The following comments were written and intended to be delivered by Taylor at the April 3, 2024 HUSD Governing Board General Meeting; however, Taylor was unable to deliver the remarks due to arriving five minutes after the meeting start. A version of the following comments will be delivered at the meeting in May. 

Madam President and members of the board,

My name is Taylor Francis and I am the parent of two HUSD students.

I wish to speak to you this evening on the topic of mitigating risk.

With nearly every facet of our lives, some level of risk inevitably exists—be that the risk of injury, failure, causing harm or damage, or any number of other types. As we make decisions day to day, we normally weight out the risks associated with such decisions and whether the benefit wins out. We then normally seek to take steps to mitigate such risks as much as possible in favor of guaranteeing a successful outcome without compromise.

For example, if I want to boil pasta, there is risk that I might injure myself in the process or the pasta might over or under-cook. With my experience in cooking pasta, I decide the benefits of a meal outweigh the risks of injury or failure. To mitigate these risks, I might use a hot mitt to protect myself from the heat and set a timer to ensure proper cooking time.

Recently it was announced that Nate Carman will be HUSD’s new superintendent. I remember sitting in the board meeting several months ago when Ray and Associates and members of the cabinet implored the board to act now, with haste, to be first-to-market and get the best-qualified applicants. Most of you on the board expressed concern that you were not prepared to make decisions that night, but were pressured to go along with the hurried timeline.

Since the finalization of Nate Carman’s contract, information has come to light where it appears that he was terminated from his previous contract as a superintendent, and is now on suspension in his current district amid evidence of possible improprieties and misconduct—a district that is facing a $33 million dollar deficit and has requested that the state of Texas take control.

Could Nate Carman do great things for HUSD? I’m sure that he could. But is it worth the risk? With a recent history of less-than-favorable superintendents in the district, are you certain that this is the best decision for our students? Are you willing to risk their educational wellbeing, and of hundreds of HUSD employees? I implore the district to rescind or terminate Nate Carman’s contract, begin anew the search, and select a superintendent who does not come attached to so much baggage. Our students deserve it.

Similarly, later this evening you will hear from a couple of members from the Bond Citizens Committee. I also had the privilege of serving on the same citizens committee. During a presentation regarding a district-wide survey, it was stated that only 44% of respondents were in favor of having both the override and the bond on the ballot this November. The last two bonds to come before voters failed by increasing margins. The representative of the survey conducted commented that, if both the bond and the M&O override were presented to voters on the ballot, there was a substantial chance that both would fail. I do not discount the merit of the needs listed in the bond. We absolutely have need of repair funds within the district. However, with the possibility of the M&O override failing if the bond fails, is it worth the risk to put both up? I urge the board to consider the risks of including the bond on the ballot along with the override and the far-reaching implications this could have if the override fails along with the bond. I encourage the board to mitigate this risk not to include the bond on this November’s ballot. Too much is at stake.

As elected members representing students, parents, teachers, administrators, staff, and the community, it is your duty to mitigate risk whenever possible. For this reason, I beseech you to eliminate Nate Carman’s contract, and to refrain from putting the bond on the November 2024 ballot.

Thank you.