HISD takeover tracker
The largest school district in Texas is run by a board the state appointed, not one Houston voters elected. Here is how it got there, who sits on that board, and what it takes to end it.
The state appointed HISD's board of managers in June 2023. The figures below are the ones published for each year, with their sources. TEA's 2022-23 ratings were held up in court and released in 2025.
| Measure | Before (to 2022-23) | Since (2023-24 on) |
|---|---|---|
| Students | 189,901 2022-23[1] | 184,074 2023-24, 176,693 2024-25[1], 168,812 2026[2] |
| State rating | B (88) 2021-22, C (72) 2022-23[3] | B (82) 2024-25[4], B 2026[5] |
| Spent per student | $11,772 2021-22, $12,998 2022-23[6] | $14,337 2023-24, $14,147 2024-25[6] $12,018 2025, all operating and non-operating spending[2] |
| Central office staff | 152.2 2022, 118.0 2023, 153.0 2021 | 52.8 2026[7] |
Appointed by the Texas Education Agency, not elected. Superintendent: Mike Miles. [16]
Houston ISD said it is investigating after a social media account posted photos that appear to have been taken inside closed campuses. HISD closed 12 schools at the end of the 2025-2026 school year as part of a consolidation push, and the district called the unauthorized entry into the closed facilities trespassing and illegal.
Houston ISD held a grand opening on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026 of a student-operated auto shop at the Barbara Jordan Career Center, where students enrolled in the Automotive Technology program perform maintenance services on customers' vehicles under instructor supervision. The shop offers oil and filter changes, tire rotations and multipoint inspections by appointment.
A student was taken into custody on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, after a gun was found on the student at Hogg Middle School in Houston. Houston ISD police and school administrators responded to a report of a student with a gun on campus, detained the student, confiscated the firearm, and initiated lockdown procedures. No students or staff were harmed.
Adult spectators yelled immigration threats and ethnic slurs at teenagers during a volleyball match between Stephen F. Austin High School and Kashmere High School on or before October 21, 2026. Video captured adults telling students "we're going to call ICE on your parents" and "your mama needs to go back to Mexico." Austin won 3-0. HISD administrators from both campuses intervened once the confrontation broke out, and community advocates and state representatives demanded accountability from the district.
Houston ISD announced that all of its comprehensive high schools now offer a pathway to an associate's degree as of October 21, 2026.
Houston ISD has spent millions of taxpayer dollars building its own curriculum and is now sharing those materials with other school systems at no cost.
Houston Independent School District and Houston Christian University formalized an agreement on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026 that guarantees HISD students admission to HCU along with merit scholarships tied to their GPA. Students with a GPA over 3.0 or three years of math qualify, with scholarship amounts increasing with higher grades.
Spring Branch Academic Institute in Houston ISD was named the No. 1 best K-8 school in Texas by U.S. News and World Report for 2027, according to rankings released on October 20, 2026. The school made its debut on the ranking after being unranked the previous year.
Checked against these sources on October 19, 2026.