Houston ISD’s state-appointed Board of Managers is set to vote Thursday on a plan to close 12 neighborhood schools—and the decision has been placed on the consent agenda, a move that could allow it to pass with little to no discussion.
A consent agenda bundles multiple items into a single vote and is typically used for routine matters, limiting time for debate. In this case, it could mean that 12 schools serving some of Houston’s most vulnerable communities are approved for closure almost automatically.
Ruth Kravetz, co-founder of Community Voices for Public Education, said placing school closures—a deeply divisive issue—on the consent agenda sends a message…