As the Houston Independent School District prepares to close 12 schools at the end of the 2025–2026 academic year, district officials say teachers and staff from impacted campuses will remain employed by the district while students transition to nearby schools.
HISD’s plan comes as officials attempt to balance declining enrollment and aging school facilities with long-term sustainability. District leaders say the closures are intended to consolidate students into campuses with stronger facilities while maintaining academic programs and support services.
Will staff still be employed?
In a written response to questions from the Defender, HISD stated that it is working to ensure teachers from closed schools remain employed and are placed in available positions across the district.
“Staff from closing campuses will be considered first for any remaining available positions at receiving campuses for which they are qualified, and then for other campuses across the District. Certified employees (teachers, assistant principals, counselors) in good standing will continue to have a position within the District,” HISD’s email read.
This means that staff “in good standing” from campuses slated for closure will first be considered for open positions at the receiving schools where students are expected to transfer. If no position is available there, employees will be considered for openings at other campuses across the district.
During a Feb. 13 board meeting, HISD superintendent Mike Miles explained that the placements will depend on teacher evaluations.
“We’re still evaluating people like we always do,” Miles said. “If you’re Progressing II and above at a closing school, you’ll still have a job as a teacher in this district next year. If you’re Progressing I and the and the principal wants to retain you, you will still have a job in this district next year. If you’re unsatisfactory, you don’t have a job anyway. If you’re Progressing I where the principal doesn’t want you back, you also will not be here. That’s the same rules we’ve used before. It has nothing to do with closing.”
District leaders said staff at affected campuses have already completed priority placement surveys, indicating their preferred assignments.
“…the District will make every effort to consider that feedback when making placement decisions,” HISD stated in the email, noting that options may be more limited for specialized positions requiring specific certifications.
Employees will be notified of their placement by April 17, 2026.
Staff who are not immediately placed at a receiving campus will be moved into the district’s “Priority Placement Pool,” where they will receive priority consideration for other open positions across the district, per HISD.
Once teachers accept a priority placement, they will still be eligible to apply for other posted jobs during the school district’s Open Transfer Period from April 27 to May 16.
HISD emphasized that placement decisions remain “an early stage in an evolving process” that will ultimately depend on final student enrollment numbers and program needs.
Managing class sizes and instruction
To inform parents about the logistics of the school closures, HISD held 25 information sessions, with 700 people in attendance. During these meetings, parents expressed concerns about transportation to and from schools, special education services, facility readiness, school choice, staffing, principal selection, class sizes, student safety, and transparency.
HISD Chief of Staff Monica Zdrojewski assured parents during the February board meeting that HISD is “committed to making the transition as smooth as possible.”
“Placement efforts will continue until all eligible staff are placed.”
HISD
“We are committed to continuing to review and manage enrollment to maintain appropriate class sizes in alignment with our HISD-recommended student-teacher ratios to ensure students continue to receive strong instruction and individualized support,” Zdrojewski said about class sizes.
HISD further clarified Zdrojewski’s statement.
“HISD will carefully manage enrollment at receiving campuses to maintain appropriate class sizes in alignment with recommended student-teacher ratios and to ensure students continue to receive strong instruction and individualized support,” the school district wrote.
The closures come as HISD has faced declining enrollment across the district and aging infrastructure at several schools. District administrators have said these trends made it increasingly difficult to maintain underutilized campuses.
“The consolidation allows us to direct capital strategically to higher-utilized facilities rather than spread it thinly across declining enrollment sites,” Zdrojewski explained.
Services for students with disabilities
HISD officials also said special education services will continue uninterrupted for students transferring from the closing campuses.
If a receiving school does not currently offer a program required under a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP), the district will determine whether the program can be added.
If the program cannot be added at that campus, the student will be assigned to a different school that can fully provide the required services.
HISD added that it will work with families throughout the spring to coordinate those transitions.
Community engagement and next steps
In addition to staff placement and student transitions, the school district is encouraging families, staff, alumni, and community members connected to closing schools to participate in Legacy Committees that will help guide how those campuses are remembered and recognized.
Officials say the coming months will focus on helping students, families, teachers, and staff adjust to the changes before the closures take effect next school year.
“Placement efforts will continue until all eligible staff are placed,” HISD stated.
