An uncomfortable conclusion to a policy violation that infuriated some board members and community people was reached Thursday when the state-appointed board of Houston ISD voted 7-1 to allow up to $870 million in previously unapproved purchase agreements.
The Houston Landing reported on Monday that the administration of Superintendent Mike Miles had not obtained the necessary board clearance for a class of spending that eschews the conventional vendor bidding procedure for the previous 16 months, so avoiding a step intended to give control and transparency.
During Thursday’s meeting, three board members did not openly express their concerns, despite having previously notified the Landing that the policy breach upset them. After bringing up the contracts, the board immediately went into a two-hour private meeting out of the public eye. They then came back to make quick remarks and cast their votes. Cassandra Bandy abstained, Rolando Martinez voted against the accords, and seven members voted in favor of them.
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Of the nine members of the board, none have openly criticized any of the particular contracts in question.
Janette Garza Lindner, the chair of the board’s audit committee, said in a statement before to the vote that a firm had examined all unapproved purchase agreements valued at $1 million or more at the committee’s request and discovered no problems. Although Lindner did not say when the study would be produced, she did say the findings would be put on HISD’s website.
According to Lindner, we requested that our internal audit team, an outside company, confirm that the expenditures adhered to the proper procedures, approvals, budgeting, and record keeping. Every procedure that was followed was deemed appropriate by our internal audit staff.
In response to the problem, HISD is preparing a comprehensive audit of its purchasing procedures with quarterly follow-ups, board president Audrey Momanaee stated.
HISD leaders failed to get board approval for up to $870 million in spending, records show
by Staff Writer Asher Lehrer-Small
However, some community members claim they still have unresolved doubts over the experience, even though the board vote essentially put the matter behind the Miles administration and the board.
Approximately twenty kids, parents, and other community members attended the Thursday meeting to voice their concern over the vendor awards’ lack of control and violation of district policy.
Meyerland Performing and Visual Arts Middle School eighth grader Eliana Gottleib urged Miles and the board to investigate the matter further.
“You would think that when spending nearly $1 billion, you would follow your own procedures, for a group of people who are so hung up on following procedures, like carrying a traffic cone to the bathroom,” Eliana added. Board members, please take the same approach to this oversight gap that you would at your companies or occupations. You and the community are both aware that this type of situation necessitates a formal investigation.
HISD parent Briana Mohan, who pointed out that the district’s audit committee hadn’t convened since November, requested more transparency regarding the audit, which HISD claimed came back clean.
This audit is where? When will we be able to read it because of your excellent transparency? “Mohan said.”
Following the vote on the purchase agreements, the Thursday meeting ended with the election of new board officers for 2025 and a majority decision to start the process of selling 19 district assets. Momanaee was replaced as president by Ric Campo, a former vice president of the board. As vice president, Momanaee took over.
The Landing’s Houston ISD is covered by Asher Lehrer-Small. You can contact him directly [email protected] or follow him on Instagram at @by_ash_lson and @small_asheron X.
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