Lynn Walsh

A story produced for Texas Watchdog:

Curious about HISD’s building projects? See complete construction, renovation budgets for HISD’s school building program.
Thursday, Dec 09, 2010, 02:37PM CST
By Lynn Walsh

First it was in the red, now it is millions under budget — view the cost details of the projects in the Houston Independent School District’s $1 billion school construction program.

The bond program will build 23 new schools and renovate 134 others. Through state public information laws, Texas Watchdog requested detailed budgets of all of the construction projects and uploaded them here.

The best way to search: Use the search box located at the top of the page using HISD and the name of the school you are interested in. The page will have other documents on it as well so the fastest and easiest way to get the information is by using the search box at the top of the page. The best way to search is by school name and “HISD”

For instance, a search for Roosevelt Elementary will send you here. HISD will spend $16.1 million at the Greenspoint-area school, more than doubling its square footage.

The budget reports show the design fee the Houston district paid for the school ($840,000 at Roosevelt), whether land was purchased (for Roosevelt, it wasn’t) or how much HISD expects to spend furnishing the schools once construction is complete ($1.8 million in furnishings at Roosevelt).

Other details available in the budget documents for each school construction project include cost of a media centers, technology equipment and science lab upgrades, construction management fees, demolition costs and more.

Voters approved the bonds for HISD to build and renovate schools across the district in 2007. Since then, details about how much the district is spending, how much each project is costing and whether there would be enough money to fund the projects, has been fuzzy.

In July, a report from the nonprofit Council of the Great City Schools said the $1 billion construction program suffered from communication problems, lacked planning and was missing budget reports.

In August, HISD Superintendent Terry Grier said publicly that the program was $39 million over budget.

But in October, an outside consultant said the HISD bond program budget was “healthy,” and was $4 million under budget.

HISD trustees are expected to vote tonight on proposed changes to the budgets for construction projects at more than 10 schools. Details on what schools are involved can be found here.

Did something catch your eye while looking at the construction project details for a school? Think the amount being spent is a little high? A little low? Did the school just get a new science lab, gym or classrooms? Texas Watchdog wants to hear from you. Contact Lynn Walsh, Lynn@TexasWatchdog.org, 713-228-2850 or on Twitter @LWalsh.

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A story written for Texas Watchdog:

Houston ISD to rely on lotteries to pick students for 5 magnet schools
Wednesday, Dec 01, 2010, 01:48PM CST
By Lynn Walsh

Students wanting to attend one of the five federally funded magnet programs in the Houston Independent School District may have to leave their fate to the luck of a lottery, according to the school district’s application for grant funding.

According to the application, HISD is expected to spend $14.1 million creating and revising five magnet programs in the district in a program it is calling the “New Horizons Project” — and the district plans to implement a lottery to admit students to the programs.

“Our lottery to select students is race neutral…,” HISD told the U.S. Department of Education in an application it submitted under the Magnet Schools Assistance Program to the U.S. Department of Education earlier this year.

HISD was awarded a three-year grant under the federal magnet program and is expected to receive $11.4 million help create or transform magnet programs at Jones High School, Fondren Middle and Whidby, Garden Oaks and Dodson elementary schools.

According to the grant application, “magnet programs having more qualified applicants than space will use a lottery…”

HISD Superintendent Terry Grier has said lottery-style admission for magnet programs is a possibility and it has been discussed by HISD trustees and administrators at various meetings, but it had never been confirmed officially.

The grant application continues:

“Admissions to one of the magnet schools under the Magnet Schools Assistance Program project will be made available to all students annually; no academic criteria, entrance examinations or performance auditions will be used to select students. In order to be considered for admission, each prospective student will complete and turn in an application by the deadline.”

Students who apply and currently attend, currently live in the attendance area of the school or have siblings that are enrolled at one of the five schools will be given priority, according to HISD.

But, according to the grant application, if the school receives more applications than it has open spots for, a lottery will be used. The criteria in lottery will include “grade level, geographic area and building capacity of other schools.”

For several months an outside education group, Magnet Schools of America, has been reviewing the 100-plus magnet programs in HISD that are expected to cost the district $16.9 million this year.

During the evaluation, parents have been concerned about the changes that may come to programs across the district including the possibility of funding changes, cancelled programs and even the possibility of a lottery admission system.

A preliminary report from MSA said HISD’s magnet programs suffer from funding discrepancies, a lack of standard guidelines and requirements for programs and no district-wide answer to what being a “successful” magnet means, among other things. The final report from MSA is due Wednesday, Dec. 1.

(To view the data associated with all of the magnet programs in HISD, click here.)

According to the federal grant application HISD submitted:

* More than 426 staff members and 3,783 students will be affected by the third year, costing a total of $14,163,058 — more than $3,700 a student.

* HISD is expected to spend $2,167,564 of local funds on the New Horizons Project.

The program director for the New Horizons Project is Noelia G. Garza, currently the assistant superintendent of special populations, where she currently oversees magnet grants and International Baccalaureate programs.

New magnet programs will be created at Garden Oaks and Jones. Garden Oaks will feature a Montessori and environmental sciences magnet and a leadership and science, technology, engineering and mathematics, STEM, magnet will be at Jones. The Dodson Montessori program, the Whidby leadership and health sciences and the Fondren leadership and IB magnet programs will all be revised under the three-year federal grant.

Jones and Fondren are also a part of HISD’s academic turnaround program, Apollo 20, that aims to create academic success at the struggling schools through longer class days, a longer school year and tutoring. According to the grant application, Garza is expected to dedicate 15% of her time to those five magnet programs.

In the grant application, HISD says “each (magnet) program is held to a rigorous set of standards and has a unique and focused curriculum.”

Do you agree? Texas Watchdog wants to hear from you. Contact Lynn Walsh, Lynn@TexasWatchdog.org, 713-228-2850 or on Twitter @LWalsh.

A story written for Texas Watchdog:

Torte reform needed at HISD? Taxpayers pick up tab for Houston schools chief Terry Grier’s sweet trip back to San Diego
Wednesday, Nov 24, 2010, 02:09PM CST
By Lynn Walsh

Top administrators in the Houston school district spent thousands staying at a hoteland dining at upscale steakhouses and fancy dessert cafes while visiting schools in a district where they used to lead.

In early October, Houston Independent School District Superintendent Terry Grier and soon-to-retire Chief Academic Officer Chuck Morris took a three day trip to San Diego, Calif., to visit magnet programs in the San Diego Unified School District — a district where Grier and Morris previously served.

Grier came to HISD in 2009 after leaving his post as superintendent in San Diego. Morris followed Grier to HISD in November 2009, after serving as Grier’s deputy superintendent in San Diego and Grier’s chief of staff in the Guilford County, N.C., schools, according to HISD. Morris is set to retire next month, after about a year serving the Houston district.

“It was his role in supporting the board members’ request,” Grier’s chief of staff, Michele Pola, said. “He was asked to by the board members to show them great examples of best practices of specialized programs.”

According to Morris, the trip was taken after board member Harvin Moore “got back from China and was interested in the Chinese (educational) program and asked about going.” Once traveling, Morris said he and Grier “went in different directions, visiting schools.”

Moore, along with Lupita Hinojosa, head of magnet schools for the Houston district, andTracey Lewis, principal at Jones High School, also went on the Oct. 7-9, 2010, trip that involved visits to successful magnet programs in the San Diego district, including a visit to an elementary-level Mandarin Chinese program at Barnard Elementary and High Tech High and Crown Point Junior Music Academy, Morris said.

Moore said, he received an invitation to check out the Chinese program from the principal at Barnard and when he mentioned the trip to the Superintendent, Grier suggested he also check out some of the other schools in the San Diego district.

“I did start some of the programs so it was helpful for me to be there,” Grier said. “Not just anyone can walk into High Tech High. I am friends with the principal there and that is why we got to see it, quite frankly.”

Grier spent close to $200 on meals in two days, according to reimbursement records.On Oct. 7, Grier spent $108.97 on dinner and desserts. At a trip to Extraordinary Desserts on Fifth Avenue in San Diego, Grier bought a berry torte, flourless chocolate cake, two coffees and a Chai tea latte, according to reimbursement records.

“That dinner was not just for me,” Grier said. “It was also for Lupita and Tracey.” According to reimbursement records, Hinojosa did not seek re-payment for dinner on Oct. 7, and Lewis sought re-payment of $2.14 that night for “dinner.” The next night, Grier spent $58 on barbecued salmon, salad and green beans at an upscale steakhouse and wine bar, Flemings.

Morris said his wife accompanied him on the trip and, according to HISD records,Grier’s wife, Nancy, tagged along for the trip, too.

HISD picked up the tab for Terry Grier’s plane ticket, but not his wife’s. Two plane tickets to San Diego for Terry and Nancy Grier were purchased on the superintendent’s personal American Express card for $807.80, and he received a direct deposit from HISD for $403.90 for his ticket.

“Let me be real, real, real, real clear,” Grier said, “the school district did not pay for anything related to my wife’s expenses.” Grier said he made sure to designate an expense made for his wife so the district did not pay for it.

A three-night, $469.95 reservation at the Sheraton Hotel and Marina on Harbor Island Drive in San Diego was made for Nancy Grier for Oct. 7-10, and Terry Grier was reimbursed by HISD for two of the nights, costing the district $357.30 for a hotel room and parking. Terry Grier was also reimbursed for a rental car in which Nancy K. Grier is listed as the driver.

Asked why the reservations were made in Nancy Grier’s name, Grier said, “quite frankly, she did it that way on priceline.com. She has done it before. We don’t use a travel agent, and there is nothing inappropriate with her doing it.”

Hinojosa spent more than $1,500 on her flight to San Diego — more than triple the amount spent by Moore, Morris and Grier.

Moore, Grier and Morris all booked their flights about a month in advance of the trip.Hinojosa waited until about two weeks before, and Lewis, who spent $751.60, booked hers just five days before the trip. Calls to Lewis and Hinojosa were not returned as of press time.

An earlier investigation by Texas Watchdog found that last-minute plane ticket purchases is a common practice in HISD that costs taxpayers thousands of dollars each year. The HISD travel policy says all employees are encouraged to purchase tickets for flights 30 days in advance and “…The amount paid for airline fares cannot exceed the rate the District would pay for twenty-one (21) day advance fare unless the travel is for essential business travel as defined under the travel policy.”

Overall, Grier said he enjoyed the trip.

(ADDENDUM, added Wednesday afternoon: For those of you who were wondering, the total amount spent by HISD on the trip was $4,975.13, including $1,018.15 just spent on Grier.)

What do you think about Grier’s trip to San Diego? Texas Watchdog wants to hear from you. Contact Lynn Walsh at Lynn@Texaswatchdog.org, 713-228-2850 or on Twitter @LWalsh.

An investigation for Texas Watchdog:

Rich school, poor school: How much Houston ISD spends to educate each child varies greatly between schools

Thursday, Nov 18, 2010, 01:40PM CST
By Lynn Walsh

The sounds of fast-moving students, laughter and loud conversations greet you as you enter Ryan Middle School on a Wednesday afternoon at 3 p.m. — but the students are not headed home. Their day in class, learning, will continue for at least another hour.

The longer class days are just some of the changes that came this year to the school in the Third Ward as Houston’s public school system launched a $29 million program to revamp failing schools. Also added at Ryan: a longer school year, new school leadership, new academic programs and additional tutoring.

The school system is slated to spend more than $10,000, on average, on each of Ryan’s 380 students this year, according to district records. The total expense for the school this year: $3.9 million.

Just three miles away, in the Montrose neighborhood, each child at Lanier Middle is slated to have $4,470 spent on them this year. And while Ryan is struggling, Lanier is rated as “recognized” by the state, the second-highest designation the Texas Education Agency gives to public schools.

The amount of money spent to educate children in the Houston Independent School District is severely inconsistent from school to school, a Texas Watchdog review of HISD data has found.

The gap between spending at Ryan and Lanier middle schools is only one of numerous discrepancies, and few patterns can be found in how the nation’s seventh-largest school system decides to spend money educating children.

(Texas Watchdog has made all of HISD’s school funding data available for you to see for yourself — click this link to visit our search page to see all the funding sources for any HISD school.)

Some schools ranked “exemplary” by the state spend enough on each child each year to buy the kid a brand new car — such as T.H. Rogers Middle, west of Memorial Park, where each child is slated to have $18,027 spent on them this year.

Other exemplary schools could only buy each kid a used car. A really used car. That’s where Pin Oak Middle in Bellaire falls, with just $4,800 being spent per child. Pin Oak and T.H. Rogers are just five miles’ distance from each other.

The funding levels are also all over the map for schools that aren’t doing so well. Students at Ryan Middle were already having more than $10,000 a year spent on them last year, before HISD began pumping millions of extra dollars into the school as part of its turnaround program dubbed Apollo 20. Meanwhile, struggling Westside High School — ranked only “academically acceptable” by the state — spends just $4,714 per student, HISD data shows.

“The discrepancies in school funding have bothered me, and I have been arguing with the district about them for a while,” said Jay Aiyer, a Pin Oak parent. “There is no rhyme or reason to how HISD funds schools, and I have been pushing for this review for a while.”

Pin Oak, ranked “exemplary” by the state this year, will receive $5.19 million in funding this year, or slightly more than $4,800 per student.

Aiyer has been e-mailing district officials about the funding discrepancies related to magnet programs and overall school funding in HISD and finally received a response in April around the same time the school system began talks about reviewing its roughly 100 magnet programs.

He’s not the only one asking questions.

“It is mind boggling,” said Debbie Taylor, a parent at Parker Elementary, another HISD school in Bellaire that was rated as exemplary this year and which falls in the middle of the elementary school pack, funding-wise. “I can’t really grasp why this is happening, and the amount of money that some school receive when they are not even some of the best schools in the state.”

T.H. Rogers and Ryan middles have the third- and fourth-highest per-child expenses of all the middle schools in HISD, the data showed. (Two other middle schools, Harper Alternative and the HCC Life Skills program, have still higher per-child spending rates than T.H. Rogers and Ryan, though they are both alternative or non-traditional programs that would likely offer more expensive, specialized services to their students, driving up the per-child expense.)

Meanwhile, the middle school spending the least, New Aspirations in Sharpstown, will spend just $2,706 per student.

Pin Oak is limited in the programs it can offer, such as in foreign languages, because of the lack of funds, Aiyer said. “I think there is a minimum level or threshold of money every school should receive,” he said. “I also think that certain kids need certain amounts of money, but sometimes that money is not being used properly.”

LOTS OF POTS

Some of the confusion stems from the numerous pots of money from which HISD’s 300-plus schools get cash each year.

The school district approves a dollar amount each year — as part of its annual budget — that acts as a sort of minimum level that will be spent on each child. (For an elementary school this year, it’s $3,485, for middle schools, $3,510, and high schools, $3,474.) Each school then receives that amount from the school system for each child enrolled.

That’s the main pot of cash that funds each school.

But then there are 37 others, too.

Some schools, including Ryan, get extra money for having magnet programs. Some get extra money for being small. Some get bilingual supplements. Some get career and technology funds. Then there’s the campus project fund. Summer school money. Some get additional money from a transportation and maintenance fund. The list goes on.

More than 100 schools in HISD receive magnet funding that ranges from more than $473,000 a year per school to just a little more than $5,000.

Magnet school funding — totalling $16.9 million this year — varies drastically from campus to campus, HISD data shows. HISD Superintendent Terry Grier has brought in a non-profit education group, Magnet Schools of America, to review HISD’s magnet programs. It is expected to make final recommendations to the board of trustees next month.

Another example is the small school subsidy, given to campuses across the district that meet certain thresholds for having low enrollment. This year HISD is expecting to give more than $10 million to small schools, varying from $301,000 at Williams Middle, on the north side of town, to just around $2,000 for Kelso Elementary on the south side, which the state has rated academically unacceptable.

Each school can get money from some or all of the pots in a given year. Ryan Middle, for instance, will receive in $268,000 in small school subsidies, nearly $50,000 in magnet funding for the 12-student gifted education magnet program, stimulus money and federal and state funding this year, on top of general fund revenue from HISD.

HOW RYAN MIDDLE USES ITS FUNDING

What does a $10,000 middle school education look like?

At Ryan, it is not about having the most high-tech equipment or innovative building in the district. It is about hiring people who can make a difference and motivate students who may not receive the motivation and encouragement they need from home, according to members of the HISD staff who work or volunteer with students at Ryan.

With new staff members from some of the most elite charter schools in the country, like KIPP, Ryan is developing programs and classes that create an atmosphere of trust and respect in the classroom. On top of new staff, all of the classes, except gifted-ed and the magnet program, are gender-specific, including lunch.

“These students come from families in which they may never see respect in the household,” said Wendi Turner, who helps oversee some of the volunteer programs at Ryan. “We are trying to create and instill trust and respect first so it then transforms into academic success in the classroom.” Hear more about what Turner and the Ryan staff are doing in the clip below.

One program Ryan is using to do this is the “Butterfly” group — a weekly meeting of female students, staff and community volunteers who openly discuss how young people can keep anger under control and respect one another and themselves.

“I never had this growing up,” said Epiphany Sahar, a volunteer and artist. “I was never told I could succeed, and if you are never told that how are you supposed to want to?”

Sahar grew up in the neighborhood surrounding Ryan and flies back and forth from New York City to Houston weekly to help with the Butterfly group. Watch all of her comments in the clip below.

At the same time, parents at successful schools that don’t get $10,000 a year per student said success takes more than just money.

“I think the culture of the school breeds a certain academic excellence,” Aiyer said of Pin Oak. “They force academic involvement, whether it is a student that is struggling or a Vanguard (gifted) student. There is an expectation of academic rigor that is there.”

It’s the staff and the community’s dedication and approach to discipline that help create academic excellence, Taylor said.

Her child’s school is expected to receive $3.9 million in school funding this year for more than 800 students. With a little more than $5,200 per student, Parker is right in the middle of the amount of funding an average elementary school in HISD will receive this year.

The diversity of the school — its enrollment is roughly a third white, a third black and a third Latino — is a plus, she said. Also, the school has good teachers, and PTA involvement at the school is huge.

“It is a hands-on PTA and there is a lot of manpower involved,” Taylor said. “The money raised and what they achieve with it is worthwhile.”

Martha Jenkinson, a PTA leader at Bellaire High School, knows first-hand what money raised through parent organizations can do.

Deemed a “recognized” school by the state, 3,000-student Bellaire is expected to receive more than $14.4 million in funding this year, or $4,769 a student — spending less per child than many other high schools in the district.

To augment that, each year the PTA at Bellaire awards equipment grants to teachers.

“The grants are for equipment they think might be an advantage to their students. Sometimes it is a camera, additional microscopes — things a teacher might need that they cannot afford to purchase through the school budget,” Jenkinson said.

The PTA at Bellaire gives out about $25,000 in teacher grants every year, Jenkinson said.

“The business officer at the school sits with us and looks at what the school can fun and what it cannot,” Jenkinson said. “If the school cannot cover the cost, the PTA will try to.”

Bellaire is not the only school that funds programs or equipments with the help of parents.

At Parker, Taylor pays a $150 magnet fee each year to cover additional costs associated with the school’s music magnet and says the money spent “is worthwhile.”

Do you have an opinion about school funding in HISD? Texas Watchdog wants to hear from you. Contact Lynn Walsh at lynn@texaswatchdog.org or 713-228-2850. Follow her on Twitter, twihttp://twitter.com/lwalsh.

A story written for Texas Watchdog:

HISD elementary school for kids with disciplinary problems spends as much to educate each child as it would cost to pay 3 years’ tuition at Harvard Medical School, records show
Monday, Nov 22, 2010, 09:50AM CST
By Lynn Walsh

A tiny Houston elementary school for kids with severe disciplinary problems spends as much to educate each child as it would cost to pay three years’ tuition at Harvard Medical School, Houston Independent School District data shows.

North Alternative Elementary School is housed in the old Chatham Elementary campus in the Trinity/Houston Gardens neighborhood northeast of the 610 Loop. The school’s website describes it as a K-6 program that may, in “special situations,” take in 7th and 8th graders, though HISD’s main website says it is K-5.

It is expected to spend, on average, $147,403 educating each student this year — making it the most expensive school in HISD, based on per-student funding. The school has just four students this year, HISD data shows.

The per-child cost at North Alternative is seven times that of the H.P. Carter Career Center, which HISD trustees voted earlier this month to re-purpose because of declining enrollment and cost of the school. The career center was expected to spend an average of $20,356 on each of its 132 students this year.

North Alternative’s website says it educates students from across HISD’s north region who have committed the most serious disciplinary infractions, violating rules in levels four and five of the HISD student code of conduct. Those can include include assaulting a teacher or bringing guns, knives or drugs to school, committing a felony on campus, or sexual misconduct.

“We have a mandate to focus on student behavior,” its website says. “We do this using positive behavior modification, counseling, diagnostic services, and by fostering a sense of community within the school. We have full programs in both Special Education and Bilingual Education as well as General Education.”

The official school affirmation begins with “Today begins the rest of my life,” and includes the phrase “If I do something wrong, I will accept responsibility for my actions.”

Students at North Alternative are required to wear uniforms, and the school provides all of their school supplies. They are not allowed to bring backpacks, iPods or media players to school and are not allowed to have more than $5 with them.

North Alternative had 10 staff members last year, according to an HISD salary database, who were paid a total of more than $468,000. They include a three-person special education staff and a bilingual teacher, according to the school Web site.

Alternative schools must often provide their students with the services of counselors, psychologists and other staff with special skills or training, which drives up those schools’ per-student expenses. Of the five HISD schools expected to spend the most per child this year, four of them are alternative or nontraditional programs of some kind, including North Alternative, Harper Alternative, the HCC Life Skills program and the Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program.

North Alternative Principal Michael Bledsoe, who previously was principal at E.O. Smith Education Center, declined to speak with Texas Watchdog. An HISD spokesman said he could not find “anyone who is willing to do an interview” regarding the costs associated with alternative education.

Contact Lynn Walsh at (713) 228-2850 by email at Lynn@TexasWatchdog.org or on Twitter @LWalsh.

A story written for Texas Watchdog:

Former Yates High Principal Ronald Mumphery accused of sexual harassment, HISD records show
Friday, Nov 05, 2010, 08:44PM CST
By Lynn Walsh

A former principal of one of Houston’s largest public high schools is currently under investigation for multiple allegations of sexual misconduct with former employees and a former student, records show.

The allegations against Ronald Mumphery, former prinicipal of Yates High School, date back to the early 1980’s and include allegations of staff members exchanging sexual favors for preferential treatment and overtime pay from the principal and allegations that Mumphery grabbed and sexually touched a 17-year-old cheerleader and student back in 1984.

Multiple witnesses and alleged victims’ testimonies are outlined in a Houston Independent School District investigation report made public to Texas Watchdog Friday. The district reassigned Mumphery in late September, saying publicly only that Mumphery had been accused of unspecified “professional misconduct,” without elaborating. He filed paperwork with the school system a few days later to retire.

A 30-year veteran of the Houston schools, Mumphery, reached by telephone Friday afternoon, said the accusations were news to him. “I don’t know anything about that and nothing like that ever happened,” he said, but said he does have a lawyer.

The news in September that Mumphery had been reassigned made headlines across the city. He had taken the helm in 2008 at Yates, one of the city’s most historic schools, and one whose history is closely intertwined with that of the surrounding Third Ward.

Mumphery has previously served as principal at Houston’s Cullen Middle School and an assistant principal at Jones High. He earned more than $109,000 last year, according to an HISD salary database.

The allegations came to light, records show, after Houston school Superintendent Terry Grier received an anonymous letter in mid-September alleging sexual misconduct by the former principal.

HISD investigators then reached out to numerous former students and employees of Mumphery, including a current HISD employee who said she was accosted by Mumphrey when she was a student of his 16 years ago.

The women told investigators she was a cheerleader at Yates at the time, and the report says Mumphrey was a teacher and coach there.

In the report, the former cheerleader said Mumphery called her into his office after school one day.She said she “thought nothing of it” because Mumphery was her coach, and she worked as an office worker so “she trusted Mr. Mumphery.”

In an interview with the school district, the former cheerleader detailed the incident that occurred back in 1984:

“She alleged that as soon as she came in the room he started talking sexually to her. She said she was shocked and about to leave when he grabbed her arm, pulled her to him and stuck his tongue in her ear.”

The former cheerleader said she immediately ran out of his office to the principal at the time, Osby Mitchell. According to the report, Mumphery allegedly ran after the young woman, telling her to stop, but she kept running.

“Someone is out to smear me, I have never heard of that report, and I have never heard those allegations,” Mumphery said in an interview with Texas Watchdog Friday afternoon.

He said he is not sure why someone is out to smear him: “I can’t answer that and I really don’t want to talk anymore and I don’t know anything about it. Wow.”

The former cheerleader told school authorities she told Mitchell what had happened and asked him to call her parents; the young woman said her parents were “very upset,” but said she as unsure whether Mumphery was punished by the school system over her accusations.

“She stated she does not know exactly what Mr. Mitchell did to Mr. Mumphery but she thinks her father confronted Mr. Mumphery and told him to leave her alone because he never approached her again.”

There was no mention of the former cheerleader’s allegations in Mumphery’s personnel file when Texas Watchdog reviewed it recently.

“I don’t know anything about it and have never even heard about it,” Mumphery told Texas Watchdog. “I have no response and don’t know anything about it.”

When asked if the allegations were true, Mumphery said, “I have no comment.”

Even though it happened more than 20 years ago, the woman told HISD “it still haunts her every day.”

HISD investigators also spoke with a former district employee who worked with Mumphery while he was a principal at Cullen Middle. According to the report, the woman said Mumphery “was extremely flirtatious with her but she rebuffed his advances.”

The woman said after she refused Mumphery’s advances she was reassigned to another school because Mumphery “did not want her on his team.”

Other allegations against Mumphery in the report include:

+ A former Yates employee who said she was sexually harassed by Mumphery and was forced to relocate because “she could not take it anymore.”

+ Allegations from a former HISD employee that school workers earned overtime pay for being “good” and attending “late dinners with Mumphery.”

+ A former employee who worked for Mumphery who said, “they had a name for all of us that came from Cullen with him. We were all women you know, they called us ‘Mumphery’s girls.’” When the woman was asked whether she had ever had sex with Mumphery, she said, “I did everything but have sex with that man.”

+ A former employee at Cullen who said she complained about Mumphery’s behavior but was told “they could not do anything to him because it was her word against his since there were no witnesses.”

The internal HISD investigation found some of the interviews with alleged victims and witnesses to be credible, the report shows.

According to the investigation report, HISD found the former cheerleader’s allegations to be “highly credible” and that the woman “had no motive for lying.” Several other interviews in the report were also found to be credible.

Despite finding the interviews with alleged victims and witnesses to be credible, HISD “found no evidence that Mr. Mumphery was currently engaging in inappropriate conduct with students at Yates High School.”

The report continues to say:

“It is more likely than not that Mr. Mumphery established a pattern of engaging in inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature with subordinates … there were two additional complaints by subordinates during his employment at HISD.”

One of the formal complaints against Mumphery was made in October 2000, according to documents obtained by Texas Watchdog through the state public information law.

A teacher at Jones High School, where Mumphery was assistant principal at the time, accused Mumphery of sexual harassment in late September 2000, the document says. The investigation found “no evidence to substantiate” the charges, but the school’s principal at the time asked Mumphery to write a letter of apology to the woman and be careful of his actions around employees in the future.

In the letter of apology, Mumphery said:

“It is always my intent to serve the students and staff at Jones High School in a professional manner and always within the policies of the Houston Independent School District. At no time will you or any other staff member be addressed in an unprofessional manner. I apologize for any embarrassment that you perceived that I have caused you. You will always be addressed in a professional manner.”

The other complaint, which was referenced in the investigation report made public Friday, was described only as being filed in 2003 by someone who witnessed the undescribed event. A copy of this report did not turn up when Texas Watchdog reviewed Mumphery’s personnel file.

The report “confirmed that Mr. Mumphery engaged in unacceptable conduct of a sexual nature with student … when she was 17 and a senior at Yates High School in 1984.”

According to an HISD lawyer, the police department for the school district is currently investigating the allegations against Mumphery.

Contact Lynn Walsh at lynn@texaswatchdog.org or 713-228-2850 or on Twitter at @lwalsh.

An story written for Texas Watchdog:

Former Yates High School principal resigned after being accused of multiple acts of sexual misconduct, HISD records show
Friday, Nov 05, 2010, 05:07PM CST

By Lynn Walsh

The former principal of Houston’s Yates High School resigned after being accused of multiple acts of sexual misconduct with teachers and other Houston school district employees and one former student, some of which date back to the early 1980s, school system records show.

Ronald Mumphery quit his post a few days after his reassignment by the Houston Independent School District in late September, after more allegations against him emerged, according to HISD records released to Texas Watchdog under the state public records law.

It was not clear this afternoon whether Mumphery resigned or retired, as the document uses both terms.

“I have never heard of this. I don’t know anything about that, and nothing like that ever happened,” Mumphery said in an interview with Texas Watchdog this afternoon. “Someone is out to smear me, I have never heard of that report, and I have never heard those allegations.”

Mumphery said he is not sure why someone is out to smear him, adding, “I can’t answer that, and I really don’t want to talk anymore, and I don’t know anything about it. Wow.”

The allegations against him include sexually assaulting a female Yates High School cheerleader who was 17 at the time, and awarding overtime pay and providing preferential treatment to other HISD employees in exchange for sexual favors, according to a report from an internal investigation by the school district.

The report details first-hand accounts from the former Yates cheerleader, other former employees and former students. According to the report, allegations against Mumphery were documented at least twice but no disciplinary action was taken against the principal.

The HISD Police Department is currently investigating the allegations. Mumphery has not been charged with any crime.

When asked if the allegations were true, Mumphery said, “I have no comment.”

Look for more updates on Texas Watchdog later today. See the full report by clicking here.

Contact Lynn Walsh at lynn@texaswatchdog or 614-859-6194 or on Twitter @LWalsh.

A story written for Texas Watchdog:

Possible summer school cuts looming for Houston ISD as funding is slashed
Wednesday, Nov 03, 2010, 02:45PM CST
By Lynn Walsh

How to pay for summer school next year will be the main issue Houston Independent School District trustees will try to resolve when they meet Thursday.

The school system is bracing itself for millions of dollars in reductions in federal and state funds aimed at boosting achievement among poor students and doled out by the state. In response, HISD administrators have proposed slashing — and nearly wiping out — the budget for summer school, from $21 million to just $1.9 million, and making the individual schools largely pay their own way for summer programs.

Media reports of the expected funding changes to summer school in HISD prompted the district to dedicate a new page to its website called “Myth Busters.” According the “Myth Busters” page:

“It is true that there are fewer federal dollars available for summer school next year. HISD is designing a new, more cost-effective summer-school model and will redirect any unused budget dollars and additional federal and state funds we may receive to these programs. While principals may have to pay for some summer-school costs out of their budgets, it will not be anywhere near the $19 million being reported in the media.”

HISD’s chief financial officer, Melinda Garrett, told trustees, Superintendent Terry Grier and other top administrators in an e-mail dated July 22 that funding from the federal program in question, called Title I, “for 2010-11 is down over $19 million from that of the prior year.”

The e-mail was released to Texas Watchdog following a request made under the state Public Information Act.

The cut in Title I funds was mentioned in a presentation given by a top HISD administrator to principals at a series of meetings held July 23-25, slides from which were also released to Texas Watchdog. For this academic year, one slide said, “schools will be required to fund summer school from their current Title I, Part A allocation or other school-based fund.”

In her e-mail, Garrett said HISD is receiving less Title I money for three reasons:

+ Expected funding from the Texas Education Agency is down $5.7 million.

+ HISD doesn’t expect to have any left over Title I money from the previous fiscal year.

+ A state-mandated transportation fund that normally has extra money left over each year is expected to be dried up before this year’s summer school classes even begin.

This is not the first time HISD trustees have had to find funds to cover the cost of summer school programs. The district had to scramble last spring to fill a $20 million hole to pay for summer school after it didn’t get as much federal and state money as it had expected.

Other HISD Title I funds expecting to see decreases in 2010-11 include:

+Campus allocations, $4.9 million

+Parental involvement programs, $130,000

+General staff development, $100,000

Regular funding is not all HISD will be losing next school year.

According to the July presentation given to HISD principals, more than $92 million stimulus funding the district received ends in September 2011. That means all salaries being paid for with these funds — like elementary school literacy coaches — will be eliminated for the 2011-12 school year.

Stimulus-funded positions are not the only positions that could be cut, either. According to the presentation, district-funded positions like high school graduation coaches and middle school literacy coaches will be eliminated.

HISD currently has more than 25 high school graduation coaches who earn between $53,595 and $68,037 a year. You can view the complete list of coaches, their location and their salary rates here.

Where will the money come from? HISD trustees are expected to discuss that and receive a budget update Thursday morning at a board workshop, more than a month later than originally planned.

A Sept. 30 board workshop to discuss summer school funding was cancelled “due to board members attending a national conference where they are being recognized as finalist for the CUBE award,” according to an e-mail from Grier’s chief of staff, Michele Pola. The Council of Urban Boards of Education recognizes one urban school board a year for district-wide academic excellence.

The summer school funding discussion will continue at 7:30 a.m. Thursday at the Hattie Mae White building in Houston. Follow Texas Watchdog on Twitter, @TexasWatchdog, for live updates during the discussion.

What did you think of the HISD District 8 race? Texas Watchdog wants to hear from you. Contact Lynn Walsh at Lynn@TexasWatchdog.org, 713-228-2850 or on Twitter @LWalsh.

A story written for Texas Watchdog:

Review of HISD’s magnet schools states the obvious: Problems with funding, standards in Houston’s public schools

Monday, Nov 01, 2010, 04:38PM CST
By Lynn Walsh

The Houston public schools’ 100-plus magnet programs suffer from funding discrepancies, a lack of standard guidelines and requirements for programs and no district-wide answer to what being a “successful” magnet means, according to a preliminary review of the district’s magnet programs.

All three observations have been previously made by Houston Independent School District trustees and staff, parents and the media.

The report by Magnet Schools of America outlines 10 “emerging themes” the education nonprofit has found in HISD’s $17 million magnet program. After meeting with HISD trustees and administration and holding parent and community forums throughout October, MSA, which will receive up to $275,000 for the magnet review, has come to the following “preliminary” conclusions:

* HISD magnet programs lack equitable funding.
* There are no standard magnet guidelines or requirements in place for HISD magnet programs.
* HISD is not able to define what being a “successful” magnet school means.
* HISD magnet programs have strong parent involvement and district leadership support.
* There is concern over the inconsistent quality of magnet programs in HISD.

Last month, former HISD magnet chief Dottie Bonner, told Texas Watchdog that “there is not a written formula at all, and even back then, there was not a whole lot of sense to how it was given.” Bonner served as the head of HISD’s magnets for seven years.

To see the funding discrepancies for yourself, Texas Watchdog published the most recent funding data for HISD magnet programs here.

According to MSA, the next report will include more detailed information including data collected during the community and parent forums.

“All information collected was catalogued by MSA consultants and will be included in the Phase I report on November 1, 2010 as raw data in the attachments section; this includes survey question cards collected from individuals and the group discussion notes from each table.”

The next report with the data is due Monday and, according to an HISD spokeswoman, the report will be made available on this page of the district’s website.

What do you think of the MSA magnet review findings? Texas Watchdog wants to hear from you. Contact Lynn Walsh at Lynn@TexasWatchdog.org, 713-228-2850 or on Twitter @LWalsh.

A story written for Texas Watchdog:

Katy school system’s closed-door speech may have violated state sunshine law
Wednesday, Oct 27, 2010, 02:44PM CST
By Lynn Walsh

The Katy school system may have violated the state’s open meetings law when its superintendent delivered his “State of the District” speech to an audience of political heavy hitters but kept out the public and the media.
No admittance sign

More than 250 people made the guest list a couple of weeks ago to hear Katy Independent School District Superintendent Alton Frailey discuss the successes the suburban school district had this past year. The public and the media were left off of the list — and weren’t even notified that the speech was being given or the meeting was being held — but according to InstantNewsKaty.com, a lot of big-name folks made the cut:

“Those on the guest list included a host of high-profile movers and shakers in the Katy area, with elected officials, corporate CEOs, business leaders and chamber of commerce and economic development officials all invited to the event.

The list of invitees included the entire Katy ISD Board of Trustees, the entire Katy City Council, state senators, state representatives, school district administrators and county commissioners representing the Katy area from both Fort Bend and Harris counties.”

The leader of an open-government advocacy group in Texas, the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, said the speech should have been open to all.

“As a matter of principle, FOIFT believes that a ‘State of the District’ speech should be given not just to the ‘movers and shakers,’ but to the other parents and taxpayers as well,” FOIFT Executive Director Keith Elkins said. “If parents who were left out are upset, I don’t blame them. They can, and should, voice that frustration and make it matter at the ballot box.”

According to school system spokesman Steve Stanford, the school district did not publicly announce the speech or distribute any sort of press release. “It (press release) just didn’t happen. We did not think to send one out, we just did not think about it. It’s not that we decided against it, it just wasn’t thought about at all,” Stanford said.

The school district doesn’t think it did anything illegal, Stanford said. “It was just a presentation that the superintendent made regarding the state of the district. There was no business being discussed, there were no decisions being made,” he said. “There was a cross section of community members that were invited but I would say, looking around at the end of the speech, 90% of the attendees were school district staff.”

Elkins had a different take.

“As a legal matter, given there were quorums of several governmental bodies in attendance and the subject matter involves business for which they have responsibility, there also appears to have been a violation of the Texas Open Meetings Act which would require notice and mandate citizen access,” Elkins said.

Stanford said he is not worried about legal action being taken against the district, and said it was the first time Katy ISD ever held such an event. He was not sure whether it will be held next year. “I was not a part of the planning and I have not spoken to those that were involved so I do not know if it will be done the same way next year,” Stanford said.

The entire guest list, obtained by InstantNewsKaty under the Texas Public Information Act, can be viewed here, though it was unclear how many of the invitees made it to the event.

Do you think Katy ISD should have invited the public and news media? Do you think the school district violated the open meetings law? We want to hear from you. Contact Lynn at Lynn@TexasWatchdog.org, 713-228-2850 or on Twitter @LWalsh.