Tag Archives: HISD

HISD’s plan to avoid state takeover

Posted on January 25, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see how this works. As we know, the stakes are quite high. Houston ISD administrators have proposed dramatic changes to 15 low-performing schools that, if approved, could temporarily prevent the state from taking over the district’s Board of Trustees … Continue reading →

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HISD faces major changes

Posted on January 22, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This is a very big story, but a key component to it is not discussed here. Houston ISD officials said Saturday the district will need to cut about $200 million from its 2018-19 budget to bring spending in line with … Continue reading →

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Extra school days may be coming

Posted on January 21, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Darn that crazy weather. School districts across greater Houston are working to determine if they need to add extra days to their academic calendars or extra minutes to their school days to make up two days missed this week due … Continue reading →

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HISD to standardize start times

Posted on January 13, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This had been talked about for some time. HISD will implement standardized school start times for the 2018-19 school year to better deliver efficient, reliable, and affordable transportation to our students. Currently, HISD manages 67 different school start times – … Continue reading →

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Looking ahead to 2019

Posted on January 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Yes, yes, I know. We’ve barely begun the 2018 cycle. Who in their right mind is thinking about 2019? I plead guilty to political insanity, but the beginning of the year is always the best time to look forward, and … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: Two facts about 2017 turnout

Posted on December 30, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

As always after an election, I received an early copy of the canvass report, which tells me how the vote went in each individual precinct. Unlike other years, I didn’t have a clear direction for what to do with it, … Continue reading →

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HISD proposes to rebuild four schools damaged by Harvey

Posted on December 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Seems reasonable. Students at four storm-damaged Houston ISD elementary schools wouldn’t return to their home campuses until at least 2020 under a district proposal for replacing the structures announced Monday. The $126-million plan calls for the four campuses — Braeburn, … Continue reading →

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Santos, Lira, and Stallworth win runoffs

Posted on December 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Congratulations to all, and on to 2018. Two current educators, Elizabeth Santos and Sergio Lira, won seats on the Houston ISD school board, according to preliminary results from Saturday’s runoff election. Voters also chose Pretta VanDible Stallworth, a business consultant … Continue reading →

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Runoff Day for HISD and HCC is tomorrow

Posted on December 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Saturday, December 9, is Election Day for voters in Houston Community College District IX and HISD Trustee Districts I and III. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters must vote at their designated … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: HISD and HCC runoffs

Posted on November 30, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

In two of the three runoffs on the ballot, the Chron endorsed candidates who did not make the cut. As early voting begins for the runoffs, they make their new choices and reiterate the one they got right. Houston Community … Continue reading →

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Early voting for HISD and HCC runoffs begins today

Posted on November 29, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Harris County Clerk Stan Stanart announced today that nine Early Voting locations will open starting Nov. 29 where eligible voters may cast a ballot during the early voting period for theDecember 9, 2017 Joint Runoff Election. The Early Voting Period for … Continue reading →

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Early voting set for HISD and HCC runoffs

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the schedule and locations. Note that while the early vote period covers a week, from Wednesday, November 29 through Tuesday, December 5, there are only six days to vote, as there is no voting on Sunday the 3rd. Runoff … Continue reading →

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School districts affected by Harvey ask for a break on testing

Posted on November 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

One way or another we’re going to have to reckon with this. Leaders of school districts heavily affected by Hurricane Harvey told a legislative panel on Monday that they would like to see Texas’ accountability and testing requirements relaxed in … Continue reading →

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My thoughts following the 2017 election

Posted on November 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

1. Turnout in Houston was considerably higher than anyone predicted. Adding in Fort Bend to Harris yields 101,178 voters. Harris County had 149,730. The Houston share of Harris County was 66.43%, which is lower than I expected as well. 2. … Continue reading →

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2017 results: HISD and HCC

Posted on November 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

There were still precincts to be counted as I was writing this so there are a couple of races where I’ll have to equivocate, but here’s what happened in the local races that had actual candidates in them. Let’s start … Continue reading →

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Election Day 2017

Posted on November 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s time to vote if you haven’t already. Not many people have, as we know. Harris County turnout is expected to remain feeble through Election Day, with no marquee race to draw voters to the polls and thousands still displaced … Continue reading →

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Late money in the HISD races

Posted on November 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here it comes. A political action committee mostly funded by the nation’s largest teachers’ union has received $225,000 to spend on supporting four candidates for the Houston ISD school board election and a city ballot measure, campaign finance reports show. … Continue reading →

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2017 EV daily report: Final numbers and our attempt at projecting turnout

Posted on November 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here are the final numbers. Believe it or not, people did vote on Friday despite the fact that the entire metro area appeared to be at the Astros parade. Here are the daily totals from previous years: 2015 2013 2011 … Continue reading →

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2017 EV daily report: Day 10, and the first sign of an uptick

Posted on November 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here are the numbers through Wednesday. I know I said yesterday that I don’t usually report the latest results in Week 2 because they come in late, but like everyone else I was up late watching Game 7, so here … Continue reading →

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2017 EV daily report: Day 8, and one more look at a way to guess turnout

Posted on November 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here are the numbers through Monday. Now that we are in the second week of early voting, when the hours each day are 7 to 7, these reports arrive in my inbox later in the evening. Here are the daily … Continue reading →

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2017 EV daily report: Day 6

Posted on October 30, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here are the numbers through Saturday. Sunday’s numbers didn’t come in last night, but it’s the shortest EV day so its numbers are always the smallest. Here are the daily totals from previous years: 2015 2013 2011 2009 2007 And … Continue reading →

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2017 EV daily report: Just remember, the reports we get are all of Harris County

Posted on October 27, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here are today’s numbers, and here are the daily totals from previous years: 2015 2013 2011 2009 2007 And here’s a select comparison: Year Early Mail Total Mailed ======================================= 2017 11,953 7,513 19,466 19,581 2015 36,322 19,789 56,111 42,520 2011 … Continue reading →

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What about those constitutional amendments?

Posted on October 26, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Would you like someone to explain to you what those seven Constitutional amendments are about, in painstaking detail, with a recommendation for how to vote on each? Daniel Williams is here for you. It’s that time of the biennium again! … Continue reading →

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Chron overview of the HISD races

Posted on October 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s not much, but it is what it is. As Houston ISD faces a possible state takeover, a $106 million budget shortfall and millions of dollars in needed repairs from Hurricane Harvey, six of its board’s nine seats are up … Continue reading →

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2017 EV daily report: Day One

Posted on October 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Happy first day of early voting! If you’re expecting me to have today’s EV totals from Harris County, as well as EV totals from past elections, you’re right. Here are today’s numbers, and here are the daily totals from previous … Continue reading →

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Early voting for November 2017 begins today

Posted on October 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: “The best option to vote in the upcoming Nov. 7 election is during the early voting period,” advised Harris County Clerk Stan Stanart. Early Voting for the November 7, 2017 General and Special Elections begins Monday, October … Continue reading →

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30 day campaign finance reports – HISD

Posted on October 21, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The next round of finance reports for the November elections are available now, so let’s take a look at them, beginning with HISD. Here are the July reports for comparison. Gretchen Himsl Monica Flores Richart Elizabeth Santos Carlos Perrett Jesse … Continue reading →

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Another contemplation of turnout

Posted on October 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s see where this one takes us. Last time, I made some guesses about turnout in the HISD races based on overall turnout in the city of Houston. Now I’m going to turn that around and take a shot at … Continue reading →

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No big drop in enrollment in area school districts

Posted on October 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Mostly good news. During the height of Hurricane Harvey, school district officials worried enrollments would plummet as thousands of families fled Houston for Dallas, Austin and other drier regions. While many families lost their homes, it seems most relocated within … Continue reading →

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Interview with Jasmine Jenkins of Houstonians for Great Public Schools

Posted on October 18, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

For obvious reasons, there’s going to be a lot of focus on HISD, both in the next year as the district recovers from Harvey and tries to fend off a takeover by the Texas Education Agency, and going forward, as … Continue reading →

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More on HISD IX, and a little on HISD VII Alief ISD

Posted on October 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

As noted before, I did not do interviews in HISD Trustee races in districts VII and IX. In VII, I did interview now-incumbent Anne Sung and challenger John Luman last year when they were running in the special election to … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: HISD VII and XI

Posted on October 15, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Last two. Houston ISD, Trustee, District VII: Anne Katherine Sung Anne Katherine Sung won in a runoff for this district last year after former trustee Harvin Moore resigned. Now voters are faced with a rematch between Sung and her former … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: HISD V and VI

Posted on October 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Two more HISD endorsements, two more to go. Houston ISD, Trustee, District V: Sue Deigaard Four qualified candidates are running for an open seat in this southwest Houston district, which covers West University, Bellaire and Meyerland. Yet Sue Deigaard stands … Continue reading →

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An unsatisfying attempt at projecting turnout

Posted on October 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

So as we all know, this in an unprecedented election, as there are no city races on the ballot. This has everyone wondering about turnout, because the usual drivers of turnout are a Mayor’s race and/or a big referendum, and … Continue reading →

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