Houston-area political and community leaders offered muted response Thursday to a state recommendation issued this week to replace Houston ISD’s school board, reserving judgment until more details are known about a Texas Education Agency investigation into allegations of misconduct by multiple trustees.

One day after the state’s recommendation became public via media reports, area officials grappled with questions about the investigation while reinforcing their beliefs about the appropriateness of dramatic intervention in Texas’ largest school district. The recommendation is contained in a Texas Education Agency investigative report that circulated only among HISD officials and state lawmakers until Thursday evening, when the full document became public through a federal court filing.

The report documents multiple instances of alleged wrongdoing by trustees, varying in severity. The most serious findings include five trustees violating the Texas Open Meetings Act, multiple board members interfering in district operations and Board President Diana Dávila conspiring to steer a custodial contract to a preferred vendor. HISD officials have until Aug. 15 to formally respond to the allegations, after which Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath will decide whether to implement the recommendation made by his staff.

“In order to make an informed opinion, I need to really sink my teeth in the report,” said state Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston. “I will do that over the next couple days and look to see what HISD’s response is.”

HISD trustees and community members offered few comments about the investigation Thursday during a regularly-scheduled meeting, which passed with only fleeting references to the report. Dávila, who has denied the multiple allegations levied against her in the state’s report, issued a call for retaining local control over the school district.

“The citizens of Houston should not be punished by taking away their democratic right to be able to elect, or un-elect, those that they feel do not support what’s in the best interest of students,” Dávila said.

Several other trustees have declined to comment on the report or not responded to requests for comment. As she left Thursday’s meeting, HISD Trustee Elizabeth Santos said she is “waiting for due process” before commenting on allegations that she violated open meetings laws.

The state’s recommendation has brought the threat of losing local control over the district’s school board closer to fruition, a prospect that has split the Houston community.

In some corners, HISD observers have grown so dismayed with the district’s conflict-riddled school board that they will reluctantly welcome a state-appointed board. Many of the region’s Republican leaders, the city’s largest business advocacy organization and some community advocates have called for immediate state intervention, arguing a fresh slate of board members will help end longstanding fissures among trustees.

“The TEA needs to step in and remedy and set HISD on the right course,” Harris County Republican Party Chairman Paul Simpson said. “What we have isn’t working for the students, and we have to remember that’s what this is about. The school board is failing.”

Conversely, several local Democrats, the Harris County Democratic Party and HISD’s largest teachers’ union have repudiated a state-appointed board, labeling it an undemocratic seizure of power. While few area leaders have defended the board’s actions, opponents of TEA intervention have said voters — not state bureaucrats — should bear responsibility for the district.

“I think something definitely needs to change, but I think taking away the accountability the school board has to parents and the community isn’t the way to go,” said Nisha Randle, director of communications for the Harris County Democratic Party.

An appointment of a replacement board would represent a seismic change in Texas’ largest school district, which serves about 209,000 students. Morath would select all new trustees and pick the district’s superintendent, with the authority to remove any of his chosen board members at any time. Appointed trustees would likely remain in place for two to five years.

In the meantime, elected board members would retain their positions, but they would be stripped of all powers. HISD would continue to hold elections, including races for four seats in November. Candidates must file to run for office by August 19. None of the four incumbents — Dávila, Jolanda Jones, Sergio Lira and Rhonda Skillern-Jones — have filed yet to seek re-election.

The current HISD board has engendered little public support since it took office in January 2018, largely due to in-fighting and perceptions that they prioritize personal agendas over students. Multiple trustees admitted during a board meeting in October 2018 to operating in a culture of dysfunction, exacerbated by divisions over whether to permanently retain interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan. Some trustees have argued the board’s functionality has improved since then, while others remain frustrated that a five-member bloc has coalesced around many district issues.

Andy Chan, a longtime resident in HISD who recently participated in two prominent district committees, said trustees need to focus more on academic outcomes — regardless of whether they are elected or state-appointed. If Morath chooses to strip power from HISD’s board, Chan wants a transparent process of selecting community members with a devotion to student success.

“I don’t think there’s any magic pill or instant transformation that’s going to happen,” Chan said. “It’s going to require a culture change. For people to think business as usual or a few tweaks will work, that can’t be the case.”