5:00 P.M.  
SCHOOL BOARD  
NOVEMBER 20, 2025  
BOARD AUDITORIUM AND BOARD SERVICES CONFERENCE ROOM  
4400 WEST 18TH STREET  
HOUSTON, TEXAS 77092  
MEETING HELD - PURPOSE  
The School Board of the Houston Independent School District (HISD) held a hearings meeting  
on November 20, 2025, beginning at 5 p.m. in the board auditorium of the Hattie Mae White  
Educational Support Center, 4400 West 18th St., Houston, TX 77092.  
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER – MEMBERS PRESENT  
Board President Campo called the meeting to order at 5:01 p.m. and declared the board  
convened to consider matters pertaining to HISD as listed on the duly posted meeting notice.  
Board President Ric Campo  
Board Member Michelle Cruz Arnold  
Board Member Lauren Gore  
Present:  
Absent:  
Board Vice President Angela Lemond Flowers  
Board Secretary Paula Mendoza  
Board Member Edgar Colón  
Board Member Janette Garza Lindner  
Board Member Marty Goossen  
Board Member Marcos Rosales  
•
SPEAKERS TO AGENDA ITEMS  
HEARINGS  
Board President Campo announced that hearings 4 and 5 were withdrawn before the meeting.  
1.  
Maria Fantini, teacher, Garden Oaks Montessori  
ADJOURNMENT TO CLOSED SESSION  
The board adjourned to closed session under Chapter 551 of Texas Government Code, Open  
Meetings Act, Subsections 551.071 through 551.089 at 5:59 p.m. for the purposes stated in  
the notice of this meeting. If any final action, vote, or decision on any matter considered in the  
closed session was required, such final action, vote, or decision was taken at the open  
meeting covered by this notice upon the reconvening of this public meeting or at a subsequent  
public meeting of the board upon notice thereof.  
RECONVENED IN OPEN SESSION IN THE BOARD AUDITORIUM  
Board President Campo declared the meeting reconvened at 6:34 p.m. to consider matters  
pertaining to HISD as listed on the duly posted meeting notice.  
1.  
Maria Fantini, teacher, Garden Oaks Montessori  
On motion by board member Cruz Arnold, with a second by board member  
Gore, the board voted to grant petitioner’s proposal to change the hearing  
officer’s recommendation for the reasons stated therein; to reject the conclusion  
of law 4, reject and change conclusions of law 6 through 11, and change findings  
of fact 9 and 14 as outlined in petitioner’s proposal; to adopt the hearing officer’s  
recommendation, findings of fact, and conclusions of law as amended by  
petitioner’s proposal, and consistent with this motion to terminate the  
employment of Maria Fantini and nonrenew her term contract effective  
immediately.  
RESULT:  
MOVER:  
SECONDER:  
AYE:  
APPROVED  
Michelle Cruz Arnold  
Lauren Gore  
Campo, Cruz Arnold, and Gore  
NAY:  
ABSTAIN:  
2.  
Jamie Russo, teacher, Mandarin Immersion Magnet School  
ADJOURNMENT TO CLOSED SESSION  
The board adjourned to closed session under Chapter 551 of Texas Government Code, Open  
Meetings Act, Subsections 551.071 through 551.089 at 7:01 p.m. for the purposes stated in  
the notice of this meeting. If any final action, vote, or decision on any matter considered in the  
closed session was required, such final action, vote, or decision was taken at the open  
meeting covered by this notice upon the reconvening of this public meeting or at a subsequent  
public meeting of the board upon notice thereof.  
RECONVENED IN OPEN SESSION IN THE BOARD AUDITORIUM  
Board President Campo declared the meeting reconvened at 7:17 p.m. to consider matters  
pertaining to HISD as listed on the duly posted meeting notice.  
2.  
Jamie Russo, teacher, Mandarin Immersion Magnet School  
On motion by board member Gore, with a second by board member Cruz  
Arnold, the board voted to make all the changes to the independent hearing  
examiner’s recommended findings of fact and conclusions of law, no matter how  
labeled, as set forth in the pleading submitted by administration titled "Decision  
of the Houston Independent School District School Board - proposed by  
administration" for the reasons and legal bases as set forth in such pleading; to  
adopt the hearing officer’s recommendation, finding of fact, and conclusions of  
law as amended by the pleading, and consistent with this motion to nonrenew  
Jamie Russo’s term contract and terminate her employment effective  
immediately.  
RESULT:  
MOVER:  
SECONDER:  
AYE:  
APPROVED  
Lauren Gore  
Michelle Cruz Arnold  
Campo, Cruz Arnold, and Gore  
NAY:  
ABSTAIN:  
3.  
Dawn Moses, teacher, Barrick Elementary School  
ADJOURNMENT TO CLOSED SESSION  
The board adjourned to closed session under Chapter 551 of Texas Government Code, Open  
Meetings Act, Subsections 551.071 through 551.089 at 7:43 p.m. for the purposes stated in  
the notice of this meeting. If any final action, vote, or decision on any matter considered in the  
closed session was required, such final action, vote, or decision was taken at the open  
meeting covered by this notice upon the reconvening of this public meeting or at a subsequent  
public meeting of the board upon notice thereof.  
RECONVENED IN OPEN SESSION IN THE BOARD AUDITORIUM  
Board President Campo declared the meeting reconvened at 8:06 p.m. to consider matters  
pertaining to HISD as listed on the duly posted meeting notice.  
3.  
Dawn Moses, teacher, Barrick Elementary School  
On motion by board member Cruz Arnold, with a second by board member  
Gore, the board voted to grant the relief requested in petitioner’s pleading titled  
“Decision of the Houston Independent School District Board of Managers -  
proposed by administration” for the reasons stated therein; to modify the  
introduction paragraph on page 1 as requested; to modify the first paragraph of  
the discussion section as requested; to modify the second, fourth, ninth, and  
twelfth paragraphs as requested; to modify the sixth and eighth conclusions of  
law and reject the seventh conclusion of law as requested; to adopt the hearing  
officer’s recommendation, conclusions of law, and findings of fact as modified by  
this motion, and consistent with this motion to terminate the employment of  
Dawn Moses and nonrenew her contract effective immediately.  
RESULT:  
MOVER:  
SECONDER:  
AYE:  
APPROVED  
Michelle Cruz Arnold  
Lauren Gore  
Campo, Cruz Arnold, and Gore  
NAY:  
ABSTAIN:  
4.  
5.  
6.  
Samantha Odom, teacher, Ross Elementary School  
Hearing 4 was withdrawn before the meeting.  
Student Expulsion Appeal, A. A., Meyerland Middle School  
Hearing 5 was withdrawn before the meeting.  
Jeremy Lawrence, parent, Meyerland Middle School  
On motion by board member Gore, with a second by board member Cruz  
Arnold, the board voted to uphold the decision of the level II hearing officer and  
deny the grievance.  
RESULT:  
MOVER:  
SECONDER:  
AYE:  
APPROVED  
Lauren Gore  
Michelle Cruz Arnold  
Campo, Cruz Arnold, and Gore  
NAY:  
ABSTAIN:  
7.  
Melissa Yarborough, parent, Wharton Dual Language Academy  
ADJOURNMENT TO CLOSED SESSION  
The board adjourned to closed session under Chapter 551 of Texas Government Code, Open  
Meetings Act, Subsections 551.071 through 551.089 at 8:48 p.m. for the purposes stated in  
the notice of this meeting. If any final action, vote, or decision on any matter considered in the  
closed session was required, such final action, vote, or decision was taken at the open  
meeting covered by this notice upon the reconvening of this public meeting or at a subsequent  
public meeting of the board upon notice thereof.  
RECONVENED IN OPEN SESSION IN THE BOARD AUDITORIUM  
Board President Campo declared the meeting reconvened at 9:16 p.m. to consider matters  
pertaining to HISD as listed on the duly posted meeting notice.  
7.  
Melissa Yarborough, parent, Wharton Dual Language Academy  
On motion by board member Cruz Arnold, with a second by board member  
Gore, the board voted to uphold the decision of the level II hearing officer and  
deny the grievance.  
RESULT:  
MOVER:  
SECONDER:  
AYE:  
APPROVED  
Michelle Cruz Arnold  
Lauren Gore  
Campo, Cruz Arnold, and Gore  
NAY:  
ABSTAIN:  
8.  
People’s Choice Association Union v HISD (Transportation Employees)  
ADJOURNMENT TO CLOSED SESSION  
The board adjourned to closed session under Chapter 551 of Texas Government Code, Open  
Meetings Act, Subsections 551.071 through 551.089 at 9:40 p.m. for the purposes stated in  
the notice of this meeting. If any final action, vote, or decision on any matter considered in the  
closed session was required, such final action, vote, or decision was taken at the open  
meeting covered by this notice upon the reconvening of this public meeting or at a subsequent  
public meeting of the board upon notice thereof.  
RECONVENED IN OPEN SESSION IN THE BOARD AUDITORIUM  
Board President Campo declared the meeting reconvened at 9:53 p.m. to consider matters  
pertaining to HISD as listed on the duly posted meeting notice.  
8.  
People’s Choice Association Union v HISD (Transportation Employees)  
On motion by board member Cruz Arnold, with a second by board member  
Gore, the board voted to deny all requested relief not previously granted by the  
level II hearing officer and uphold the decision of the level II hearing officer.  
RESULT:  
MOVER:  
SECONDER:  
AYE:  
APPROVED  
Michelle Cruz Arnold  
Lauren Gore  
Campo, Cruz Arnold, and Gore  
NAY:  
ABSTAIN:  
CLOSED SESSION  
Personnel  
a)  
Deliberate the duties of the superintendent of schools, chief officers, deputy chief  
officers, executive directors, principals, employees, and board members; evaluations of  
the superintendent; consideration of compensation, and contractual provisions of same.  
b)  
Consider and approve proposed appointments, reassignments, proposed terminations,  
terminations/suspensions, contract lengths, proposed nonrenewals, renewals, and  
resignations/retirements of personnel including teachers, assistant principals,  
principals, chiefs, division superintendents, senior executive directors, executive  
directors, directors, and other administrators, and, if necessary, approve waiver and  
release and compromise agreements.  
c)  
Hear complaints against and deliberate the appointment, evaluation, and duties of  
public officers or employees and resolution of same.  
Legal  
a)  
Matters on which the district’s attorney’s duty to the district under the Code of  
Professional Responsibility clearly conflicts with the Texas Open Meetings Law,  
including specifically any matter listed on this agenda and meeting notice.  
b)  
c)  
d)  
Pending or contemplated litigation matters and status report.  
Update on federal law enforcement activity on February 27, 2020.  
Update and possible action in the matter of Nathan v. Alamo Heights Independent  
School District, in the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division, Civil Action No.  
5:25-cv-00756.  
e)  
f)  
Update and possible action in the matter of Houston Federation of Teachers v. Mike  
Miles, in the District Court of Harris County, Texas, 164 Judicial District, Cause No.  
2025-53237.  
GSA Network et al., v. Mike Morath, Houston ISD et al., in the Southern District of  
Texas, Civil Action No. 4:25-CV-04090.  
District Safety, Emergency Management, And Security Audits  
a)  
Discussion of district safety concerns, including districtwide intruder detection audit  
report findings and HB3 compliance.  
ADJOURN  
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:55 p.m.  
Ric Campo  
Paula Mendoza  
School Board, President  
Houston Independent School District  
School Board, Secretary  
Houston Independent School District