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Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles is recommending the closure of 12 campuses beginning in the 2026-27 school year.
The details
Miles briefed the district’s board of managers during the board’s Feb. 12 meeting.
Board managers are expected to vote on the closures during their Feb. 26 meeting. If approved, the schools will close June 4, the last day of this year's academic calendar.
"This decision was not made lightly, and our focus remains on ensuring every student has access to a strong, supportive and opportunity-rich learning environment,” Miles said.
A closer look
The announcement is coming nearly a year after Miles first told board managers that closures would be likely due to declining enrollment and increased maintenance costs at several campuses throughout the district.
Miles said seven of the schools recommended for closure will be closed permanently, while the remaining schools recommended would be co-located at a separate campus.
“There will be two schools in one facility,” Miles said.
Miles said the following schools were being recommended for closure beginning in the 2026-27 school year:
Miles noted all relocations would be around a mile away, noting that school choice applications will be extended for families affected by the closures.
Some context
Miles said one of the biggest factors in the district’s decision was the increasing cost of maintenance at most of the schools proposed for closure.
“At some point, you can't replace the plumbing, because ... it's going to cost you more to do that than build a new [school],” Miles said.
Miles estimated that the cost of rebuilding an elementary school would be around $75 million, while the cost to renovate an elementary school would be around $40 million.
Miles also said the district's declining student population was a factor in recommending the closures. From the 2022-23 to the 2023-24 school year, the district lost roughly 13,200 students, or about 7% of its total population, according to previous reporting by Community Impact.
What they’re saying
Many of the individuals who signed up to speak during the public comment portion of the meeting said they felt blindsided by the announcement.
U.S. Rep. elect Christian Menefee, who won a special runoff election for Congressional District 18 on Jan. 31, said he was surprised to learn about the closures.
“My first time hearing about this was about an hour ago, and I had to rush down here to try to figure out exactly what's going on,” Menefee said. “It doesn't seem like this has been very clearly communicated to folks in the community and like they're getting an opportunity to meaningfully participate in the process.”
What’s next
Board managers are expected to vote on finalizing the closures during the board’s Feb. 26 meeting.
