Dominic Anthony Walsh | Houston Public Media
As Houston ISD’s state-appointed board of managers considers closing an undisclosed number of campuses for the 2026-27 school year, elected trustees are asking for community members to be involved in the process.
The district, undergoing its second yearly budgeting session under state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles, is facing a tight and unbalanced budget of more than $2 billion with a projected deficit of around $33 million. HISD is also facing a sharp decline in enrollment, a trend that began before Miles and the board of managers were installed in 2023 by the Texas Education Agency — because Wheatley High School received a streak of failing accountability ratings from the state.
More than 30,000 students have left HISD in the last five years, leaving the state’s largest district with roughly 175,000 enrolled students this year. HISD in this current budget cycle is “conservatively budgeting for an enrollment decline of approximately 8,000 students,” according to budget plans released by the district.
There are a variety of factors district leaders have pointed to as to why fewer students are enrolling in HISD, such as higher rates of families moving to the suburbs, along with lower birth rates. Miles also admitted that “criticism” against him and the state takeover “may have something to do with it.”
That’s why elected HISD trustee Sue Deigaard, who lost policy-making power when the state took over, said she’s not surprised the district, in working toward a more balanced budget, is considering school closures.
“I think that there is an opportunity here for Houston to be innovative and take a different approach and say, ‘You know what, you guys aren’t getting what you need here because your schools are too small, they’re under enrolled,'” Deigaard said.
Instead of brainstorming a plan and subsequently asking the community for feedback afterwards, she’s asking the board to “start with community engagement.”
An HISD spokesperson said, “If HISD does move forward to consider if school closures are necessary, the district is committed to community engagement and a transparent decision-making process.”
Another elected trustee, Placido Gomez, said this can be an opportunity for the district to extend a hand to the community and earn its trust after Houston voters rejected a $4.4 billion bond package last fall in a vote that could be considered a referendum on HISD’s state-appointed leadership. The bond proposal included a plan to close some campuses and merge those schools with others, which the district described as “co-locations.”
“If the administration comes to the community and makes the case that HISD has significantly underutilized schools, shows a plan for how the money saved from closing schools will go to the classroom to serve students, gives the community a real opportunity to provide input on how to proceed, and shows us how our input is being included, most of us would be open-minded if we have real decision-making power,” Gomez said. “But if they continue their ‘my way or the highway’ approach, they can expect serious resistance.”
Elected trustee Savant Moore said, “HISD school closures are officially on the table, so the question now is: How do we prevent them?”
Moore is asking HISD parents and students to be involved in the budget-decision process.
“If you’re a parent or an alum, attend board meetings, make sure your voice is heard, and hold leadership accountable,” Moore said. “Convince your state legislators and the governor to increase the basic allotment by $1,300 per student — our kids deserve it. And let the world know that HISD is open for business: We have great academics, strong community support, and even state championship teams. This district is worth fighting for.”
The district’s next budget workshop is scheduled for 3 p.m. March 26 at HISD’s central office, the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, 4400 W. 18th St.
