HISD won’t put search on hold
Trustees OK motion to find new chief amid state probe into potential meeting violation
Trustees of the troubled district will move forward to find a permanent leader amid a state investigation over potential open meetings violations.
Houston ISD’s pursuit of a permanent superintendent will continue after trustees rejected a motion Thursday to suspend the search amid a recently launched state investigation into potential violations of open meetings laws.
Trustees voted 5-3 to continue the search for a permanent leader to replace former Superintendent Richard Carranza, who left the district in March to become chancellor of New York City public schools. Three trustees who favored suspending the effort argued the district cannot attract qualified candidates with the looming threat of sanctions tied to the state investigation, while the five opponents argued the district should push forward despite the inquiry.
“I promised my community that I would do a superintendent search, and that’s what I’m following,” said HISD Board President Diana Dávila, who voted against suspending the search.
HISD launched a nationwide search for Carranza’s successor in September, later setting an April 30 deadline to select a leader. A search firm hired by trustees hosted community meetings and an online public survey in January to receive feedback to aid the search. Board members are expected to interview candidates over the next several weeks.
The search has been complicated for months by the looming threat of a state takeover of the district’s school board tied to chronically low performance at four schools. The takeover threat increased in January, when the Texas Education Agency launched its investigation into potential Open Meetings Act violations by five trustees. However, the odds of such intervention tied to the inquiry are unknown. TEA officials have not publicly disclosed a timeline for completing the investigation.
The vote Thursday further illustrated clear lines drawn among trustees who are split about how
to approach selecting a superintendent.
The three trustees who supported suspending the search — Wanda Adams, Jolanda Jones and Rhonda Skillern-Jones — have all advocated for permanently retaining Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan, arguing she has proven her ability to lead the district.
The trio of trustees has been highly critical of five board members who secretly communicated with former HISD Superintendent Abelardo Saavedra, then voted in October to replace Lathan with Saavedra. Allegations that the five trustees who spoke to Saavedra violated the Open Meetings Act triggered a special accreditation agency investigation by the Texas Education Agency. The five trustees have denied wrongdoing.
Supporters of suspending the search argued the potential for severe sanctions tied to the investigation will limit the pool of candidates willing to jump to HISD. If state officials order the replacement of the HISD board, new trustees could immediately replace the freshly hired superintendent.
“I cannot imagine that a highly qualified candidate who is rational and sane would come here in the face of uncertainty, when they may not have a job soon,” Skillern-Jones said.
The five trustees who voted against the motion Thursday — Dávila, Holly Maria Flynn Vilaseca, Sergio Lira, Elizabeth Santos and Anne Sung — have pushed for a nationwide search. Trustee Sue Deigaard, who previously supported giving Lathan a short-term contract and simultaneously conducting a nationwide search, abstained from Thursday’s vote, telling her colleagues she is “not going to be part of this divide anymore.”
“We all need to figure this out and not continue to be divisive on this subject,” Deigaard said.
The vote followed a presentation by the board’s search firm, HYA & Associates, summarizing community feedback about their hopes for the next superintendent.
The firm’s president, Hank Gmitro, said residents and educators want a leader who can create a positive work climate, work with the often-divided school board, recruit and retain strong staff members, and respond to the needs of a diverse student population. Gmitro added that the public voiced support for a superintendent dedicated longterm to HISD following Carranza’s 18-month tenure in Houston.
Gmitro said he has spoken to potential candidates who have questioned him about the possibility of state intervention, with out-of-state candidates inquiring the most.