Because the Houston Unbiased Faculty District prepares to shut 12 colleges on the finish of the 2025–2026 educational yr, district officers say academics and employees from impacted campuses will stay employed by the district whereas college students transition to close by colleges.
HISD’s plan comes as officers try to steadiness declining enrollment and getting old faculty amenities with long-term sustainability. District leaders say the closures are supposed to consolidate college students into campuses with stronger amenities whereas sustaining educational applications and help providers.
Will employees nonetheless be employed?
In a written response to questions from the Defender, HISD acknowledged that it’s working to make sure academics from closed colleges stay employed and are positioned in accessible positions throughout the district.
“Employees from closing campuses might be thought of first for any remaining accessible positions at receiving campuses for which they’re certified, after which for different campuses throughout the District. Licensed workers (academics, assistant principals, counselors) in good standing will proceed to have a place throughout the District,” HISD’s e-mail learn.
Because of this employees “in good standing” from campuses slated for closure will first be thought of for open positions on the receiving colleges the place college students are anticipated to switch. If no place is offered there, workers might be thought of for openings at different campuses throughout the district.
Throughout a Feb. 13 board assembly, HISD superintendent Mike Miles defined that the placements will depend upon trainer evaluations.
“We’re nonetheless evaluating individuals like we at all times do,” Miles mentioned. “In the event you’re Progressing II and above at a closing faculty, you’ll nonetheless have a job as a trainer on this district subsequent yr. In the event you’re Progressing I and the and the principal desires to retain you, you’ll nonetheless have a job on this district subsequent yr. In the event you’re unsatisfactory, you don’t have a job anyway. In the event you’re Progressing I the place the principal doesn’t need you again, you additionally won’t be right here. That’s the identical guidelines we’ve used earlier than. It has nothing to do with closing.”
District leaders mentioned employees at affected campuses have already accomplished precedence placement surveys, indicating their most popular assignments.
“…the District will make each effort to think about that suggestions when making placement choices,” HISD acknowledged within the e-mail, noting that choices could also be extra restricted for specialised positions requiring particular certifications.
Staff might be notified of their placement by April 17, 2026.
Employees who will not be instantly positioned at a receiving campus might be moved into the district’s “Precedence Placement Pool,” the place they may obtain precedence consideration for different open positions throughout the district, per HISD.
As soon as academics settle for a precedence placement, they may nonetheless be eligible to use for different posted jobs in the course of the faculty district’s Open Switch Interval from April 27 to Could 16.
HISD emphasised that placement choices stay “an early stage in an evolving course of” that can in the end depend upon remaining scholar enrollment numbers and program wants.
Managing class sizes and instruction
To tell dad and mom in regards to the logistics of the college closures, HISD held 25 data periods, with 700 individuals in attendance. Throughout these conferences, dad and mom expressed issues about transportation to and from colleges, particular training providers, facility readiness, faculty selection, staffing, principal choice, class sizes, scholar security, and transparency.
HISD Chief of Employees Monica Zdrojewski assured dad and mom in the course of the February board assembly that HISD is “dedicated to creating the transition as clean as potential.”
“Placement efforts will proceed till all eligible employees are positioned.”
HISD
“We’re dedicated to persevering with to assessment and handle enrollment to keep up applicable class sizes in alignment with our HISD-recommended student-teacher ratios to make sure college students proceed to obtain robust instruction and individualized help,” Zdrojewski mentioned about class sizes.
HISD additional clarified Zdrojewski’s assertion.
“HISD will fastidiously handle enrollment at receiving campuses to keep up applicable class sizes in alignment with really helpful student-teacher ratios and to make sure college students proceed to obtain robust instruction and individualized help,” the college district wrote.
The closures come as HISD has confronted declining enrollment throughout the district and getting old infrastructure at a number of colleges. District directors have mentioned these developments made it more and more tough to keep up underutilized campuses.
“The consolidation permits us to direct capital strategically to higher-utilized amenities slightly than unfold it thinly throughout declining enrollment websites,” Zdrojewski defined.
Companies for college students with disabilities
HISD officers additionally mentioned particular training providers will proceed uninterrupted for college students transferring from the closing campuses.
If a receiving faculty doesn’t presently provide a program required underneath a scholar’s Individualized Training Program (IEP), the district will decide whether or not this system might be added.
If this system can’t be added at that campus, the scholar might be assigned to a distinct faculty that may absolutely present the required providers.
HISD added that it’s going to work with households all through the spring to coordinate these transitions.
Group engagement and subsequent steps
Along with employees placement and scholar transitions, the college district is encouraging households, employees, alumni, and group members linked to closing colleges to take part in Legacy Committees that can assist information how these campuses are remembered and acknowledged.
Officers say the approaching months will deal with serving to college students, households, academics, and employees alter to the modifications earlier than the closures take impact subsequent faculty yr.
“Placement efforts will proceed till all eligible employees are positioned,” HISD acknowledged.
