Both sides of political aisle oppose HISD's multi-billion-dollar bond
HOUSTON — The Houston Independent School District is looking to pass a $4.4 billion bond but there has been some pushback.
Parents, teachers and community members have spoken out against the bond , and now, both the Republican and Democratic parties in Harris County announced they are against it, too.
On Sunday, Harris County Democrats met and unanimously voted for resolutions against HISD's bond.
"The schools need more funding, the school buildings need to be repaired. But you can't trust this unelected board, this Mike Miles, to basically waste the money and take it away before it can really be used to help our students," Harris County Democratic Party Chair Mike Doyle said.
The message is clear, according to Doyle.
"These folks who are not elected cannot be trusted with this money, that this should be voted down, that that we need this money, but we don't need it approved and given to these folks until we have an elected board that represents us making the decisions and taking care of the money," Doyle said.
The largest school bond proposal in district history is also the largest in Texas history.
Those who are against it said they're concerned with the district's lack of transparency and accountability to taxpayers since state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles took over.
Earlier this month, the Harris County Republican party did the same thing while citing different reasons, including HISD's declining enrollment and economic difficulties families are facing.
"When enrollment is declining by 10% and you're asking for over $4 billion, are you going to be good stewards of the money? I mean, there are too many unanswered questions," Harris County Republican Party Chairman Cindy Siegel said. "Inflation is high, people are struggling, and you know I know that they say the taxes aren't going to go up, but the fact is that's a lot of money. Additionally, the feeling was that HISD should be able to show that they've turned the school district around."
Ruth Kravetz is the co-founder of Community Voices for Public Education, a group that has openly criticized and been against the state takeover of HISD since the beginning. She said it's very telling that both parties are in agreement on opposing the bond.
"Our purpose is to believe in the power and the promise of public education to improve this great Democracy that we live in. For me to say that I'm opposing a bond means there's something truly wrong with this bond, truly wrong with the oversight that isn't there and truly wrong with what Miles is doing to harm the school children in Houston," Kravetz said. "We don't trust Mike Miles to use the taxpayer money wisely. And at the end of the day, our students are going to be left off worse than they were before."
The bond will be split into two propositions on the November ballot.
HISD said the bond would address three things: creating safe and healthy campuses, making campuses "future-ready" and restoring HISD schools.
The bond addresses three things, according to the district.
$1.04 billion toward creating safe and healthy campuses
$1.07 billion toward making campuses "future-ready"
$2.27 billion toward restoring HISD schools
HISD hasn't responded to requests for comment, but last week, Miles sat down with KHOU 11 News to talk about the bond.
"One of the things I think will help convince people to support the bond ... there's no property tax increase," Miles said.
Kravetz and others estimated that the bond would cost taxpayers nearly $9 billion over the next 30 years once interest costs were included.
"There is no mechanism to make sure that the money is spent for the purposes for children," Kravetz said.
