Mike Miles, the state-appointed superintendent of Houston Independent School District, recommended closing 12 schools operating across 11 facilities beginning in the 2026–27 academic year, citing aging infrastructure and declining enrollment.
“We need to take action to sustain not only the gains, but also to put our district in the best position possible going forward,” Miles said during a school board meeting Thursday, referencing improvements in standardized test performance since his appointment by the Texas Education Agency in 2023.
Miles described the decision as difficult in a video message posted on the district’s YouTube page, adding that underutilized buildings requiring major repairs limit the resources and opportunities available to students.
The district’s state-appointed board of managers is scheduled to vote on the proposal Feb. 26. If approved, the schools would close June 4, the final day of the academic year.
Placido Gomez, an elected trustee without voting power under the ongoing state takeover, criticized what he described as insufficient community input.
“If HISD needs to consolidate schools, they should make the case to the community and ask for meaningful input before making final decisions,” Gomez said. “The appointed board’s lack of community engagement is unacceptable.”
Students from the affected campuses would be reassigned to nearby schools, typically less than a mile away, and the district said school choice application deadlines will be extended for impacted families. Miles added that each closing campus would be honored in some way.
Two campuses — Clemente Martinez Elementary and Gregg Elementary — are expected to be repurposed into Future 2 pilot schools, kindergarten-through-eighth-grade programs focused on preparing students for a rapidly changing world and incorporating artificial intelligence into learning.
Miles also noted that many of the schools with the poorest facility conditions serve underserved communities. The district reports that 96 campuses have a facility condition index above 65%, indicating critical problems that could require full replacement.
Enrollment has steadily declined for years, falling from more than 214,000 students in the 2013–14 school year to about 168,000 today. Data presented by the district show that 23% of campuses operate below half their capacity. Officials estimate rebuilding a single elementary school costs roughly $75 million, while renovations can reach $40 million.
The proposed closures are part of the district’s “Accelerate Houston” plan, which aims to expand student opportunities while improving long-term financial sustainability.
A $4.4 billion bond proposal that included consolidating 15 schools into seven renovated or rebuilt campuses failed in 2024. The measure was widely viewed as a referendum on Miles’ leadership and the state intervention.
Miles, who leads the largest school district in Texas, pointed to other districts that have recently closed campuses, including Austin Independent School District and San Antonio Independent School District, as well as neighboring Aldine Independent School District, Fort Bend Independent School District and Spring Independent School District. He added that several major urban districts nationwide — including those in Atlanta, Boston and Cleveland — have also shuttered schools in recent years.
Teachers at affected campuses who remain in good standing will continue to have positions within the district, Miles said.
