HOUSTON, Texas — Some of Houston ISD's current trustees are not letting the news of a state takeover discourage them.
Barely two months after becoming the HISD board president, Dani Hernandez learned that she could be replaced as early as June.
“It’s honestly something that’s unreal to me,” Hernandez said.
Though she's set to be replaced, she has every intention of getting her job back.
"Even though there's an appointed board of managers, they're required to still hold an election for trustees to still have a democratically elected board in place even though they might not have voting power."
Under the Texas Education Agency takeover, voters will still elect district trustees even though they will have no authority.
Trustees will get their voting power back once the following conditions are met:
- No more multi-year "D" or "F" campuses
- Special education operating in compliance with federal/state law
- Board procedures executed with student outcomes as top priority
TEA commissioner Mike Morath said state interventions could take at least two years.
"They range anywhere from two to around six years," said Morath. "And, so, hopefully, it will be as soon as possible. We want this to incur as little time as possible, but we want to make sure these exit criteria are met.”
Morath will select the board of managers from applicants who must live within the boundaries of HISD. Elected trustees can work with them in an advisory capacity only and may apply for actual positions on the board of managers.
Either way, Hernandez plans to be engaged, as well as some of her other colleagues.
"Because the appointed board will be all new people, it’s good to have somebody in the seat that knows what’s going on, knows the history, has been in the seat before and can transition back into the seat efficiently,” said Hernandez.
HISD's superintendent Millard House II will also be replaced but the TEA is hoping he will be able to serve the district in some capacity in the future. service in some capacity even after a replacement is named.
"The Agency wants to make sure that his institutional knowledge and expertise is kept as long as he is willing to continue to provide it to the district," said an agency spokesperson.