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Heads up, Texas taxpayers: we’ve reviewed the upcoming HOUSTON ISD agenda and found 6 items that deserve your attention before the gavel falls.
| ALERT (LEVEL 9) |
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Tax Rate ‘Cut’ Hides Higher Tax Bills
The Board is voting on a new property tax rate of $0.8421, which they are calling a cut from last year’s $0.8783. However, with certified property values rising 6.8%, this rate is almost certainly above the ‘no-new-revenue’ rate, meaning the district will collect more money from taxpayers overall.
Response
DEMAND A RECORDED VOTE: Contact the Board (see the Official Agenda link) and ask: ‘What is the no-new-revenue rate for 2026? I demand a roll-call vote on Item 5 so taxpayers can see who votes to increase the total tax levy.’
💰 Impact: Higher Property Taxes
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| ALERT (LEVEL 8) |
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Vague $1M+ Vendor Contracts on Consent Agenda
The board plans to approve vendor contracts costing ‘$1,000,000 or more’ as part of a bundled consent agenda vote. The details of these massive expenditures are contained in an attachment not included in the main agenda packet, preventing public scrutiny before the vote.
Response
INVESTIGATE: Open the file ‘Purchasing Requests’ attached to Item 22 in the Official Agenda (linked above) to see which vendors are receiving these large contracts. Demand this item be pulled from the consent agenda for a full discussion and recorded vote.
💰 Impact: Undisclosed
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| WARNING (LEVEL 7) |
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Policy Authorizes Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying Junkets
Proposed revisions to Board Policy BBG(LOCAL) explicitly authorize taxpayer-funded travel for board members to attend events hosted by lobbying groups like the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) and the National School Boards Association (NSBA). These groups often lobby the legislature for policies that hurt taxpayers and parents.
Response
PULL FROM CONSENT: Contact the Board (see the Official Agenda link): ‘Pull Consent Item 9 for a separate vote. Taxpayer money should not fund travel to organizations that lobby against taxpayer interests. Amend the policy to remove TASB and NSBA.’
💰 Impact: Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying
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| WARNING (LEVEL 7) |
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Mass Deletion of Student Conduct and Safety Policies
The board is proposing the wholesale deletion of multiple local policies on student conduct, including those covering weapons, drugs, and tobacco (Items 19, 20, 21). These are bundled on the consent agenda with no explanation or replacement policies visible, raising serious questions about student safety and discipline standards.
Response
INVESTIGATE & PULL FROM CONSENT: Contact the Board (see the Official Agenda link): ‘Pull Items 19, 20, and 21 from the consent agenda. Why are student conduct policies on weapons and drugs being deleted, and what will replace them?’
💰 Impact: Reduced Student Safety
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| WARNING (LEVEL 6) |
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New Rules Restrict Public Comment
The board’s meeting rules require citizens to register to speak by noon the day *before* the meeting. This procedural hurdle prevents parents and taxpayers who learn of a last-minute agenda change from addressing the board, effectively silencing spontaneous public feedback.
Response
DEMAND FAIR ACCESS: Contact the Board (see the Official Agenda link): ‘The requirement to sign up for public comment by noon the day before a meeting restricts public access. Please amend the rules to allow for same-day sign-ups before the meeting begins.’
💰 Impact: Reduced Public Access
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| WATCH (LEVEL 4) |
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Student Progress Data Dashboard Lacks Transparency
The board is reviewing a student progress report based on NWEA MAP testing data, which tracks student performance by demographic group. While academic monitoring is important, these data collection systems can be used for ideological purposes and raise privacy concerns if not managed with full transparency.
Response
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Contact the Board (see the Official Agenda link): ‘Regarding Item 3, what are the district’s data privacy policies for NWEA MAP data, and with which third parties is this student-level data shared?’
💰 Impact: Student Data Harvesting
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