After a community member was allegedly hauled out of her seat and detained for continuously yelling at board members, the state-appointed board of Houston ISD unanimously decided Thursday night to put 17 district properties up for sale.
Following the rejection of a $4.4 billion bond proposal for Houston ISD by voters last November, the district decided to sell the properties, which were considered surplus.
These characteristics are:
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Brookline Facility
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Chatham Facility
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East Area Office Facility
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Fairchild Facility
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Fonwood Facility
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Grimes Facility
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Harper Facility
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Haviland Acreage
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Kirby & Orem Acreage
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North Forest Acreage
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North Forest Mesa Strip
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Rhoads Facility
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Ryon Facility
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South Area Office
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Southbank Acreage
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Terrell Facility
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Tidwell Acreage
The Dodson Facility was on the list when the property sales were first suggested in November.
The transactions have drawn criticism from a number of HISD parents and stakeholders. According to Savant Moore, an elected trustee who is unable to vote due to the state’s ongoing intervention in the district, which started in 2023 after Wheatley High School received a series of failing accountability ratings, some facilities had been designated for new career and technical education centers as part of the failed bond package.
The HISD board changed a district policy requiring property sales earnings to be deposited into a capital renovations fund in addition to voting to sell the properties. Superintendent Mike Miles, who was appointed by the state, now has the option to transfer the sale earnings to the district’s general fund.
Colette Robichau, a local, voiced her opposition to the proposal in November.
“I vehemently oppose the general fund receiving any proceeds from the sale of HISD properties,” she stated. I don’t think you’re using the general funds transparently. The capital rehabilitation fund must continue to receive all sales revenues, with complete and open accounting.
Sarah Terrell, a member of the community, shouted, “Why don’t you sell Hattie Mae while you’re at it?” from the front row of the board chamber just before the board members voted Thursday to sell the homes.
Five and a half hours into the board’s first regular meeting of 2025, HISD board president Audrey Momanaee repeatedly told Terrell to leave the district’s headquarters, the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center.
“You are so disappointing,” Terrell yelled.
Terrell was once more ordered to leave the building by Momanaee.
“No,” Terrell said in response. “I paid for it.”
The camera used for the district’s webcast of the meeting remained on her when Momanaee summoned the board to recess. According to a video released by a Houston Chronicle reporter, district staff allegedly hauled Terrell out of her seat.
Terrell then left voluntarily, albeit with handcuffs. According to Harris County court records, she was taken into custody and accused with criminal trespassing, a misdemeanor.
Purchase agreements that have been approved retroactively
The board’s decision to sell the properties also follows a mistake by the district’s administration, which violated the district’s own procurement standards by spending hundreds of millions of dollars on vendor contracts beginning in August 2023 without first obtaining board permission.
In a 7-1 decision on Thursday, the board decided to retrospectively approve contracts for the previous 16 months, with Cassandra Auzenne Bandy boycotting and Rolando Martinez voting against the proposal.
Janette Garza-Lindner, a board member of HISD, stated, “Our internal audit team found that all of the processes that were followed were appropriate.” “And so wanted to just make sure that that was noted for each other and for the community to understand that we did leverage our internal audit team to review those purchases.”
She also mentioned that the district’s internal auditor has started a thorough assessment of the procurement process and that the audit will be made accessible shortly. Additionally, audit follow-ups will now occur every three months.
