HOUSE – The HISD board is expected to announce a single finalist for Superintendent of Schools on Friday, confirmed by board chair Patricia Allen.

Allen told KPRC 2 that a press conference is scheduled for Friday.

Sources confirm to KPRC 2 that the board is going through the final stages of interviewing candidates. The agenda for a board meeting scheduled for Thursday lists a discussion of nominating one or more finalists for the position. The Trustees told KPRC 2 that they could not formally comment on the selection process until a decision is made.

Outgoing acting superintendent Dr Grenita Lathan announced in March that she would be stepping down from her three-year job for a superintendent position in Springfield, Missouri. HISD’s current board voted not to name Lathan the sole finalist at a meeting in November 2020, sparking concern from community leaders who condemned the move.

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Cesar Espinoza, executive director of FIEL Houston, said the organization played no role in the selection process. Espinoza said he expected the board to include more community input.

“Right now it’s during a pandemic, but we certainly could have had digital town halls to see what the community wanted,” he said, adding that some community concerns were not reaching the board meetings due to lack of trust, access, and other concerns.

“When we have talked to board members or the superintendent in the past, they said we don’t hear from communities and the answer of course is you don’t because often people don’t know the process of coming to speak at a board meeting, ”Espinoza said.

Other community leaders stressed the importance of better collaboration from elected officials – including the HISD board of directors. Johnny Mata of the League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC, agreed. Mata said disputes among HISD’s previous boards have slowed progress.

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