Survey of 212 respondents highlights budget, collaborative leadership and curriculum as top priorities for new Houston superintendent

MSBA presented a survey of 212 district stakeholders that will help shape the Houston Public School District’s superintendent search priorities.

Eric Anger of MSBA told the board the survey included 112 on‑site respondents, 65 online‑only respondents and 31 who participated in both formats. Respondent types reported in the presentation included 59 parents or guardians, 24 community members, 21 students and four business managers. MSBA summarized open‑ended responses into representative bullet points and said it removed personal attacks from public reporting.

Anger highlighted that different respondent groups placed different emphasis on skills: on‑site respondents prioritized budget and finance while online respondents ranked curriculum and educational equity higher. MSBA’s summary of open‑ended comments included this representative view: “Houston needs a superintendent who understands the district’s unique on‑site/online structure, brings strong and informed leadership, listens to stakeholders, and is genuinely vested in long‑term success of the school, students, staff, and community,” the packet quoted.

The board agreed to post the survey results on the district website so the public can view the summaries and the aggregated feedback. Anger emphasized the survey should guide question selection and hiring priorities and that the board should weigh staff and public perspectives while relying on structured vetting.

The MSBA presentation and the board’s discussion framed the survey as an important input for interview question selection and second‑round community input; board members asked MSBA to keep some questions for round two that would allow deeper exploration of strategic planning and implementation.

The board asked staff to publish the survey results and to provide full comment lists to board members on request.