Lynn Walsh

A story written for Texas Watchdog:

Texas school systems hang on to big-bucks reserve funds while laying off teachers
Tuesday, May 10, 2011, 08:06AM CST
By Lynn Walsh and Steve Miller

Texas’ largest school systems are laying off teachers by the hundreds and thousands while hanging on to the tens of millions of dollars in their “rainy day” and reserve funds — and some in those communities, including some teachers, say that’s a bad idea.

The Houston public schools, the state’s largest school system, has laid off more than 700 teachers to solve its budget crunch while having $279 million in reserves. The Dallas schools are considering laying off more than 1,110 employees and expect to have $85 million to $95 million in reserves at the end of the fiscal year. And the San Antonio public schools have more than $63 million in reserves, though they have found other jobs for teachers who faced threats of layoffs.

None of the three systems currently plans to dip into those bank accounts to save teachers’ jobs, though their budget proposals for the next fiscal year are in varying states of flux.

“I think they should be using the rainy day fund,” said teacher Susan Wingfield, who will be laid off at the end of this school year after 11 years in the Houston schools, the last seven teaching art at Lamar High. “We need to educate these students … We need to spend money on teachers’ salaries to do that instead of laying them off.”

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A story written for Texas Watchdog:

Houston ISD trustee Larry Marshall held fundraiser on Rep. Borris Miles-arranged Costa Rica trip; see photo and source documents
Friday, Jun 17, 2011, 10:50AM CST
By Lynn Walsh and Jennifer Peebles

Houston Independent School District trustee Larry Marshall took up state Rep. Borris Miles’ offer of free trips to Costa Rica and travelled to the Central American nation twice, Marshall told the Houston Chronicle yesterday.

Meanwhile, campaign finance disclosures show that Marshall held a fundraising dinner for campaign donors — in Costa Rica — around the time he told Mellon he was in that country on a trip arranged by Miles, who does business with HISD.

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A story written for Texas Watchdog:

Houston ISD leaders won’t criticize trustees president Paula Harris for voting on contracts that included work for close friend’s firm
Thursday, Jun 16, 2011, 09:30AM CST
By Lynn Walsh

The leadership of the Houston Independent School District hasn’t said in so many words that it’s entirely appropriate for HISD trustees president Paula Harris to vote on contracts that included work for a company owned and run by one of Harris’ closest friends.

But they certainly aren’t condemning her for it.

(See the orignal Texas Watchdog story by clicking here.)

Trustee Carol Mims Galloway said she didn’t know whether the votes presented a conflict of interest. Trustee Manuel Rodriguez said it was a personal decision, Greg Meyers said it was “up to the individual board member,” and Harvin Moore said it was a “judgment call.” HISD Superintendent Terry Grier said through a spokesman that he would not voice an opinion on the matter. And the school system’s spokesman criticized Texas Watchdog for characterizing Harris’ votes as a potential conflict of interest.

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A story produced for Texas Watchdog:

Texas Watchdog probes Houston ISD’s business ties to friend of trustees’ president
Friday, Jun 10, 2011, 10:25AM CST
By Jennifer Peebles

As part of its ongoing look at potential conflicts of interest for people in government, you may have seen that yesterday Texas Watchdog took a closer look the Houston school system’s business relationship with a close friend of the president of the school district’s trustees.

See the full story by clicking here.

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A story produced for Texas Watchdog:

Some Houston ISD trustees question cost of proposed ‘career academies’
Friday, May 20, 2011, 10:56AM CST
By Lynn Walsh

Some Houston school district trustees are questioning whether the time is right to spend $1.6 million on proposed “career academies” at four high schools that would allow students to earn both their high school diploma and an associate’s degree in just five years.

As the Houston Independent School District prepares to lose $160 million in state funding next year, the school district is also proposing to launch the career academies at Furr, Sterling, Kashmere and Scarborough high schools through a partnership with Houston Community College.

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A story written for Texas Watchdog:

4 HISD schools to be closed; view trustees’ comments in video here
Friday, May 13, 2011, 06:12PM CST
By Lynn Walsh

This will be the last school year for Rhoads, Grimes, Stevenson and McDade elementaries now that Houston school district trustees have voted to close those campuses.

The closures will save the Houston Independent School District close to $700,000 next year and $1.8 million the following year, the head of the district’s financial department, Melinda Garrett, said during the Thursday board meeting.

Trustee Carol Galloway voted against the closure of all four schools. Trustee Juliet Stipeche voted against the closure of Rhoads, Grimes and Stevenson elementaries but not McDade Elementary School. Trustee Manuel Rodriguez was absent for the votes, but present during other parts of the meeting. The other six trustees approved the closures.

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A story written for Texas Watchdog:

Neighbors fear ‘eyesores’ if HISD closes four schools; old Bastian Elementary to be bulldozed
Thursday, May 12, 2011, 11:30AM CST
By Lynn Walsh

The proposed closures of four Houston elementary schools could leave those neighborhoods with more eyesores and create safe havens for illegal activity, some neighbors have said — but school district administrators said they’re taking steps to prevent that from happening.

As Houston Independent School District trustees consider closing four elementary schools, community members are reminding them of the forlorn condition of another campus, the old Bastian Elementary building on Calhoun Road.

“The fact that an unoccupied, unused, raggedy, unmonitored, closed school … sits within 1.3 miles of Grimes Elementary School and only 3 miles away from Rhoads Elementary School is very unsettling,” Tristan Washington told HISD Superintendent Terry Grier and trustees in an e-mail. “We don’t need another school closure which results in another ‘old Bastian Elementary’ situation.”

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A story written for Texas Watchdog:

Test scores show improvements at Apollo 20 middle schools, Houston ISD says
Friday, Apr 29, 2011, 01:36PM CST
By Lynn Walsh

The percentage of students passing a state-sanctioned math test on the first try went up at three of the five Houston middle schools in the Apollo 20 turnaround program, and two schools saw increases on the reading test, district data shows.

Overall, the Houston Independent School District says the percentage of eighth graders passing the TAKS math test increased by two percentage points, from 76% last year to 78% this year. The overall percentage of HISD eighth graders passing the reading portion of the TAKS test decreased by one point, from 88% last year to 87% this year.

Only two middle schools that are a part of HISD’s academic turn-around program saw increases in the percentage of students who passed both the math and reading tests — Dowling and Key.

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A story written for Texas Watchdog:

Number of schools on HISD’s chopping block drops to 4 (again) — but Love Elementary is saved
Friday, Apr 22, 2011, 09:18AM CST
By Lynn Walsh

Four elementary schools in the Houston school system are being considered for closure due to their low enrollment, the district announced Thursday — but Love Elementary School has been spared after all.

Once again on the small school closure list: Grimes, McDade and Rhoads elementary schools in the Houston Independent School District. Missing from the list is Love Elementary, which, along with those three schools, was being considered for possible closure earlier this month.

HISD has also added one school to the list: Stevenson Elementary, just outside Memorial Park, near the Houston Heights neighborhood.

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A story written for Texas Watchdog:

Houston’s Sunnyside neighborhood appeals to save Grimes Elementary School from closure: Featured video
Wednesday, Apr 20, 2011, 09:12AM CST
By Lynn Walsh

As the Houston school system continues to debate closing 17 elementary and middle schools in the district, alumni and community members at one school are creating a video awareness campaign to save their school.

Opened in 1952, B.H. Grimes Elementary School in Houston’s Sunnyside neighborhood, may see its final bell ring come June, as Houston Independent School District trustees consider closing small schools in the district.

Local Grimes alumni are hoping to keep the doors to the school open a little longer and they are pleading their case with a video, which is today’s featured video on the Texas Watchdog home page.

“When you go to HISD meetings, they show their videos,” said Travis McGee, a civic leader in Sunnyside. “Their videos paint the pretty picture, but that’s not reality. Our video shows the reality.”

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