Parents say 'HISD Now' is waste of resources and demand direct communication

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A Crockett Elementary mom has been critical of the district and some of its decisions since the state took over.

Camille Breaux sees the district's new information platform, HISD Now, as a waste of resources.

"The last few months, there has been a lot of talk about more parent and community engagement, and this channel does not satisfy that," Breaux said.

Lana Hill, director of HISD communication and host of HISD Now, said the platform is a way to keep families informed.

"We got some feedback that emails weren't the best way to get information to them, so we're just taking that same information and putting it on this format on the YouTube page," Hill said.

Since the program's launch, HISD has directed some ABC13 reporters to videos instead of answering our specific and pointed questions, many of which are concerns brought directly to Eyewitness News from parents.

Reporter Lileana Pearson asked the district if they saw a separation between their product and the job that journalists do.

"I don't see them as separate purposes. I see them as the same. What we're doing and what the media is doing is the same thing," Hill said.

But there is a big difference here. HISD employees aren't asking the tough questions and holding the district accountable.

Breaux said instead of producing these videos, which are live on YouTube twice daily, she would like to see more personal communication with families.

"To hold meetings with us, to speak with us, to respond to our emails," Breaux said.

ABC13 pushed back on the district's claim that they invested no money in HISD Now after seeing this Instagram post from HISD Now Host Trey Serna, who said he was hired as a host.

The district said Serna is part of the comms team, was not hired to host, and would still have a full-time job if HISD Now did not exist.

Breaux said she feels HISD Now is a way for the district to combat bad press.

"When I asked the district, they said they feel they are comprehensive, saying they touch on harder subjects such as when HVAC fails in a school or budget decisions," Breaix said.

For more news updates, follow Lileana Pearson on Facebook, X and Instagram.