HISD voters make call for change as incumbents upended.
While incumbents ousted, newcomers’ win could be short as board takeover looms
Four new members will join Houston ISD’s school board in January after voters issued a mandate for change on Election Day, ousting influential incumbents dogged by misconduct allegations and their association with infighting among trustees.
Their stay in power, however, likely will be short, as Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath announced Wednesday that he plans to replace the district’s elected board with a state-appointed governance team.
Unofficial election results released Wednesday morning confirmed HISD voters delivered decisive victories to newcomers Judith Cruz and Dani Hernandez, who cruised to victory over board President Diana Dávila and Trustee Sergio Lira, respectively. Candidates in two other HISD races without an incumbent seeking re-election did not earn a majority vote, meaning runoff elections will be held in mid-December.
Cruz and Hernandez each received 64 percent of the vote in their single-member districts, channeling support from education advocates, civic activists and
business leaders. Retired postal manager Kathy Blueford-Daniels (42 percent) and City Council aide John Gibbs (21 percent) reached a runoff in District II, which covers much of northeastern and northwestern HISD. Retired principal Patricia Allen (32 percent) and management consultant Matt Barnes (30 percent) emerged from a tight race in District IV, home to downtown Houston and southern portions of the city.
Trustees entered this year’s election cycle knowing that Morath likely would strip power from the district’s school board shortly after they potentially took office. State law mandated that Morath appoint a replacement board or close chronically lowrated Wheatley after the historic Fifth Ward campus received its seventh consecutive failing grade in August. Morath also had the option to appoint a new governance team due to multiple findings of misconduct by trustees.
Nevertheless, the winning candidates and their supporters hailed the Election Day outcome as a mandate for change, expressing optimism that the shuffle can end months of acrimony and dwindling confidence in the board.
“I’m not sure that will happen, but we have to be hopeful,” said Harris County Tejano Democrats Chairwoman Belinda Castro, whose grassroots organization endorsed Barnes, Cruz and Hernandez. “We have to keep thinking that if people put their thinking caps on, there are ways to improve HISD, get out of this cloud we’re under and focus on the students.”
The victories for Cruz and Hernandez reflect long-mounting frustration with HISD’s board. In the past 18 months, HISD trustees oversaw a raucous board meeting that resulted in two arrests, voted to replace Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan with no advance public warning, rescinded the Lathan vote following intense backlash and triggered a state investigation that resulted in multiple findings of wrongdoing by trustees.
Cruz said she emphasized integrity and transparency on the campaign trail, drawing a sharp contrast with allegations of unethical behavior by Dávila.
“I feel like the winds of change have come to HISD,” said Cruz, a former HISD teacher and director for the education nonprofit DiscoverU. “It’s a testament to voter outreach, really informing voters one-by-one what the issues are and what’s at stake.”
Dávila and Lira boasted endorsements from the district’s largest teachers union and promoted several accomplishments while in office, such as raising the minimum wage by $2 per hour. Davila, in particular, carried strong name recognition in her eastern HISD district as she sought a fourth term on the board.
The incumbents, however, were shadowed by a Texas Education Agency inquiry that concluded they violated the Texas Open Meetings Act before ousting Lathan and misleading state investigators about plans to remove her. Dávila also faced allegations that she attempted to cancel a district vendor’s contract and direct it toward a competiting company. Dávila and Lira have denied the allegations and accused state officials of conducting a biased, incomplete investigation.
In District II, Blueford-Daniels carries a decided edge into the runoff over Gibbs. The Fifth Ward activist not only doubled Gibbs’ vote total, but she raised significantly more money and earned multiple key endorsements.
“The main thing I have to do is continue outreach and let people realize I’m a good candidate, that I’m not just concerned with one section of District II but the entire District II,” Blueford-Daniels said.
Gibbs said he plans to expand his campaign infrastructure following his showing Tuesday, promoting his experience as a community liaison for Houston City Council member Michael Kubosh.
“I just have to make sure I’m going door to door and talking to people and getting into the streets,” Gibbs said.
Barnes also holds an endorsement and financial edge heading into the District IV runoff, but Allen posted a strong general election showing after raising relatively meager funds.