The Houston school board has voted to accept a $7.5 million gift for an arts school, marking both the first time the district has sold naming rights to a public campus and a rarity in K-12 education.
Officials say the money will go toward rebuilding the school located in downtown Houston. It will be called the Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, named for billionaire couple Rich and Nancy Kinder.
Some board members criticized what they described as secretive negotiations and questioned the fairness to other district schools. One member, Jolanda Jones, said the district acted like a “pimp” in selling rights to a school.
