Bianca Seward/Houston Public Media
Myrna Guidry, left, is sworn in as an elected Houston ISD trustee on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026.
At Houston ISD’s headquarters Thursday morning, incumbents Bridget Wade and Myrna Guidry, alongside newcomers Felicity Pereyra, Maria Benzon and Mike McDonough, were officially sworn in to the board of trustees.
But under the ongoing takeover by the Texas Education Agency, which began in 2023, elected trustees in the state’s largest school district have been sidelined in favor of a state-appointed board of managers. The elected board members will not regain voting power until after the state’s intervention, which last summer was extended until at least 2027.
The ceremony’s irony was not lost on the crowd as Benzon and McDonough emphasized the phrase “independent school district” while taking their oaths, prompting laughter, cheers and a few groans.
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Benzon first ran for the board in 2021, prior to the takeover, but lost her bid for one of the nine seats. She says even after losing she stayed involved with the HISD community. In the fall she ran as part of the “end the takeover” slate of candidates.
She says she is looking forward to continued collaboration with advocacy groups in the community.
“In the past I thought, ‘Oh, I knew, I know what good education looks like,’ but it’s different now,” Benzon said. “All the different communities and voices that are there to shed light and to share in the work, it’s not all about what I think needs to happen. It’s a lot of people contributing to the vision.”
Bianca Seward/Houston Public Media
Maria Benzon, holding phone, takes a selfie after being sworn in as an elected Houston ISD trustee on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026.
Kylie Mavris is a student at the University of Houston and works with the advocacy organization Community Voices for Public Education. She says she still believes the elected trustees can make a meaningful impact under the takeover.
“I would like to see them be engaged with the students more and listen to their concerns,” Mavris said, “and be able to voice those concerns that students have and bring it to the media, bring it to the board and amplify those voices where students can’t be.”
Benzon has been a vocal critic of state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles and says she plans to reach out to him in the hopes of meeting with him.
“I want to make sure that [Miles] is held accountable,” she said, “because that’s what our community wants and needs first.”
Benzon says she will continue to attend and speak at the board meetings and read all policies, even if she can’t vote on them.
“I want to make sure that our money is well spent and I want to make sure that kids are more than a test score,” Benzon said. “These are the things that I’m going to continue to stand up for. I think that’s what our community wants. Our community wants to make sure we have very good schools, and our teachers are supported.”