A local education advocacy group and Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis are calling for an investigation into Houston ISD’s state-appointed superintendent, Mike Miles, and the charter school network he founded, Third Future Schools. This comes after a report by Spectrum News alleged that a Texas charter school sent public funds to an affiliated school in Colorado.
According to the report, Third Future Schools, which Miles led until his appointment as HISD superintendent last summer, sent millions in taxpayer money from its school in Odessa to another network school in Colorado that required financial assistance. The report also claimed that Miles served as a paid consultant for the charter network after beginning his role at HISD.
“I am shocked by what I saw in one news report regarding allegations concerning state-imposed HISD superintendent Mike Miles,” Ellis said in a statement on Tuesday.
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The calls for an investigation come at a time when HISD is facing significant challenges. The district anticipates a budget shortfall of $450 million for the upcoming school year.
“This also calls into question every dollar he has spent as superintendent. While teacher benefits are being slashed, libraries are being closed, and support staff are being let go, HISD parents and taxpayers deserve a robust and timely investigation to ensure that tax dollars are being used appropriately and ethically. This is especially true at a time when the district is under the direct control of the state and not accountable to a locally elected board,” he added.
The Texas Education Agency has stated that it is aware of the report and is currently reviewing the matter. While sending money to an out-of-state partner is not necessarily illegal under Senate Bill 1882, the specific transactions in question have not been assessed by legal experts.
Community Voices for Public Education and the Houston Federation of Teachers have also called for Miles’ resignation and a reversal of the state’s takeover of the district, with CVPE co-founder Ruth Kravetz describing the alleged scheme as “corruption” and demanding a federal investigation.
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