HISD Board of Education on Thursday elected new officers for 2022, unanimously selecting District VIII Trustee Judith Cruz as Board President.

Outgoing Board President Patricia Allen transferred the gavel to Cruz, signifying the change in office.

Remaining officers elected for 2022 are: First Vice President Elizabeth Santos, Second Vice President Kathy Blueford-Daniels, Secretary Sue Deigaard, and Assistant Secretary Myrna Guidry.

To learn more about HISD’s trustees, visit the Board of Education webpage.

The board also approved an interlocal agreement with Prairie View A&M University to provide support, in the amount of $400,000, for phase one of the Booker T. Washington High School community statue project, THE VISION.

THE VISION is an effort of students to help memorialize the rich 129-year history of the school and to bring awareness of climate change (both locally and internationally). The project includes the erection of a statue of Booker T. Washington, a community learning plaza, community walking park, and a geodome greenhouse.

This historical landmark will be the third statue of a renowned Black in Houston, joining statues of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Congressman George Thomas “Mickey” Leland.

The Board also approved a $5,000 donation from the Sports Authority Foundation to the Sterling HS Raider Band program to purchase new band equipment and a $10,000 in-kind donation to Attucks MS. The donation consists of a Nook Pod to be delivered and installed on campus. The Nook Pod is a structure that addresses sensory issues, like acoustics and lighting, for students with learning differences and neurodiversity.