Twenty-one of the schools in the Houston Independent School District (HISD) have received an F grade after the Texas Education Agency completed its audits and released a report.
As a whole, the district received a B; however, the number of schools with unsatisfactory ratings is alarming. This is the first year in which the Texas Education Agency audits give an overall grade for each educational institution, and the results of HISD schools are not satisfactory.
The evaluation comes among a rise in concerns for the educational system in the area, as experts believe there are numerous instances of misconduct by the HISD governing board.
Texas education
While Texas education is booming when it comes to higher education institutions, public schools in the district are lagging. Some universities in the area have started looking into ways to offer free courses to students with insufficient yearly incomes. However, the public school system is continuously shaken by suspicion of misconduct.
According to investigators from the Texas Education Agency, some of the members of the governing board of HISD have made questionable decisions when it comes to hiring high-standing officials.
Another suspicion put forward by the investigation is that some of the board members try to influence the selection process for hiring contractors and teaching staff, to avoid government set limitations.
As a conclusion of the 2019 report, the Texas Education Agency recommended that the government should take over the management of the Houston school district, as board members have become unreliable. This is a concerning conclusion, which highlights the fact that HISD is facing severe management issues.
