HOUSTON, Texas – In February, KPRC 2 Investigates revealed that the Houston Independent School District spent nearly $1.4 million to hire a consulting group to persuade voters to “support” a now-failed district bond during the November 2024 elections.
Since then, payments to the group, Outreach Strategists, have eclipsed more than $1.5 million, according to HISD’s own payment records.
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From the start of our investigation, the question we shared with our viewers, HISD parents, and a former U.S. attorney was whether the allocation of public funds and their usage were legal.
The question comes into play because, according to Texas Election Code Title 15, Section 255.003, the law prohibits using public funds for political advertising. The law does not apply if any advertising is factual and the communication does not advocate passage or defeat of the measure.
Here’s the issue we found, and experts have questioned, with HISD: during early voting in October 2024, the district shared videos on social media, prominently featuring the phrase “RENEW HISD.” HISD parents we have spoken with tell us this was more than just informative, suggesting it was advocating for the bond.
“It comes across that if you don’t vote for it, it would be derelict of you not to vote for improving the conditions of our students,” said Ann Eagleton, a parent of two children who are products of HISD.
On Wednesday at 6 p.m., Mario Diaz continues the investigation by speaking with a parent who claims she was part of a “special focus group” that may have crossed a legal line.
Former U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick also expressed his concerns,
“Sounds like advocating,” he said. “If I was investigating this, what I would want to know is – are there internal communications or is there somebody on the inside willing to say, ‘We saw some internal numbers, things weren’t moving well, we need to juice the language a little bit, we need something like renew’, maybe that doesn’t cross the line, but it sure sounds positive and those are the kind of things that can get government agencies in trouble in this area.”
Our stories ultimately prompted more than 50 parents to reach out to Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare’s office, demanding an investigation into the district and the misuse of funds.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office released the following statement in response:
“The Harris County District Attorney’s Office has received at least two affidavits from citizens alleging criminal conduct in connection with an election. By law, we are required to investigate these complaints. We do not discuss details about open investigations.”
A timeline of events regarding HISD and the nearly $2 million spent to support the failed bond proposal:
