On Feb. 26, Houston ISD’s board of managers unanimously voted to close 12 schools in June—a choice district leaders said will save HISD $14.6 million to $20 million.
What’s happening
Seven of the schools will be closed permanently, while the remaining schools will be co-located at a separate campus, as previously reported by Community Impact.
During the Feb. 26 special meeting, Superintendent Mike Miles said maintenance costs and declining enrollment fueled the decision to close schools. From the 2022-23 to the 2023-24 school year, the district lost roughly 13,200 students, or about 7% of its total population.
“It's a tough decision,” Miles said. “We recognize that, but we got to the point where the school facilities—to repair them is so much more expensive than replacing them at the end of the day. ... Besides the enrollment problem.”
However, at the meeting, public speakers—including parents, students, politicians, elected trustees and community members—spoke, many urging the district to delay the decision or to vote against closing schools. Community member Billy Williams expressed concerns about closing Burrus Elementary.
“Burrus is not just a building, it is a living landmark,” Williams said. “For generations, it has been the heart of our historic Black neighborhood. A place of learning, stability and pride. Closing it would not just shutter a school ... it erases a tangible piece of our history.”
The specifics
As previously reported, the following schools will be closed June 4:
- Alcott Elementary, whose students will transition to Mading Elementary
- Briscoe Elementary, whose students will transition to Carrillo Elementary
- Burrus Elementary, whose students will transition to Kennedy Elementary
- Franklin Elementary, whose students will transition to Gallegos Elementary
- Henderson Elementary, whose students will transition to Bruce Elementary
- Port Houston Elementary, whose students will transition to Pleasantville Elementary
- Ross Elementary, whose students will transition to Roosevelt or C. Martinez elementaries
- Cage Elementary, which will be co-located with Lantrip Elementary
- Hobby Elementary, which will be co-located with Lawson Middle School
- Fleming Middle, which will be co-located with Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men
- McReynolds Middle, which will be co-located with Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men
- Gulfton Middle College, which will be co-located with Liberty High School
School choice applications will be extended until March 6 for families affected by the closures, HISD Chief of Staff Monica Zdrojewski said Feb. 26.
What parents need to know
On Feb. 26, some parents expressed concern about the distance some children will need to walk to their new campus.
“We walked the route our children will be expected to take for the other campus,” said Deysy Arellano, a Port Houston Elementary parent. “It took us 30 minutes. Do you expect a child to walk 30 minutes?”
For two school years, 2026-28, shuttles will be available multiple times per morning and afternoon to take students from their former campus to their new campus, according to HISD leaders’ Feb. 26 meeting presentation. Specific route details for the shuttles will be available in early August.
“HISD will provide a direct bus from the closing school to the receiving school for all interested students, regardless of their eligibility, for two years,” Zdrojewski said.
On Feb. 12, Miles noted all relocations would be around a mile away from the closed school.
What else?
Contracted staff at the closing schools, that have done well in evaluations, will not lose their positions based on the closures, Zdrojewski said. Staffing decisions will be made by April 17, and employees can pursue a transfer to another campus, if they prefer a different position than the new one they are awarded.
