Tag Archives: HISD

Mike Lunceford announces he is not running for re-election

Posted on June 30, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Two-term HISD Trustee in District V Mike Lunceford posted the following on Facebook yesterday: Sometimes when you are passionate about something it is very hard to walk away from it. After 8 years on the Houston ISD School Board and … Continue reading →

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No changes to HISD magnet programs

Posted on May 26, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Not this year, anyway. Houston ISD Superintendent Richard Carranza this week withdrew a plan to deeply cut funding for the district’s magnet programs over the next three years, shelving a proposal that had angered parents and some school board members … Continue reading →

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School finance bill is dead

Posted on May 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It started with this. State Rep. Dan Huberty said Wednesday that he would not accept the Senate’s changes to his school finance bill, launching a last-ditch effort to hammer out a compromise with less than a week left in the … Continue reading →

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MALDEF gets injunction in recapture lawsuit

Posted on May 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From their website: Please attribute the following statement on a Texas court ruling ordering state education officials to cease bypassing existing school funding rules to Marisa Bono, Southwest regional counsel of MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund): “MALDEF … Continue reading →

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Interview with Anna Eastman

Posted on May 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Anna Eastman has served two terms as HISD Trustee in District I, which is where I live. She has been a leading advocate for having strong accountability measures in place for schools, she was a frequent critic of former Superintendent … Continue reading →

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More on the HISD recapture re-referendum

Posted on May 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the full Chron story about Saturday’s re-vote on recapture. About 84 percent of constituents voted “for” HISD’s Proposition 1, giving the school district the green light to send $77.5 million to the Texas Education Agency rather than let the … Continue reading →

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May 6 election results

Posted on May 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

First and foremost, the HISD recapture re-referendum passed by a wide margin. The Yes vote was at 85% in early and absentee voting, and it will finish with about 84%; I started writing this at 10 PM, when 437 of … Continue reading →

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One last look at the recapture re-vote

Posted on May 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a lot at stake here, and not a whole lot of people voting on it. For the second time in seven months, voters within the Houston Independent School District will determine how – and if – it should pay … Continue reading →

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Business groups endorse a Yes on recapture re-vote

Posted on April 26, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a very different campaign this time around. The Greater Houston Partnership and other local organizations whose members own some of the city’s priciest commercial real estate have come out in support of a ballot measure over whether the Houston … Continue reading →

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Early voting so far

Posted on April 26, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron looks at the first day of early voting and some area races. Early voting began Monday for local elections next month that will determine who leads increasingly diverse Pasadena, the fate of a major school bond referendum in … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Chron for Van Houte and recapture

Posted on April 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here are your Chronicle endorsements for the May election. First, for Mayor of Pasadena: Of the five candidates who met with the Chronicle editorial board – two declined – only Van Houte was willing to bluntly and accurately diagnose the … Continue reading →

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Early voting for May elections begins tomorrow

Posted on April 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Tomorrow is the first day of the nine-day early voting period for the May 6 election. I’ve generally not paid a great deal of attention to these May elections, but it’s safe to say that This Time It’s Different, and … Continue reading →

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Re-interview with David Thompson

Posted on April 18, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Last year, I published an interview with attorney David Thompson, who has worked with HISD for a long time on legislative and financial matters, including on the endless litigation over school finance, to discuss the November referendum on recapture. He … Continue reading →

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What HISD is saying about recapture

Posted on April 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s their official webpage. I think you’ll be able to discern their position. HISD voters will be asked on May 6 how the district should pay its Recapture obligation to the state of Texas: by Purchasing Attendance Credits or through … Continue reading →

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MALDEF files suit over change to recapture

Posted on April 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This is a twist. Texas education officials illegally changed how property taxes are calculated in wealthy school districts, with the effect of substantially reducing the funds available for schools in poorer districts, a lawsuit filed Thursday charged. The change would … Continue reading →

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Reintroducing recapture

Posted on April 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The tune has changed, and it’s time we make sure everyone knows it. It felt like déjà vu to many of the 150 people who packed into Tinsley Elementary School’s auditorium Wednesday evening. Facing another controversial Houston ISD school finance … Continue reading →

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Two for HISD V

Posted on March 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

In the past week or so, I have become aware of two candidates for HISD Board of Trustees, District V, which is the seat that is now held by Trustee Mike Lunceford but will be open in November as Lunceford … Continue reading →

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The updated bill for recapture and detachment

Posted on March 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here are the numbers as we now face them. Houston ISD voters will face a choice of either paying the state’s $77.5 million recapture fee, or risk losing $98.4 million in tax revenue over the next fiscal year, according to … Continue reading →

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House releases school finance fix bill

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

A step in the right direction. The top public education policymaker in the Texas House unveiled a $1.6 billion plan on Monday that he described as a first step to overhauling the state’s beleaguered school funding system. At a Capitol … Continue reading →

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How the Legislature is raising your property taxes

Posted on February 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

RG Ratcliffe explains it all to you: Just how much money does the increased appraisal on property in your school district and elsewhere save the state budget writers? The projection is $1.5 billion for the next two-year budget. And where … Continue reading →

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Recapture re-vote will happen

Posted on February 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Mark your calendars for May 6. On Thursday, the board voted 5-3, with one abstention, to put another referendum on recapture on the May 6 ballot. Placing a second referendum on the May ballot will cost the district $800,000, according … Continue reading →

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HISD Board to discuss recapture re-vote today

Posted on February 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We should find out today if a re-vote on recapture is in our future. At their monthly meeting Thursday, trustees for the Houston Independent School Board will consider putting recapture back on the ballot. […] In November, HISD voters rejected … Continue reading →

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A re-vote on recapture?

Posted on February 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This is very interesting. After reconsideration of an 18-year-old law, state education officials are adjusting their school finance calculations in a way that could save several dozen school districts roughly $100 million — while costing the state the same amount … Continue reading →

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Senate to begin studying school finance changes

Posted on January 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see what this looks like. Leaders in the Texas Senate are vowing to find ways to overhaul the state’s school finance system, saying a recent Texas Supreme Court decision granted them a prime opportunity to shake up the heavily … Continue reading →

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Sung and Vilaseca sworn in at HISD

Posted on January 15, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The HISD Board is back at full strength. As Anne Sung and Holly Flynn Vilaseca took their oaths of office and became Houston ISD’s newest Board of Education trustees on Thursday, their husbands swaddled their months-old babies in one hand … Continue reading →

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Where we begin with school finance

Posted on January 15, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

A nice overview from the Trib on school finance, where the problems are many and the budget situation is non-optimal. The current system is held together by a number of short-term fixes that have not been updated or reformed in … Continue reading →

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HISD Board appoints Meyers replacement

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Meet your new Trustee. Houston ISD’s Board of Education voted unanimously Monday night to name former Teach for America staffer Holly Maria Flynn Vilaseca as its new District VI trustee. Flynn Vilaseca, who will replace outgoing Trustee Greg Meyers, will … Continue reading →

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New school grading system looks pretty harsh

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Brace yourselves. Schools in poor neighborhoods overwhelmingly received the worst grades under Texas’ new rating system — but even typically high-performing districts got C’s and D’s, according to scores that will be released Friday. The “what if” grades show how … Continue reading →

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A look ahead to Houston’s 2017 elections

Posted on January 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I want to return to something in that story about Mayor Turner’s 2017 agenda, which was near the bottom but which is a very big deal for the coming year: A lawsuit over the ballot language used last year to … Continue reading →

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“Denied”: HISD and special education

Posted on January 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

There are problems here as well. Superintendent Richard Carranza announced Thursday that the Houston Independent School District has decided to conduct a detailed review of the way that it serves students with disabilities. The effort will include asking “independent, third-party … Continue reading →

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Who wants to be an HISD Trustee?

Posted on December 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s your chance, to fill in for Greg Meyers, whose resignation took effect on Friday. Board members plan to appoint a new trustee to fill the vacancy by its Jan. 12 meeting. To qualify, one must live within the boundaries … Continue reading →

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Luman will request recount

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

John Luman posted the following on Facebook yesterday: Talk about close races! As of last night’s “unofficial” results, only 27 votes separate Anne Sung and me. Given the tightness of the race, I feel compelled on behalf of all of … Continue reading →

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Sung nips Luman in HISD runoff

Posted on December 11, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

By twenty-seven votes. Anne Sung narrowly defeated John Luman in a runoff election Saturday to take a seat on the Houston Independent School District board of trustees. Sung, who turns 38 Sunday, had the backing of the Houston Federation of … Continue reading →

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Runoff Day for HISD special election

Posted on December 10, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Saturday, Dec. 10, is Election Day for voters in HISD Trustee District VII and City of Baytown Council District 3. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. There are 178,717 registered voters in HISD … Continue reading →

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