Commissioner Lesley Briones Celebrates Appointments of High School Students to Newly Created Positions on Harris County Safe School Commission
For the first time since its establishment, the Harris County Safe School Commission (SSC) created dedicated high school student seats. In a unanimous vote, Harris County Commissioners Court approved the appointments of 15-year-old Ngoc Ho and 17-year-old Ashlyn Morton to the new student at-large positions.
Ho, a freshman at Alief ISD's Kerr High School, and Morton, a senior at HISD's Lamar High School, will initially serve a six-month term, aligning with the remainder of the school year. Their one-year term will begin in June 2025.
In August, Commissioner Lesley Briones, a former teacher, advocated for the two dedicated student seats as part of her plan to expand and strengthen the SSC.
"It is imperative that student voices are not only included but amplified as we make decisions that impact their well-being. I am energized by the addition of Ashlyn and Ngoc to the Safe School Commission. These young leaders have an impressive record of advocacy and a proven commitment to uplifting their communities. They will make the SSC more inclusive, better informed, and help make our schools safer," Commissioner Briones said.
Ho is a fellow with AliefVotes, a youth voter engagement initiative. She also volunteers with the Alief Super Neighborhood Council and League of Women Voters Houston.
"I hope to amplify student voices and contribute to creating safer, more inclusive schools where every student feels secure and valued! With rising concerns about school safety, this role is an opportunity to advocate for meaningful policies and initiatives that address mental health, bullying, and emergency preparedness. It's vital to prioritize student well-being and foster environments where education thrives without fear," Ho said.
Morton is president of Lamar's chapter of Deeds Not Words, a student-led grassroots civic engagement and advocacy group. As a campus organizer, she has created campaigns to address a variety of social issues and testified at HISD board meetings.
"I am honored to have been formally appointed to the Safe School Commission. This is an important step towards ensuring all students have a safe and supportive environment to learn and grow. I look forward to contributing my perspective and amplifying the voices of students who deserve to feel safe and heard," Morton said.
Commissioners Court also reappointed Holly Maria Flynn Vilaseca, a former teacher and past HISD trustee, and Klein ISD superintendent Dr. Jenny McGown to the SSC. Other SSC members include:
- Harris County Fire Marshal Laurie Christensen
- Saami Baig, former co-executive director for March For Our Lives Houston and Rice University student
- Traci Latson, HISD teacher
- Calandrian Simpson-Kemp, gun violence prevention advocate
- Representative from the Harris County Department of Education's Center for Safe and Secure Schools
- Representative from the Region 4 Education Service Center
The Court created the SSC at the recommendation of Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey in June 2022, in the wake of the Uvalde school shooting that tragically took the lives of 19 students and two teachers.
The SSC was tasked with generating recommendations on how Harris County could support improved safety in Harris County's 25 Independent School Districts and private schools during the 2022-2023 school year.
Commissioner Briones reconvened the Safe School Commission earlier this year to implement these strategies and other national best practices, as well as enhance collaboration, training, and communication between the over 75 law enforcement agencies and 25 Independent School Districts in Harris County. The SSC's key priorities include:
Emergency responder access to key/lock boxes
Harris County Fire Marshal's Office annual lock inspections for K-12 schools
Hosting Townhall meetings in each Precinct
The Commission focuses on evidence-based best practices and provides recommendations to the Court on initiatives that will help families, communities, and schools build capacity and establish and expand successful school safety strategies.
Members of the SSC are appointed by Commissioners Court. To apply, please visit the Harris County Office of County Administration's Boards and Commissions website.
Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.
Every Wednesday at 8:30 a.m., a small group of people, binoculars in hand, set out on the nearly 0.75-mile trail at Precinct 4’s Kleb Woods Nature Center. The trail is quiet. The only thing the visitors can hear is the soft hum of the highway and the crunch of leaves under their feet. But, if they’re still, they can hear what they came for—the occasional chirp of a bird hiding in the brush or flitting between the trees. Every year, thousands of people visit Kleb Woods, located between Hockley and Tomball, with the hope of spotting some of the more than 200 bird species that live in the Harris County area. The center hosts both weekly bird walks and an annual hummingbird festival in September. On a weekly bird walk in the winter, visitors can spot anything from sedge wrens and rufous hummingbirds to orange-crowned warblers, cedar waxwings, and great-horned owls. When someone spots a bird, they get to add it to the running list of nearly 50 recent bird sittings on the center’s wall.
Residents in Harris County Precinct 4—from Katy to Tomball to Spring Branch, all the way up to Hockley and Waller—have seen major changes in their neighborhoods. Commissioner Lesley Briones and her team of over 460 public servants dedicated 2024 to addressing urgent needs while laying a strong foundation for the future. From responding to disasters, to building sidewalks, to securing free healthcare, the Precinct 4 team is improving lives today while preparing for tomorrow. “Each and every day, my team and I work to prove that government can deliver for the people,” said Commissioner Lesley Briones. “We hustle for our residents because they deserve nothing less. In 2024, we expanded critical services, strengthened community partnerships, and connected with every corner of the Precinct. I am energized to ramp up our efforts even further next year.” Here are some key highlights from 2024 and the difference they’ve made in our communities: Justice and Safety Invested in key areas of Harris County’s Criminal District Courts to make the justice system more efficient and fairer, benefitting victims, defendants, and their families Expanded support for domestic violence survivors through funding for children exposed to DV , yearly investment in the Domestic Violence Assistance Fund, a new community outreach and education campaign, and a $1 million award to the Houston Area Women’s Center Strengthened law enforcement by adding funding for the TeleDeputy and VIPER programs into the county’s annual budget to reduce response times and target violent offenders Infrastructure Secured voter approval for Flood Control District Proposition A , ensuring repairs and upgrades to aging flood control infrastructure across the County Allocated $20M for n ew sidewalks to connect children and families to schools, work, places of worship and more Cleared several thousand truckloads of debri s while providing direct assistance to residents in need Invested $48 million in sustainable infrastructure across Precinct 4 through 2024 Places 4 People Health Launched a free health clinic with Baylor College of Medicine for teens and young adults ages 13-24, offering immunizations, sick visits, physicals, contraception, and mental health counseling Opened La Tiendita at Bayland Community Center to bring free, high-quality food, nutrition education, and other resources Installed four lactation pods in county court buildings to provide nursing parents a private place to pump Planted 1,200 trees in Alief through the Barbara Quattro Forest initiative to cool one of the hottest neighborhoods in Houston Education and Economic Opportunity Invested an additional $6.7 million into countywide apprenticeship program , bringing the total to $17.6 million in federal funds —the county’s largest-ever investment in paid training for quality union jobs Created a $17 million small business loan fund to support community growth Hosted over a dozen small business workshops to help business owners learn more about county contracts Good Government Approved a $2.67 billion budget after holding five town halls to gather community input, funding critical services like roads, drainage, law enforcement, and more Hosted six listening tours across the Precinct to hear residents’ ideas, concerns, and suggestions Increased property tax exemption for homeowners who are 65+ and/or disabled from $275,000 to $320,000 and exempted qualifying childcare centers from 100% of their County property taxes Received a $11.3 million National Park Service grant to improve Burnett Bayland Park In the Community Offered free summer programming to hundreds of children at Precinct parks and community centers Allowed the sale of fireworks for Diwali for the first time Showcased student artists through Precinct 4 bus design contest Precinct 4 is here to serve you. As we reflect on 2024’s progress, we are already planning for an even brighter future in 2025. Make it your New Year’s resolution to explore everything Precinct 4 has to offer—because when we invest in our communities, we all thrive.
