TEA Takes Control of Houston ISD

The TEA announced (Wednesday, March 15) that it will take control of Houston ISD in June.

Education commissioner Mike Morath will appoint a board of managers of Houstonians to replace the current elected board after June 1. The current superintendent has agreed to stay until the transition is completed.

The Houston ISD board and superintendent were notified of Morath’s decision in this letter, and in this open letter to the HISD community, parents and staff.

A Texas Supreme Court ruling in January removed the final legal obstacle that has kept Morath from replacing the elected board with an appointed board of managers, something that he has tried to do since late 2019 due to the continually low accountability performance (at the time) of the district’s Wheatley High School, and due to infighting and other governance problems on the part of school board members.

The TEA has posted application info for Houston residents seeking to be considered for appointment to the board of managers, and set the application deadline for April 6.

Legislation passed in 2021 (SB1365) clarified the commissioner’s authority to take over continually low performing school districts.

HISD, with 189,934 students, is the state’s largest school district.

Read more from the Houston Chronicle and Texas Tribune.