Houston Independent School District (HISD) is facing a crisis: thousands of students are leaving traditional public schools and enrolling in charter schools instead. HISD’s student transfer data shows that in the last school year alone, more than 50,000 students who live within HISD boundaries opted to attend a charter school network and more than 4,000 transferred to another traditional school district.
This reality can have a devastating impact on students of color because enrollment numbers dictate funding. And HISD’s student racial breakdown is as follows: 61.8% Hispanic/Latino, 21.6% Black, 9.8% White, and 4.8% Asian/Pacific Islander.
These transfers, among other factors, have impacted HISD’s enrollment numbers, leading to a net loss of more than 30,000 students over the last 10 years when you consider new students coming into the districts.
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For some parents, charter schools provide an alternative opportunity to remove their students from HISD, a school district undergoing an overhaul with Superintendent Mike Miles at the helm. Since he introduced the New Education System (NES) that follows a centralized curriculum and test-based evaluations, parents and teachers have been vocally protesting against his measures.
The rise in charter school enrollment
In the 2023-24 school year, a majority of the 56,219 students who transferred, went to these five charter schools:
- KIPP Texas Public School: 14,221
- YES PREP Public School: 13,363
- Harmony Public Schools: 2,863
- International Leadership of Texas: 2,346
- Houston Gateway Academy: 1,948
Enrollment at Houston-area charter school campuses grew by 25% from the 2014-15 to the 2023-24 school years, according to a recent analysis. By comparison, enrollment at a traditional public school campus decreased by about 3%.
Charter schools: is it a better choice?
Supporters of charter schools believe that they give parents more options, especially in areas where public schools have struggled for years. Charter school curricula are often flexible and more specialized, focusing on STEM, arts, or project-based learning and they may more efficiently adapt to the needs of their students.
Opponents argue that charter schools siphon money away from public schools, which are already underfunded and disproportionately serve low-income and minority communities.
While they are publicly funded, charter schools are managed by unelected board members who are not directly accountable to taxpayers. This could lead to a lack of oversight.
Also, public school funding in Texas is tied to student enrollment. Therefore, each student who leaves HISD for a charter school takes those dollars with them. However, this is no different than when a student moves away or transfers to another school district.
This exodus may also put additional pressure on teachers who remain in public schools. With fewer resources and smaller budgets, they are forced to do more with less.
What can HISD do?
District leadership considered dwindling enrollment in its budget considerations while discussing HISD budget strategies and long-term fiscal sustainability, and suggested potential school closures and additional sources of funding.
Miles’ preliminary budget overview accommodated a $47 million decrease, including teacher position cuts, a loss of 30,000 students in the last decade and a projected 8,000-student decline in the next school year.
HISD has tough decisions ahead. It is imperative to understand the root causes of why families are opting for charter school enrollment and address them, aside from taking measures that already anticipate more loss in numbers.
