers followed with 15 missed meetings, or 36 percent.

Trustees mostly blamed work duties that conflict with their nonpaid responsibilities as elected officials. Their attendance came under scrutiny this month after the board barely mustered a majority to give outgoing Superintendent Terry Grier a bonus topping $75,000.

Trustee Anna Eastman, a regular critic of her colleagues’ attendance, lamented that the decision took place with only five trustees present at an agenda-review meeting that typically does not involve voting.

Trustee Jolanda Jones, who took office three days later, on Jan. 15, said she probably would have opposed the bonus, though she was not troubled that the vote had taken place.

“But,” she said, “I find it curious: There’s a lot of talk in the media about the number of people that weren’t there and how did they vote without the people being there. I’ll say this: The world is run by those who show up. It was a meeting. So if people weren’t there, that’s on them. No disrespect intended.

“But I’m going to say it one more time: The world is run by those who show up. We were elected to show up.”

Thanks to outgoing board president Rhonda Skillern-Jones, the district’s board office has been compiling whether trustees have missed any meeting since January 2015 — a regular voting meeting, an agenda-review session, a workshop where major topics are discussed, or a special called meeting.

Meyers said most of his absences were workrelated. In the summer, he took a new job as executive director of Citizen Schools Texas, a nonprofit organization that promotes after-school programs, including in HISD. He previously worked for the private school Cristo Rey Jesuit.

Harris attributed her absences to work and travel after taking a global position with Schlumberger.

“I really enjoyed serving the constituents of District 4 and my decision to not run again was based on the fact that I knew I would be spending an increased amount of time out of the country,” Harris said in an email. She said she had invited Jones, who now represents the south Houston district, to attend workshops to discuss the search to replace Grier, who plans to step down Feb. 29.

Mike Lunceford, who missed a dozen meetings in the last year, said he was out of town on business for most. An engineer, he took a job with a Midland-based company in June.

Harvin Moore, who missed 10 meetings, attributed his absences to travel and doctor’s appointments. He noted that he missed no regularly scheduled voting meetings in the last year. The regular meetings are nearly always held on the same schedule — on the second Thursday of each month, with a session to review the agenda on the preceding Monday.

“This year there have been several meetings that have been called as well as canceled at the last minute,” Moore said. “It’s hard to attend meetings when they are moved around on the calendar, and I know that is true for several of my colleagues as well.”

Skillern-Jones, who set the calendar as board president and had one absence, defended any changes.

“Board meetings and agenda reviews are standard,” she said. “Workshops that were rescheduled were rescheduled to try to keep a quorum because people were going to be absent with prior notice.”

Wanda Adams, who had nine absences, said via email: “Since this is a job I love doing on a volunteer basis, sometimes I may have schedules that may conflict with my HISD schedule.”

Eastman missed four meetings — for her son’s bar mitzvah, to testify in Austin, for family travel in July (she said there was not supposed to be a meeting that month) and for an anniversary trip.

Juliet Stipeche, who lost her re-election bid, missed a dozen meetings. She confirmed the absences but did not provide reasons.

New board president Manuel Rodriguez Jr. had one absence, in January 2015. He said he did not remember the reason.