Lynn Walsh

A story written for Texas Watchdog:

HISD says travel policy revisions still on track for start of school; timeframe won’t allow for required board approval
Thu Aug 12 16:40:00 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

While the Houston Independent School District has nearly doubled its payments to a local travel agency this year compared to 2009, a district official’s promise of a new district-wide travel policy by the start of the school year has not held true.

UPDATE (5:07 p.m.) But that official still maintains the revisions will be ready next week.

Poor planning, a preferences for costly direct flights, agency fees for flight bookings and a toothless travel policy have led to unnecessary costs for district travel, a Texas Watchdog investigation found.
Texas Watchdog has been asking HISD administrators and Superintendent Terry Grier about the high travel costs and sometimes disregard of the travel policy’s preference for driving short distances.

Grier has said the district would carefully look at “any issues you have with travel” and declined further comment. Responses from HISD administrators have generally been via prepared statements that leave some questions unanswered.

One thing HISD Chief Financial Officer Melinda Garrett did tell Texas Watchdog in June is that a new policy would be in place by the start of this school year.

“As a result of the new organizational change and elimination of the regional offices, many policies and administrative regulations are being reviewed. This includes travel. The district will have updated travel guidelines ready for schools and departments prior to the start of school.”

The start of classes for some schools is Monday.

The August board meeting for HISD trustees is tonight, the last opportunity before the start of school for trustees to approve a new policy. The agenda contains no mention of such.

Texas Watchdog asked both Garrett and Grier’s Chief of Staff Michele Pola about the approval of the new policy. Neither has responded.

UPDATE (5:07 p.m.): Garrett said in an e-mail this afternoon that the district is still on track to update travel guidelines in its finance procedures manual for distribution next week. But it’s unclear how they can do so without board approval tonight. These “travel policies are established and approved by the Board of Education,” the document says.

The meeting begins at 5 p.m. at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, 1800 W. 18th St.

Texas Watchdog will be there and will again ask about the status of a new travel policy.

Follow @TexasWatchdog on Twitter for live updates from the meeting tonight or search #HISD on Twitter.

Editor’s note: Texas Watchdog published a brief item about Garrett’s statement around 4:45 p.m. That item has been incorporated into the update paragraphs above.

A story written for Texas Watchdog:

Students at some HISD schools to win prizes for attendance this year
Thu Aug 12 14:32:00 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

Aug. 16 marks the first day of classes for some students attending Houston Independent School District schools, and just by showing up they could win tickets to sporting events and restaurant certificates.

The school year for HISD Apollo 20 schools starts a week earlier than the rest of the schools in the Houston district. The Apollo 20 program is an initiative to increase student achievement at some the lowest-performing schools in the district.

Due to the early start date, HISD wants to remind parents to register their children for classes. In an e-mail to the media, HISD media spokesman Norm Uhl said, “Every year we have parents registering late which leads to unnecessary lines and waiting. Parents can minimize the wait by acting now. They can register their children at the school they are to attend.”

To encourage attendance at schools across the Houston district, HISD said it is implementing a new program that will reward students who show up at school every day with tickets to sporting events, restaurant certificates and more.

The program is first being implemented at the Apollo 20 schools. Each day a student shows up for classes their name is entered into a drawing for the prizes.

Uhl said that all of the prizes have been donated to the district, and none of the donations or tickets come from vendors in the E-Rate technology program. Gift-giving from that program has been banned, following alleged ethics violations on the part of former HISD employees who worked with E-Rate vendors.

On top of the early start date, students attending the Apollo 20 schools will see longer school days and additional tutoring services.

The Apollo 20 schools are Key, Ryan, Fondren, Attucks and Dowling middle schools and Jones, Kashmere, Lee and Sharpstown High Schools. Elementary schools are to be added to the Apollo program for the 2011-12 school year.

The rest of HISD’s schools open on Aug. 23.

Contact Lynn Walsh at 713-228-2850 or lynn@texaswatchdog.org. Follow news about the Houston Independent School District on Twitter by searching #HISD.

A story produced for Texas Watchdog:

Video: Lee High School’s $1 million repair project
Thu Aug 12 10:42:00 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

Take a video tour inside Lee High School, where a library addition has settled and shifted away from the rest of the school. Houston Independent School District trustees gave the OK last month for up to $1 million in structural repairs, to be managed by Matrix Structural Engineers.

A story written for Texas Watchdog:

HISD employee double-dips with contractor to earn $187K a year; Grier: ‘Probably an ethical issue’
Wed Aug 11 05:03:00 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

A Houston Independent School District administrator has had a lucrative side job for at least three years — running an education nonprofit that has a nearly $2 million contract with HISD, something Superintendent Terry Grier says is “probably an ethical issue.”

Ann Stiles’ job at HISD in recent years has been overseeing the school system program coordinated by her own group, Project GRAD Houston, which tries to prevent low-income children in HISD from dropping out of school. Project GRAD has a $1.86 million contract with the Houston district, which school trustees renewed in June.

As HISD teacher specialist for Project GRAD, Stiles is a full-time HISD employee, earning a salary of $67,318 this year plus benefits, district spokesman Norm Uhl said.

But that’s not her only source of income. Stiles is also the executive director for Project GRAD Houston, where, according to the group’s IRS form, she earned $120,201 in 2008 and listed an average 40 hours of work per week. The total paycheck for the two jobs comes to more than $187,000 annually.

Stiles’ moonlighting was revealed Monday by Grier to school system trustees and the public. “I want to bring it to the board’s attention as it is probably an ethical issue that should be discussed,” Grier, who took over as the school system chief last September, told the group. He didn’t elaborate.

However, school officials had previously known of Stiles’ two jobs, Uhl said, though he did not elaborate on how long the district had known.

Asked whether an HISD employee is allowed to also work for a nonprofit that contracts with the district, Uhl said in an e-mail, “there does not appear to be a violation of any policy and it was known that she worked for the district. I just don’t think the question of the possible appearance of a conflict had been asked until now.”

Project GRAD Houston’s IRS form and its Web site list HISD Trustee Paula Harris as one of the group’s board members. Her name appears on the group’s IRS form on the same page as the one identifying Stiles as executive director. Harris and another HISD trustee, Anna Eastman, had questioned Grier about Stiles’ dual employment at the Monday meeting, but Harris did not volunteer publicly that she is a Project GRAD board member.

Stiles has submitted a resignation letter to the school district, effective Aug. 31, Uhl said. A school district staffer told the trustees Monday that the resignation had been turned in, though it was unclear exactly when it was submitted.

HISD salary records show Stiles has been a district employee since August 1993. She was initially hired as a teacher at Jefferson Elementary School, Uhl said.

The first reference to Project GRAD in Stiles’ employee file at HISD is in 1997, Uhl said, where Stiles is listed as a math teacher at the now-closed Lamar Elementary serving as a “Teacher Trainer under Project Grad.”

She began working as Project GRAD’s teacher specialist for HISD in August 2000, earning a salary of more than $40,000, Uhl said. Salary records show her HISD pay increased each year, up to the $67,318 she earned last year.

It was not clear at press time when Stiles became an employee of the nonprofit organization Project GRAD. IRS forms for the nonprofit were available online as far back as 2006, and all three years’ forms describe Stiles as the executive director.

Texas Watchdog called the Project GRAD Houston office number, asking for Stiles. A receptionist said Stiles was in a meeting and took a message. As of print, Stiles did not return the phone call.

HISD’s headquarters at 1800 W. 18th St. is 8.5 miles away from the Project GRAD office at 3000 Richmond — a 25-minute drive in traffic, according to Google Maps.

According to its website, Project GRAD (Graduation Really Achieves Dreams) Houston is part of a national program that works to increase high school graduation and college attendance rates for low-income students. The national program grew “from a scholarship program which began in partnership with (the) Houston Independent School District in 1989.”

The group was founded by former Tenneco oil chief James Ketelsen and his wife, Kathryn; James Ketelsen is Project GRAD Houston’s president and board chairman, while Kathryn Ketelsen is one of Harris’ fellow directors. HISD named an elementary school after James Ketelsen in 2002.

In June HISD trustees approved a renewal of the contract between the Houston district and Project GRAD Houston. The agreement for the coming school year, for $1.86 million, includes work at three high schools — Jefferson Davis, John Reagan and Jack Yates — and five elementary schools, Thomas Jefferson, James Ketelsen, Adele Looscan, Clemente Martinez and Sidney Sherman.

The possible addition of a ninth site, Phillis Wheatley High School in northeast Houston, prompted Grier’s mention of Stiles’ dual employment at Monday’s school board meeting. The addition of Wheatley and the additional costs of $59,221 associated with it are up for approval by school trustees Thursday (agenda item D-4).

Do you think HISD should have a policy that prohibits an employee from receiving a taxpayer-funded salary from the school district while at the same time working for a business or nonprofit that contracts with the district?

Let Texas Watchdog know what you think. Contact Lynn Walsh, Lynn@TexasWatchdog.org or 713-228-2850. On Twitter, @TexasWatchdog or @Lwalsh, and follow #HISD for stories, meeting highlights and more on HISD.

A story published for Texas Watchdog:

Video: HISD Trustee Harvin Moore addresses TEA accountability ratings
Tue Aug 10 18:16:00 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

More Houston Independent School District schools are receiving higher state accountability ratings than last year, recent reports released from the Texas Education Agency show, but critics blast the standards as too low.

Over 100 schools in the Houston Independent School District received the highest state rating of “exemplary” this year and almost 250 schools in HISD made “adequate yearly progress,” or AYP, a federal requirement for campuses and states that measures reading, math and graduation and attendance rates. In both instances, the number of schools meeting the standard is greater than last year.

But what does it all mean? AYP ratings are a result of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. TAKS test results are used when determining both federal AYP ratings and TEA accountability ratings–exemplary, recognized, not acceptable, etc. But critics say the standards have gotten so diluted as to be a poor measure of achievement.

The Texas Tribune reported on the issue last month, underscoring the measure’s unreliability.

In fifth grade reading, 44 percent of students who were projected to pass actually failed. In eighth grade math, 38 percent. In 11th grade reading and math, 30 percent and 28 percent, respectively.

Houston Chronicle columnist Rick Casey questioned the use of the Texas Projection Measure last week:

Schools and school districts are bumped up one rating level if the TPM projects their students to do well enough to reach that level within the next few years.

I don’t blame administrators or teachers, especially those with responsibility for educating low-income children, for liking the TPM. They have a tough job, and they enjoy getting public credit for making gains, even if those gains don’t show up in passing rates on the high-stakes test.

And the West University Examiner raised questions about specific HISD schools that made it on the state’s list of “acceptable” schools:

Curiously, also listed as recognized is Fondren Middle School, called a failing school by HISD and placed in the Apollo program for schools in need of immediate turnaround or risk potential closure by the state. Other Apollo schools were included in the acceptable category, including Ryan, Dowling and Attucks middle schools. Four high schools in the Apollo initiative, Sharpstown, Lee, Jones and Kashmere, were named unacceptable. Kashmere and Key were previously on the state’s acceptable list until a recent TEA ruling that demoted both due to findings of test data improprieties.

It is not just the media that is questioning the rating system used by the TEA. HISD trustee Harvin Moore has for months raised concerns over the current rating system during board meetings. Moore has even opined on the issue on his personal blog, The Transformation Times:

“Each year, state standards boards have announced that they are lowering their ‘cut scores’ (number of questions a child must answer correctly to pass) for various noble reasons, usually because ‘the test questions are harder this year, so the same level of proficiency is reflected by a smaller number of correct answers.’”

Moore discussed with Texas Watchdog what he believes may be the solution to inflated state accountability ratings and lowered cutoff scores: Common Core. Watch the clip below for more.

Contact Lynn Walsh at 713-228-2850 or lynn@texaswatchdog.org. Follow news about the Houston Independent School District on Twitter, #HISD.

A story written for Texas Watchdog:

HISD trustees accept $3,000 in campaign donations from vendor CEP during debate on CEP’s contract renewal
Tue Aug 10 15:04:00 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

More than $3,000 in campaign contributions were made to Houston Independent School District trustees from individuals with connections to a district provider of alternative schooling during the months trustees were debating the renewal of the provider’s contract, campaign finance records show.
Houston ISD trustees Mike Lunceford and Larry Marshall each received individual donations from Randle Richardson, the founder and current owner of Community Educational Partners, and Phil Baggett, a chief executive at CEP.

CEP is a company based in Nashville, Tenn., that develops alternative school options for school districts across the country. In June HISD trustees renewed a contract with CEP of around $13.7 million for the 2010-11 school year. The renewal came after debates in the community, between trustees and a performance evaluation that was paid for by CEP.

Richardson donated $500 to Lunceford on Jan. 11, according to the campaign finance records. That same day, Baggett also donated $500. These were the only contributions Lunceford received during the January-to-June reporting period.

“I met with Richardson sometime between Christmas and New Year’s, and that is when he gave me the checks,” Lunceford said. “They are both involved with CEP, he (Richardson) told me about CEP, I did not know what it was, so I went out and looked at it.”

Lunceford said he was approached about the meeting with Richardson by Vidal Martinez, an attorney who represents CEP, sometime around October.

When asked by Texas Watchdog if he thought the contributions were meant to influence his vote, Lunceford said, “I don’t know what his intentions were, I am sure they were, but it did not sway my vote. I only vote for the kids.”

“I got contributions from lots of people who do business with HISD,” Lunceford said. Lunceford, whose district includes Bellaire High School, was elected to the school board in November.

CEP did not return a call for comment.

Richardson donated $750 to Marshall on Jan. 30, according to his campaign finance report. Five months later, on June 24, Richardson made another contribution to Marshall’s campaign, this time for $1,000. Baggett donated $750 to Marshall’s campaign on Jan. 30.

“History is there that shows they have contributed previously,” Marshall said. “I think it could be perceived a conflict if it were the first time they had donated.”

Marshall recently defended a consulting gig with CEP during an HISD board meeting, saying he had been a “consultant in Atlanta assisting them business development.” Marshall told Texas Watchdog that he made sure his consulting contract with CEP only included areas outside of Texas.

According to Marshall, he is no longer working for CEP and quit his position as a consultant the day a board conflict of interest policy was approved in 2004. The policy said the district could not “contract with a business entity in which a trustee or anyone related to the trustee…has any pecuniary interest” — in other words, a monetary or financial interest.

HISD law firms’ donations

Trustees reported other donations from companies doing business with HISD. Paula Harris’ campaign finance report lists a $500 contribution from the Bracewell and Giuliani PAC Committee in February and another $500 donation from Thompson and Horton LLP. Both law firms can represent HISD based on a list of law firms approved by the district.

Calls to Thompson and Horton and to Bracewell and Giuliani.

Accepting these campaign donations does not break any federal, state or local laws.

But if the companies had been vendors in a federal technology program, accepting some of those donations would have violated board policy. Under the new ethics rules for the E-rate program, the cap on campaign donations is $500 a year.

E-rate is a federal technology program that awards money to schools and libraries across the country. HISD had to pay $850,000 to settle a lawsuit with the federal government stemming from allegations of employees accepting gifts, meals and personal checks.

It was because of a federal investigation that HISD had to adhere to stricter campaign finance rules. But should a federal investigation be the only reason HISD trustees agree to campaign limits from vendors or contractors?

We want to know what you think. Contact Lynn Walsh at lynn@texaswatchdog.org or 713-228-2850. On Twitter: @lwalsh. Be sure to follow #HISD on Twitter for the most recent HISD updates from Texas Watchdog.

A story written for RTDNA-Radio Television Digital News Association

Audio Tweets: The Future of Online Reporting?
Jul 29 2010
By Lynn Walsh, Texas Watchdog

A little bit of social media heaven revealed itself to me this week: audio tweeting.

It showed up as most social media news does, through my Mashable iPhone application.

But, this article on the technology and social media website is more than just a first look at how to send audio clips over social media sites. It reveals yet another tool journalists can use to better connect communities to the stories being reported every day.

Whether it is a quick sound bite or a descriptive audio clip-they can now be shared instantaneously with audiences across the world with just a few clicks.

While the possibilities of how journalists can use these services is endless, in my opinion; the greatest part is the ease of use.

Most reporters are already tweeting throughout the day as they run to and from interviews, press conferences, events, etc. Sometimes the messages are timely and deliver breaking news as it happens-other times the messages prepare the audience for what to expect in a story coming later that day or night.

Now, instead of describing the noise of the construction site or quoting a school board member during a meeting, journalists can actually share the sounds with their followers as they happen. No more typing out quotes in 140 characters or less-just hit record and the 15-second sound bite can be shared on Facebook and Twitter in less than a minute.

Some may argue sharing a compelling interview clip or providing too many details may reveal too much of the finished product-leaving listeners and viewers with nothing new to see later. I disagree.

Think about how many times you have been forced to choose between great sound bites, leaving the “leftover” sound to just be recorded over the next day. Now you not only have a way to let your source tell more of their story in their own words, but you can create a compelling, interesting and multimedia story that ropes listeners and viewers in throughout the day.

It could be an informative, day-long teaser for your audience. Plus-it is interesting, innovative and provides more levels of engagement for the community.

Another great reason to audio tweet: the possibility of increased transparency for the public. They are not just reading quotes you heard someone say, they are actually hearing the same sounds and comments you are, just a few seconds later.

As journalists across the country are expected to do more with less, new technologies can be overwhelming; I encourage you to not give-up. New technologies are allowing journalists to tell better stories that make a bigger impact in communities everywhere-embracing the changes and new technologies can help the world become more engaged and better informed.

The five services Mashable suggests are:

• Chir.ps
• AudioBoo
• Twaud.io
• Chirbit
• ShoutoMatic

The services all offer web-based platforms and AudiBoo also has both iPhone and Android applications. Short and longer recordings are both possible with the above services (Twaud.io will allow around 30 minutes of audio to be recorded and uploaded.)

Lynn Walsh is an investigative video journalist at Texas Watchdog, a nonprofit online journalism organization focusing on government accountability and transparency in Texas.

A story written for Texas Watchdog:

HISD board president Greg Meyers corrects campaign finance form, reports $1,400 in reimbursements to himself

Fri Aug 6 20:31:00 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

Houston Independent School District board president Greg Meyers amended his July campaign finance report today, adding more than $1,400 in reimbursements to himself for phone bills, a day after a Texas Watchdog story that noted the omission.
On the original campaign finance report, Meyers left off more than $1,000 in checks and a withdrawal from the campaign account to Meyers, bank records obtained by Texas Watchdog showed. The campaign checks and withdrawal slip were signed by Meyers.

On the cover page of the amended report, Meyers writes:

“I inadvertently omitted some expenditures on schedule F to myself as reimbursement for the properly reported schedule G expenditures. I am filing this corrected report within 14 days of learning of the error; which was yesterday, August 5. I believe my report as originally filed substantially complied with the law.”

Three checks of $250, a $200 check and a $100 deposit were posted to the “Greg Meyers Campaign” account between January and April. In addition to those transactions, in the correction to the campaign finance report Meyers lists a fifth check for $393.16 made out to Meyers from his campaign account on June 23.

Greg MeyersMEYERS
When alerted to the discrepancies Thursday by a reporter, Meyers said the mistake was in not properly listing the checks as a reimbursement for more than $1,500 in AT&T campaign phone bills, which were listed in the initial report

Meyers said that he had never submitted campaign finance reports with reimbursements before and that it was just a filing mistake. He later acknowledged that on his Jan. 15 campaign finance report he had correctly filled out the paperwork to show reimbursements to himself.

Candidates in Texas are required to disclose campaign expenses without exception, though small expenditures do not require the same level of detail as larger ones.

Meyers was elected to the HISD board of education in 2004 and re-elected in 2009. He represents District VI, which includes Sharpstown and Westside high schools and encompasses an area north of Westheimer Road south to Bellfort Street.

Contact Lynn Walsh at 713-228-2850 or lynn@texaswatchdog.org. Follow news about the Houston Independent School District on Twitter. Follow @TexasWatchdog or search #HISD.

A story written for Texas Watchdog:

HISD board president Greg Meyers fails to report more than $1,000 in campaign finance payments to himself
Fri Aug 6 02:14:00 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

More than $1,000 was disbursed from Houston Independent School District board president’s Greg Meyers’ campaign account — to Meyers himself, bank records show — but not a dime of it is listed on his campaign finance report that was filed in July and covers the time period of the checks.

Meyers signed for the cash withdrawal and cut the checks that were dated and cleared the campaign account in January, February, March and April, bank documents obtained by Texas Watchdog show. The failure to report the payments and their purpose is a violation of Texas election law that can carry fines.

“I appreciate you bringing this to my attention, and I am going to be amending this first thing in the morning,” Meyers told Texas Watchdog Thursday afternoon.
Greg MeyersMEYERS

Meyers said the payments actually totaled around $1,200 and were reimbursement for $1,514 in AT&T campaign phone bills he had paid. Those phone bills are listed beginning on page 5 of the report.

“I thought that if I put the expenses in both (schedules) F and G, then I would need to put that in the total,” Meyers said. “That would have doubled the amount that was due back to me. That is not my intent.”

The payments included: A cash withdrawal of $100 was posted to the “Greg Meyers Campaign” account by Meyers on Jan. 20. Meyers wrote himself a $250 check dated Feb. 19 that cleared the campaign account three days later. A month later he signed two more checks for $250 each. The checks were written on March 6 and March 31, clearing the account within days. He wrote a subsequent $200 check on April 17.

State campaign finance law permits candidates to reimburse themselves for campaign-related expenses as long as the expenses are itemized and reported — Meyers did so in his January report, which noted the campaign reimbursed him for $550 in meals.

Meyers, who fills out his own campaign finance reports, first said he had never had to fill out the section of the reporting form that tracks personal expenses prior to the July report.

“I looked at the instructions and what it said to do. It was a live-and-learn moment. I have never done any reimbursements like this before.”

But the process for disclosing the payments to himself for phone expenses would have been identical to the one Meyers undertook in January for campaign-related meals.

“I don’t know. I don’t have it in front of me,” Meyers said in a second interview. “But I believe what you are saying and have no reason to doubt you. Obviously, I made a mistake, and I can amend it, and it is a miss on my part.”

Dr. Charles Mullins, the treasurer listed on Meyers’ campaign finance reports since at least 2008, said he has not had contact with Meyers in two or three months. Mullins is the father of Sandie Mullins, Meyers’ ex-wife.

“It was sort of just a title,” Mullins said. “I have never had any working with it.”

Candidates in Texas are required to disclose campaign expenses without exception, though small expenditures do not require the same level of detail as larger ones.

“Some payee would have to be tied to it,” Tim Sorrells, a lawyer at the Texas Ethics Commission, said of a scenario like Meyers’. “It is correct that if someone makes a political expenditure from campaign funds, it needs to be disclosed.”

Meyers was elected to the HISD board of education in 2004 and re-elected in 2009. He represents District VI, which includes Sharpstown and Westside high schools and encompasses an area north of Westheimer Road south to Bellfort Street.

Meyers said he expects his amended report to be available to be viewed Friday at the HISD Hattie Mae White building at 4400 West 18th St.

Contact Lynn Walsh at 713-228-2850 or lynn@texaswatchdog.org. Follow @texaswatchdog on Twitter, or search #HISD, for news about the school district.

A story written for Texas Watchdog:

HISD trustees report no freebies, no conflicts
Thu Aug 5 11:57:00 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

Houston Independent School District trustees are conflict of interest-free, according to the most recent conflict disclosure forms filed last month.
The disclosure forms are due twice a year, on the 15th of January and July. On the forms Houston ISD school board members are required to disclose any business relationships or professional ties they may have with anyone doing business with the Houston Independent School District, as well as any gifts, commission or payments received from a business connected to HISD.

The blank disclosure forms follow a recent trend. According to all the submitted forms since January 2005, only one trustee has accepted any gifts, meals or tickets worth more than $50: Larry Marshall.

In 2009, Marshall reported receiving game tickets to both an Astros game and two Houston Texans NFL games. During an interview with Texas Watchdog last year, Marshall said, “I can’t say that there’s a high degree of frequency, but invitations flow. Invitations flow, and you’re constantly being invited to something.”

An ethics loophole exempts board members from having to report meals, gifts and entertainment from a vendor if the vendor is present. The loophole — which results in a lower ethical standard than the one imposed on district employees — is in state law and applies to other local officials.

A few new questions related to the federal E-Rate technology program were added to the disclosure forms this reporting period. The additions specifically address any relationships the trustees may have with E-Rate vendors; trustees also have to disclose any gifts or campaign contributions from E-Rate vendors and associated owners and employees.

E-Rate is a federally funded program that brings cut-rate telecommunications services to public schools, nonprofit private schools and libraries.

HISD trustees approved new E-Rate ethics rules in March after the Houston district paid $850,000 to settle a lawsuit with the Federal Communications Commission, which was brought after HISD employees were accused of improperly accepting gifts from technology vendors in 2006.

In a memorandum details of the allegations were outlined by an outside law firm hired by HISD.

Employees, trustees and even the superintendent at the time, Abelardo Saavedra, were named as having accepted gifts ranging from sports tickets to all-expenses-paid birthday parties and personal checks.

The Houston school district also agreed to prohibit any E-Rate program employee and HISD trustees from accepting certain gifts.

Contact Lynn Walsh at 713-228-2850 or lynn@texaswatchdog.org. Follow news about the Houston Independent School District on Twitter, #HISD.