Houston Independent School District, Texas
| Houston Independent School District |
|---|
 |
| Houston, Texas |
| District details |
| Superintendent: Grenita Lathan (interim) |
| # of school board members: 9 |
| Website: Link |
Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the largest public school system in Texas and the 7th-largest in the United States, serving 215,225 students in 279 schools during the 2014-2015 school year.[1][2] Houston ISD serves as a community school district for most of the city of Houston and several nearby and insular municipalities. Like most districts in Texas, it is independent of the city of Houston and all other municipal and county jurisdictions. The district has its headquarters in the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (HMWESC) in Houston.
About the district
Houston Independent School District is located in Southeast Texas in Harris County. The county seat is Houston. The county was home to an estimated 4,589,928 residents from 2010 to 2016, according to the United States Census Bureau.[3]
Demographics
Harris County overperformed in comparison to the rest of Texas in terms of higher education achievement from 2011 to 2015. The United States Census Bureau found that 29.5 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 27.6 percent of state residents. The median household income in Harris County was $54,457, while it was $53,207 for Texas. The county poverty rate was 16.6 percent, compared to the state's 15.6 percent.[3]
| Racial Demographics, 2010-2016[3] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race | Harris County (%) | Texas (%) |
| White | 70.0 | 79.4 |
| Black or African American | 19.7 | 12.6 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.1 | 1.0 |
| Asian | 7.2 | 4.6 |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Two or More Races | 1.9 | 1.9 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 42.4 | 39.1 |
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Superintendent
 |
This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates. |
Grenita Lathan is the interim superintendent of the Houston Independent School District. Lathan was appointed superintendent in March 2018. Lathan's previous career experience includes working as a teacher, the chief elementary school improvement officer of the San Diego Unified School District, and the superintendent of Peoria Public Schools in Illinois.[4]
Past superintendents
- Richard Carranza was the superintendent of the Houston Independent School District from 2016 to 2018.[5][6] Carranza's previous career experience included working as the superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School District.[7][8]
- Kenneth Huewitt was the interim superintendent of the Houston Independent School District in 2016. Huewitt's previous career experience included working as the district's controller and chief financial officer.[9]
- Terry Grier was the superintendent of the Houston Independent School District from 2009 to 2016.[10][11]
School board elections
The Houston Independent School District is overseen by a nine-member board elected by district to four-year staggered terms.[12]
| Office | Name | Date assumed office |
|---|
| |
This officeholder information was last updated on February 17, 2021. Please contact us with any updates. | |
Election dates
The Houston Board of Trustees consists of nine members who are elected by district to four-year staggered terms.
Five seats on the board were up for general election on November 2, 2021.
Budget
From 1993 to 2013, the Houston Independent School District had an average of $1,632,202,952 in revenue and $1,700,093,667 in expenditures, according to the United States Census Bureau's survey of school system finances. The district had a yearly average of $1,460,666,143 in outstanding debt. The district retired $124,460,667 of its debt and issued $219,445,190 in new debt each year on average.[13]
Revenue
The table below separates the district's revenue into the three sources identified by the agency: local, state, and federal.
| Revenue by Source | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiscal Year |
Local | State | Federal | Revenue Total | |||||||
| Total | % of Revenue | Total | % of Revenue | Total | % of Revenue | ||||||
| Click [show] on the right to display the revenue data for prior years. | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | $652,427,000 | 57.22% | $400,132,000 | 35.10% | $87,577,000 | 7.68% | $1,140,136,000 | ||||
| 1994 | $649,998,000 | 62.64% | $276,151,000 | 26.61% | $111,541,000 | 10.75% | $1,037,690,000 | ||||
| 1995 | $659,255,000 | 62.88% | $274,274,000 | 26.16% | $114,850,000 | 10.96% | $1,048,379,000 | ||||
| 1996 | $669,458,000 | 61.32% | $316,035,000 | 28.95% | $106,208,000 | 9.73% | $1,091,701,000 | ||||
| 1997 | $684,202,000 | 58.45% | $375,808,000 | 32.10% | $110,621,000 | 9.45% | $1,170,631,000 | ||||
| 1998 | $676,696,000 | 56.53% | $396,889,000 | 33.16% | $123,456,000 | 10.31% | $1,197,041,000 | ||||
| 1999 | $774,572,000 | 60.32% | $381,639,000 | 29.72% | $127,948,000 | 9.96% | $1,284,159,000 | ||||
| 2000 | $870,853,000 | 59.28% | $445,542,000 | 30.33% | $152,679,000 | 10.39% | $1,469,074,000 | ||||
| 2001 | $998,256,000 | 63.75% | $399,545,000 | 25.51% | $168,123,000 | 10.74% | $1,565,924,000 | ||||
| 2002 | $1,075,202,000 | 67.40% | $343,098,000 | 21.51% | $176,985,000 | 11.09% | $1,595,285,000 | ||||
| 2003 | $1,137,126,000 | 66.51% | $367,529,000 | 21.50% | $205,044,000 | 11.99% | $1,709,699,000 | ||||
| 2004 | $1,169,498,000 | 69.58% | $274,127,000 | 16.31% | $237,252,000 | 14.11% | $1,680,877,000 | ||||
| 2005 | $1,224,965,000 | 70.04% | $277,069,000 | 15.84% | $246,927,000 | 14.12% | $1,748,961,000 | ||||
| 2006 | $1,329,051,000 | 69.94% | $275,291,000 | 14.49% | $295,857,000 | 15.57% | $1,900,199,000 | ||||
| 2007 | $1,370,988,000 | 66.64% | $412,297,000 | 20.04% | $273,906,000 | 13.31% | $2,057,191,000 | ||||
| 2008 | $1,194,058,000 | 57.97% | $597,926,000 | 29.03% | $267,705,000 | 13.00% | $2,059,689,000 | ||||
| 2009 | $1,301,088,000 | 62.00% | $509,180,000 | 24.26% | $288,212,000 | 13.73% | $2,098,480,000 | ||||
| 2010 | $1,289,518,000 | 59.54% | $447,491,000 | 20.66% | $428,684,000 | 19.79% | $2,165,693,000 |
| 2011 | $1,280,666,000 | 57.65% | $532,511,000 | 23.97% | $408,408,000 | 18.38% | $2,221,585,000 |
| 2012 | $1,288,007,000 | 62.95% | $509,806,000 | 24.91% | $248,401,000 | 12.14% | $2,046,214,000 |
| 2013 | $1,339,437,000 | 67.39% | $346,401,000 | 17.43% | $301,816,000 | 15.18% | $1,987,654,000 |
| Avg. | $1,030,253,381 | 62.86% | $388,511,476 | 24.65% | $213,438,095 | 12.50% | $1,632,202,952 |
Expenditures
The table below separates the district's expenditures into five categories identified by the agency:
- Instruction: operation expenditures, state payments on behalf of the district for instruction and benefits, and retirement system transfers
- Support Services: support services, food services, and retirement system transfers for support service staff
- Capital Spending: capital outlay expenditures (i.e., construction, land or facilities purchases, and equipment purchases)
- Debt & Gov. Payments: payments to state and local governments and interest on school system debt
- Other: all other non-K-12 programs, except food services
| Expenditures by Category | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiscal Year |
Instruction | Support Services | Capital Spending | Debt & Gov. Payments | Other | Budget Total | |||||
| Total | % of Budget | Total | % of Budget | Total | % of Budget | Total | % of Budget | Total | % of Budget | ||
| Click [show] on the right to display the expenditure data for prior years. | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | $493,258,000 | 44.03% | $358,404,000 | 31.99% | $248,938,000 | 22.22% | $18,517,000 | 1.65% | $1,201,000 | 0.11% | $1,120,318,000 |
| 1994 | $518,316,000 | 51.32% | $394,497,000 | 39.06% | $75,350,000 | 7.46% | $20,915,000 | 2.07% | $945,000 | 0.09% | $1,010,023,000 |
| 1995 | $560,154,000 | 52.39% | $407,459,000 | 38.11% | $78,151,000 | 7.31% | $20,512,000 | 1.92% | $2,833,000 | 0.26% | $1,069,109,000 |
| 1996 | $604,612,000 | 52.98% | $426,307,000 | 37.35% | $84,693,000 | 7.42% | $19,785,000 | 1.73% | $5,891,000 | 0.52% | $1,141,288,000 |
| 1997 | $623,143,000 | 53.09% | $445,664,000 | 37.97% | $64,271,000 | 5.48% | $31,248,000 | 2.66% | $9,425,000 | 0.80% | $1,173,751,000 |
| 1998 | $659,676,000 | 53.58% | $465,767,000 | 37.83% | $78,843,000 | 6.40% | $16,212,000 | 1.32% | $10,588,000 | 0.86% | $1,231,086,000 |
| 1999 | $683,972,000 | 51.49% | $492,841,000 | 37.10% | $110,569,000 | 8.32% | $29,062,000 | 2.19% | $11,835,000 | 0.89% | $1,328,279,000 |
| 2000 | $753,323,000 | 48.70% | $544,614,000 | 35.20% | $190,678,000 | 12.33% | $47,482,000 | 3.07% | $10,910,000 | 0.71% | $1,547,007,000 |
| 2001 | $813,326,000 | 44.88% | $587,104,000 | 32.39% | $347,494,000 | 19.17% | $46,929,000 | 2.59% | $17,491,000 | 0.97% | $1,812,344,000 |
| 2002 | $865,956,000 | 45.96% | $616,445,000 | 32.72% | $321,398,000 | 17.06% | $54,937,000 | 2.92% | $25,432,000 | 1.35% | $1,884,168,000 |
| 2003 | $907,062,000 | 49.96% | $626,188,000 | 34.49% | $192,503,000 | 10.60% | $56,991,000 | 3.14% | $32,834,000 | 1.81% | $1,815,578,000 |
| 2004 | $903,993,000 | 51.66% | $618,743,000 | 35.36% | $125,926,000 | 7.20% | $59,413,000 | 3.40% | $41,874,000 | 2.39% | $1,749,949,000 |
| 2005 | $909,226,000 | 49.18% | $586,742,000 | 31.73% | $255,381,000 | 13.81% | $75,403,000 | 4.08% | $22,204,000 | 1.20% | $1,848,956,000 |
| 2006 | $932,412,000 | 46.59% | $637,237,000 | 31.84% | $320,095,000 | 16.00% | $89,293,000 | 4.46% | $22,085,000 | 1.10% | $2,001,122,000 |
| 2007 | $960,319,000 | 48.15% | $660,305,000 | 33.10% | $255,006,000 | 12.78% | $97,620,000 | 4.89% | $21,338,000 | 1.07% | $1,994,588,000 |
| 2008 | $1,007,273,000 | 51.16% | $707,497,000 | 35.93% | $135,279,000 | 6.87% | $98,034,000 | 4.98% | $20,753,000 | 1.05% | $1,968,836,000 |
| 2009 | $1,080,710,000 | 51.91% | $752,733,000 | 36.15% | $116,882,000 | 5.61% | $111,508,000 | 5.36% | $20,138,000 | 0.97% | $2,081,971,000 |
| 2010 | $1,108,450,000 | 50.97% | $745,301,000 | 34.27% | $189,117,000 | 8.70% | $114,062,000 | 5.25% | $17,707,000 | 0.81% | $2,174,637,000 |
| 2011 | $1,110,302,000 | 48.35% | $722,619,000 | 31.47% | $303,195,000 | 13.20% | $141,121,000 | 6.15% | $19,263,000 | 0.84% | $2,296,500,000 |
| 2012 | $1,000,287,000 | 42.46% | $872,802,000 | 37.05% | $322,985,000 | 13.71% | $140,778,000 | 5.98% | $19,005,000 | 0.81% | $2,355,857,000 |
| 2013 | $970,020,000 | 46.27% | $715,118,000 | 34.11% | $263,921,000 | 12.59% | $130,453,000 | 6.22% | $17,088,000 | 0.82% | $2,096,600,000 |
| Avg. | $831,704,286 | 49.29% | $589,732,714 | 35.01% | $194,317,857 | 11.15% | $67,632,143 | 3.62% | $16,706,667 | 0.93% | $1,700,093,667 |
Debt
The table below shows the amount of debt retired, issued, and outstanding in the district for each year.
| Debt | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiscal Year |
Retired | Issued | Outstanding |
| Click [show] on the right to display the debt data for prior years. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | $212,171,000 | $193,770,000 | $383,054,000 |
| 1994 | $28,396,000 | $12,000,000 | $366,370,000 |
| 1995 | $28,244,000 | $54,650,000 | $392,496,000 |
| 1996 | $44,575,000 | $12,000,000 | $380,642,000 |
| 1997 | $62,970,000 | $59,435,000 | $358,691,000 |
| 1998 | $29,505,000 | $12,000,000 | $341,186,000 |
| 1999 | $62,149,000 | $753,510,000 | $1,042,426,000 |
| 2000 | $35,849,000 | $22,000,000 | $1,122,756,000 |
| 2001 | $41,857,000 | $145,500,000 | $1,228,316,000 |
| 2002 | $54,511,000 | $0 | $1,274,023,000 |
| 2003 | $130,052,000 | $305,695,000 | $1,451,649,000 |
| 2004 | $48,245,000 | $320,000,000 | $1,728,178,000 |
| 2005 | $309,025,000 | $473,124,000 | $1,881,376,000 |
| 2006 | $230,779,000 | $332,440,000 | $1,993,466,000 |
| 2007 | $390,580,000 | $320,965,000 | $1,926,807,000 |
| 2008 | $96,860,000 | $413,325,000 | $2,236,535,000 |
| 2009 | $66,488,000 | $28,660,000 | $2,204,277,000 |
| 2010 | $56,745,000 | $479,520,000 | $2,626,967,000 |
| 2011 | $72,539,000 | $14,500,000 | $2,594,598,000 |
| 2012 | $318,302,000 | $205,580,000 | $2,472,507,000 |
| 2013 | $293,832,000 | $449,675,000 | $2,667,669,000 |
| Avg. | $124,460,667 | $219,445,190 | $1,460,666,143 |
Schools in Houston ISD
Houston Independent School District operates 279 schools listed below in alphabetical order.[14]
| Houston ISD schools | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | ||
| Advanced Virtual Academy | ||
| Alcott Elementary | ||
| Almeda Elementary | ||
| Anderson Elementary | ||
| Ashford Elementary | ||
| Askew Elementary | ||
| Atherton Elementary | ||
| Attucks Middle School | ||
| Austin High School | ||
| Barbara Jordan High School | ||
| Barrick Elementary | ||
| Bastian Elementary | ||
| Baylor College of Medicine Academy | ||
| Beechnut Academy | ||
| Bell Elementary | ||
| Bellaire High School | ||
| Bellfort Early Childhood Center | ||
| Benavidez Elementary | ||
| Benbrook Elementary | ||
| Berry Elementary | ||
| Black Middle School | ||
| Blackshear Elementary | ||
| Bonham Elementary | ||
| Bonner Elementary | ||
| Braeburn Elementary | ||
| Briargrove Elementary | ||
| Briarmeadow Charter | ||
| Briarmeadow Charter School | ||
| Briscoe Elementary | ||
| Brookline Elementary | ||
| Browning Elementary | ||
| Bruce Elementary | ||
| Burbank Elementary | ||
| Burbank Middle School | ||
| Burnet Elementary | ||
| Burrus Elementary | ||
| Bush Elementary | ||
| Cage Elementary | ||
| Carnegie Vanguard High School | ||
| Carrillo Elementary | ||
| Community Education Partners Southeast | ||
| Challenge High School | ||
| Chavez High School | ||
| CLC Middle School | ||
| Clifton Middle School | ||
| Codwell Elementary | ||
| Community Services | ||
| Condit Elementary | ||
| Coop Elementary | ||
| Cornellus Elementary | ||
| Crespo Elementary | ||
| Crockett Elementary | ||
| Cullen Middle School | ||
| Cunningham Elementary | ||
| Davila Elementary | ||
| Davis High School | ||
| De Chaumes Elementary | ||
| De Zavala Elementary | ||
| Deady Middle School | ||
| Deaf Campus | ||
| DeAnda Elementary | ||
| DeBakey High School for Health Professions | ||
| Dodson Elementary | ||
| Dogan Elementary | ||
| Dowling Middle School | ||
| Durham Elementary | ||
| Durkee Elementary | ||
| Early College High School East | ||
| Eastwood Academy High School | ||
| Early Childhood Intervention | ||
| Edison Middle School | ||
| Eleanor Tinsley Elementary | ||
| Ellot Elementary | ||
| Elmore Elementary | ||
| Elrod Elementary | ||
| Emerson Elementary | ||
| Empowerment College Prep High School | ||
| Energized for Excellence Early Childhood Center | ||
| Energized for Excellence Elementary | ||
| Energized for Excellence Middle School | ||
| Energized for STEM Academy | ||
| Energized Science Tech High School | ||
| Energized Science Tech Middle School | ||
| Energy Institute High School | ||
| E-Stem Academy Central | ||
| Farias Early Childhood Center | ||
| Felix Cook Elementary | ||
| Field Elementary | ||
| Fleming Middle School | ||
| Foerster Elementary | ||
| Fondren Elementary | ||
| Fondren Middle School | ||
| Fonville Middle School | ||
| Fonwood Early Childhood Center | ||
| Forest Brook Middle School | ||
| Foster Elementary | ||
| Franklin Elementary | ||
| Frost Elementary | ||
| Furr High School | ||
| Gabriela Minstral Center | ||
| Gallegos Elementary | ||
| Garcia Elementary | ||
| Garden Oaks Elementary | ||
| Garden Villas Elementary | ||
| Golfcrest Elementary | ||
| Grady Middle School | ||
| Gregg Elementary | ||
| Gregory-Lincoln Middle School | ||
| Grissom Elementary | ||
| Halpin Early Childhood Center | ||
| Hamilton Middle School | ||
| Harper Alternative School | ||
| Harris R P Elementary | ||
| Hartman Middle School | ||
| Hartsfield Elementary | ||
| Harvard Elementary | ||
| HCC Life Skills | ||
| Helms Elementary | ||
| Henry Middle School | ||
| Herod Elementary | ||
| Herrera Elementary | ||
| High School Ahead Academy | ||
| Highland Heights Elementary | ||
| Hilliard Early Childhood Center | ||
| Hines-Caldwell Elementary | ||
| Hobby Elementary | ||
| Hogg Middle School | ||
| Holland Middle School | ||
| Hope Academy Charter | ||
| Horn Elementary | ||
| Houston Academy International | ||
| The High School for Performing and Visual Arts | ||
| Inspired for Excellence West | ||
| Issacs Elementary | ||
| JP Henderson Elementary | ||
| J R Harris Elementary | ||
| Jackson Middle School | ||
| Janowski Elementary | ||
| Jefferson Elementary | ||
| Jenard M Gross Elementary | ||
| Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program | ||
| Johnston Middle School | ||
| Jones High School | ||
| K Smith Elementary | ||
| Kandy Stripe Academy | ||
| Kashmere Gardens Elementary | ||
| Kashmere High School | ||
| Kelso Elementary | ||
| Kennedy Elementary | ||
| Ketelsen Elementary | ||
| Key Middle School | ||
| Kolter Elementary | ||
| Lamar High School | ||
| Lanier Middle School | ||
| Lantrip Elementary | ||
| Las Americas Middle School | ||
| Law Elementary | ||
| High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice | ||
| Lee High School | ||
| Lewis Elementary | ||
| Liberty High School | ||
| Lockhart Elementary | ||
| Long Academy | ||
| Longfellow Elementary | ||
| Looscan Elementary | ||
| Love Elementary | ||
| Lovett Elementary | ||
| Lyons Elementary | ||
| M L King Early Childhood Center | ||
| MacGregor Elementary | ||
| Mading Elementary | ||
| Madison High School | ||
| Mandarin Chinese School | ||
| Mark Twain Elementary | ||
| Marshall Middle School | ||
| Martinez C Elementary | ||
| Martinez Elementary | ||
| McGowen Elementary | ||
| McNamara Elementary | ||
| McReynolds Middle School | ||
| Memorial Elementary | ||
| Milby High School | ||
| Milne Elementary | ||
| Mitchell Elementary | ||
| Montgomery Elementary | ||
| Moreno Elementary | ||
| Mount Carmel Academy | ||
| N Q Henderson Elementary | ||
| Neff Early Learning Center | ||
| Neff Elementary | ||
| Ninfa Laurenzo Early Childhood Center | ||
| North Forest High School | ||
| North Houston Early College High School | ||
| Northline Elementary | ||
| Oak Forest Elementary | ||
| Oates Elementary | ||
| Ortiz Middle School | ||
| Osbourne Elementary | ||
| Park Place Elementary | ||
| Parker Elementary | ||
| Patterson Elementary | ||
| Peck Elementary | ||
| Pershing Middle School | ||
| Petersen Elementary | ||
| Pilgrim Academy | ||
| Pin Oak Middle School | ||
| Piney Point Elementary | ||
| Pleasantville Elementary | ||
| Poe Elementary | ||
| Port Houston Elementary | ||
| Project Chrysalis Middle School | ||
| Pro-Vision School | ||
| Pugh Elementary | ||
| Ray Daily Elementary | ||
| Reach Charter School | ||
| Reagan High School | ||
| Reagan K-8 Education Center | ||
| Red Elementary | ||
| Revere Middle School | ||
| Reynolds Elementary | ||
| Rhoads Elementary | ||
| Rice Middle School | ||
| River Oaks Elementary | ||
| Roberts Elementary | ||
| Robinson Elementary | ||
| Roderick R Paige Elementary | ||
| Rodriguez Elementary | ||
| Roosevelt Elementary | ||
| Ross Elementary | ||
| Rucker Elementary | ||
| Rusk Elementary | ||
| Ryan Middle School | ||
| Sam Houston School of Math and Science | ||
| Sanchez Elementary | ||
| Scarborough Elementary | ||
| Scarborough High School | ||
| School at St. George Place | ||
| Scroggins Elementary | ||
| Seguin Elementary | ||
| Shadowbriar Elementary | ||
| Shadydale Early Childhood Center | ||
| Sharpstown High School | ||
| Sharpstown International School | ||
| Shearn Elementary | ||
| Sherman Elementary | ||
| Sinclair Elementary | ||
| SOAR Center | ||
| South Early College High School | ||
| Southmayd Elementary | ||
| Sterling High School | ||
| Stevens Elementary | ||
| Stevenson Elementary | ||
| Stevenson Middle School | ||
| Sugar Grove Academy | ||
| Sutton Elementary | ||
| T H Rogers Middle School | ||
| Texas Connection Academy | ||
| Thomas Middle School | ||
| Thompson Elementary | ||
| Thurgood Marshall Early Childhood Center | ||
| Tijerina Elementary | ||
| Travis Elementary | ||
| TSU Charter Lab School | ||
| Valley West Elementary | ||
| Vision Academy | ||
| Wainwright Elementary | ||
| Walnut Bend Elementary | ||
| Waltrip High School | ||
| Washington BT High School | ||
| Welch Middle School | ||
| Wesley Elementary | ||
| West Briar Middle School | ||
| West University Elementary | ||
| Westbury High School | ||
| Westside High School | ||
| Wharton Elementary | ||
| Wheatley High School | ||
| Whidby Elementary | ||
| White Elementary | ||
| Whittier Elementary | ||
| Williams Middle School | ||
| Wilson Montessori | ||
| Windsor Village Elementary | ||
| Woodson Elementary | ||
| Worthing High School | ||
| Yates High School | ||
| Young Elementary | ||
| Young Learners | ||
| Young Men's College Prep | ||
| Young Scholars | ||
| Young Women's College Prep | ||
Noteworthy events
Potential state takeover of school board
On November 6, 2019, the day after the district's general election for four out of nine seats on the school board, Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath notified the district of his decision to appoint a board of managers to replace the elected school board, appoint a superintendent for the district, and lower the district's accreditation status to "accredited-warned."[15][16] Under a state-appointed board, elected board members would function as non-voting representatives until they were phased back in by the commissioner.[17][18]
Morath's decision came after a TEA investigation into the board's governance and repeatedly poor academic performance ratings at a high school in the district.[19] According to the Houston Chronicle, the transition was originally expected to take place around March 2020.[20]
As part of an ongoing lawsuit disputing the investigation and takeover, HISD filed a request for a preliminary injunction to prevent state intervention on October 29.[21] Judge Lee Yeakel of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas denied the injunction on December 18 and remanded the case to a Travis County court.[22][23] On January 8, 2020, Travis County District Judge Catherine Mauzy issued a temporary injunction preventing the TEA from taking over the district until the lawsuit was resolved. Mauzy scheduled the trial for June 22.[24][25] TEA officials filed an appeal with the Texas Third District Court of Appeals on January 9, 2020.[26] The court upheld the injunction on December 30, 2020, returning the issue to the Travis County district court. The Texas Education Association said it would appeal the ruling before the state supreme court.[27]
After Morath's announcement, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) stated, "The State of Texas will never give up on our students, nor will we allow Houston ISD's school board to stand in the way of a child and their path to success. I fully support the Texas Education Agency's takeover of HISD and will work with them to give every child a chance at a great education."[28] Zeph Capo, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers, an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers and the AFL-CIO, said, "This is a power grab to disenfranchise families in Houston—particularly families of color—who just exercised their voice in a democratic vote on control of the city's public schools. Now, the state government wants to step in and ignore that vote and exercise state control over this community because of one below-grade school, when the rest of them are scoring in the top tier in math and reading."[29]
Texas Education Agency investigation
The TEA special accreditation investigation into HISD began in January 2019.[30] Special Investigations Unit Director Jason Hewitt recommended in August 2019 that the state appoint a board of managers for the district due to the elected board's "inability to appropriately govern, inability to operate within the scope of their authority, circumventing the authority of the superintendent, and inability to ensure proper contract procurement laws are followed."[31] Preliminary findings of the TEA investigation included violations such as secret meetings that broke state law, misuse of district property, and school board member overreach.[32]
HISD lawyers filed a complaint against the TEA in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas on August 16 which claimed that school board members' rights were violated and that allegations were not fully investigated.[33] The lawsuit also claimed a state-appointed board would violate the Civil Rights Act, since a majority of voters in the district were people of color.[34]
The TEA's final investigative report was released on October 30. The document included the district's response to the preliminary findings of the investigation, in which HISD lawyers claimed the following:
| “ |
The findings presented in TEA’s Report are fundamentally flawed because they resulted from an investigation that began with a predetermined result. This meant that instead of conducting a fair and unbiased investigation, TEA’s investigators searched for a problem to use as a pretext for replacing Houston ISD’s elected Board of Trustees with an unelected board of managers.[35] |
” |
| —Kevin O’Hanlon, Benjamin Castillo, and David Campbell, Special Counsel to Houston ISD[36] | ||
The TEA's recommendation to replace the board remained the same. Hewitt concluded the following in the report's cover letter to the district:
| “ |
Based on the findings and substantiation of Allegation One, Allegation Two, and Allegation Three, the SIU will recommend to the Commissioner of Education that the accreditation status of the district be lowered, a conservator be appointed, and a Board of Managers be installed in accordance with Tex. Educ. Code §39.057(d) to replace the existing board of trustees due to the HISD Board of Trustees’ demonstrated inability to appropriately govern, inability to operate within the scope of their authority by circumventing the authority of the superintendent, and inability to ensure proper contract procurement laws are followed.[35] |
” |
| —Jason Hewitt, Special Investigations Unit, TEA[37] | ||
Academic performance
According to preliminary ratings for the 2018-2019 school year, one HISD high school, Wheatley, received a failing grade for the seventh year in a row.[38][39] At the time, the district was under oversight from a conservator appointed by the TEA due to poor academic performance at various schools.[40][41] Texas House Bill 1842 required that the commissioner of education either close a school that received more than five consecutive failing grades or replace the district's board of education.[42] HISD received a waiver from state ratings for the 2017-2018 school year due to Hurricane Harvey.[38]
In a meeting on September 5, 2019, HISD board members voted 7-1 to instruct the interim superintendent, Grenita Lathan, to appeal the failing grade, with Jolanda Jones voting against the appeal and Rhonda Skillern-Jones not present. Carla Stevens, the district's assistant superintendent of research and accountability, stated, "We have tried really, really hard to find anything we can hang out [sic] hat on at Wheatley, and we cannot find anything that would be an allowable appeal that would be granted."[42] Lathan submitted the district's appeal on September 13.[43] Morath denied the appeal on November 5.[44]
2010 magnet school review
In 2010, the district agreed to spend $275,000 reviewing its magnet schools performance.[45] The review found that the $17 million program for magnet schools had the following issues:[46]
- Lack of funding
- No standard magnet guidelines or requirements
- No definition of a successful magnet school
- Inconsistent quality of magnet programs
Contact information
Houston Independent School District
4400 West 18th St.
Houston, TX 77092-8501
Phone: (713) 556-6000
See also
| Texas | School Board Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Houston Independent School District, "General Information," accessed September 4, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Common Core of Data, file ccd_lea_052_1414_w_0216161a, 2014-2015," accessed November 16, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 United States Census Bureau, "Harris County, Texas," accessed September 26, 2017
- ↑ Houston Independent School District, "Superintendent / Homepage," accessed November 13, 2019
- ↑ HISD News Blog, "HISD Superintendent Richard Carranza accepts new role in NYC," accessed March 5, 2018
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Houston ISD superintendent Richard Carranza leaving for NYC’s top job after 18 months here," accessed March 5, 2018
- ↑ Houston Independent School District, "Richard A. Carranza, Superintendent of Schools," accessed January 30, 2017
- ↑ HISD News Blog, "Richard A. Carranza named HISD superintendent," accessed August 18, 2016
- ↑ Houston Independent School District, "KENNETH HUEWITT, INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS," accessed June 24, 2016
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Grier trailed by both acrimony and accolades," accessed Aug. 30, 2009
- ↑ HISD, "Terry B. Grier, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools," accessed September 5, 2013
- ↑ Board of Education accessed September 5, 2013
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Public School System Finances: Historical Data," accessed December 1, 2015
- ↑ School Search accessed September 6, 2013
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, "State to take over Houston ISD by replacing school board and superintendent," November 6, 2019
- ↑ KHOU11, "State announces plans to take over HISD after investigation reveals 'serious or persistent deficiencies,'" November 6, 2019
- ↑ Community Impact, "Houston ISD ratings show progress, but school board could still be replaced," September 3, 2019
- ↑ Texas Education Agency, "TEA Governance Return to Elected Trustee Control," accessed November 22, 2019
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "TEA notifies Houston ISD of intent to replace district’s elected school board," November 6, 2019
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "TEA to host community meetings on Houston ISD board takeover," November 8, 2019
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "HISD lawyers seek injunction to block TEA takeover, allow superintendent search," October 30, 2019
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Federal judge dismisses HISD lawsuit aimed at stopping takeover," December 18, 2019
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "Federal judge dismisses Houston ISD lawsuit seeking to avoid state takeover," December 19, 2019
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, "State judge temporarily blocks Texas from taking over Houston school district," January 8, 2020
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Austin judge temporarily blocks state takeover of HISD school board," January 8, 2020
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "TEA appeals injunction blocking it from taking over Houston ISD board," January 9, 2020
- ↑ Click2Houston, "TEA still blocked from taking over HISD, appeals court rules," December 30, 2020
- ↑ ABC13, "HISD's takeover by Texas education brass official," November 7, 2019
- ↑ American Federation of Teachers, "Educators Question State Takeover of HISD," November 7, 2019
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "TEA official: State investigation into HISD could take months," April 4, 2019
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "TEA investigative report cites misconduct, recommends replacement of HISD board," August 6, 2019
- ↑ Houston Public Media, "From Secret Meetings To Free Meals: 10 Reasons Why TEA Is Recommending A State Takeover Of HISD," August 19, 2019
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "HISD board fires back at TEA in lawsuit, calls investigation 'one-sided,'" August 19, 2019
- ↑ San Antonio Express-News, "Harlandale ISD lawyer sees voting rights as defense against TEA," September 13, 2019
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Houston Independent School District Special Accreditation Investigation, "Appendix 1: Houston ISD’s response to TEA’s preliminary report and request for informal review," August 26, 2019 (page 7)
- ↑ Texas Education Agency, "Dear President Davila and Interim Superintendent Lathan," October 30, 2019 (page 3)
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 The Texas Tribune, "Three Texas school districts face state penalties after getting failing grades. Look up your campus' A-F grade here," August 15, 2019
- ↑ Houston Public Media, "Texas Education Commissioner Puts Houston, Other Districts On Notice For Failing Grades," September 3, 2019
- ↑ AP, "State opens accreditation investigation of Houston ISD," January 23, 2019
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "TEA investigative report cites misconduct, recommends replacement of HISD board," August 6, 2019
- ↑ 42.0 42.1 Houston Chronicle, "HISD board orders appeal of Wheatley's failing grade, bucking administration," September 5, 2019
- ↑ Houston Public Media, "Houston District Appeals School’s Failing Grade, Likely Delaying State Decision On Potential Takeover," September 13, 2019
- ↑ Houston Public Media, "State Denies HISD’s Appeal Of Wheatley’s ‘F’ Rating, Raising Chance Of State Takeover," November 5, 2019
- ↑ Texas Watchdog, "HISD magnet programs to undergo performance reviews," September 24, 2010
- ↑ Texas Watchdog, "Review of HISD's magnet schools states the obvious: Problems with funding, standards in Houston's public schools," November 1, 2010
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