HISD confirms they spent $350,000 on billboards showcasing improved academics at its schools

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Houston has no shortage of billboards, but now, when you drive around the city, you might spot one of the 18 new HISD billboards shouting out the district's improving academics, and it's also encouraging families to enroll students.

"This is a catch-22 for a school district," University of Houston education professor Duncan Klussmann said.

Klussmann says HISD is between a rock and a hard place with this one. The district confirms it spent $350,000 installing 18 billboards across the metro, advertising what it said are recent academic gains and encouraging people to enroll students.

District records show that the $350,000 price tag totals up to about four high school teacher salaries at new education systems schools. The cost has received pushback from some pare