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School supplies sit on a table as Houston Mayor John Whitmire partners with Shell and the Houston Food Bank to launch the 16th annual Mayor\u2019s Back 2 School & Health Fair to encourage eligible Houston-area families to register for the program in Houston, Tuesday, July 28, 2026.<\/p>\n
Jacob Lujan\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n
Three days before Houston ISD\u2019s new school year begins, some families say they\u2019re still confused about which school their child will attend after the district\u2019s special education overhaul.<\/p>\n
In July, the Texas Education Agency ordered HISD to meet with families<\/a> before it reassigns about 5,000 students with disabilities to new campuses. Many families said they were waiting for answers days before the first day of class.<\/p>\n Special education advocates told the Chronicle that the district mistakenly enrolled some students at the wrong campuses over the summer, while some families said they had not been granted in-person meetings with their child\u2019s special education committee before the school year began \u2014 which is what the TEA ordered<\/a> in its investigation into parents\u2019 complaints.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n While some families said they were cautiously optimistic about their child\u2019s new school, others planned to keep their child home until they received more information or pull them from the district entirely.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that it’s going to be a hot mess,\u201d parent Naxhiely Ramon said. \u201cI know that the first couple of weeks are usually rocky, but this has introduced a whole other level of uncertainty.\u201d<\/p>\n TEACHER CONVOCATION: HISD’s Mike Miles doubles down on controversial special education overhaul<\/a><\/p>\n Changes prompt state investigation<\/p>\n In May, HISD announced that it would reassign around 5,000 students with disabilities to new campuses for the 2026-27 school year, prompting parent complaints and a federal investigation<\/a>.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n In July, the TEA determined the plan had violated federal regulations for students with disabilities. The state then ordered HISD to meet with families to review students\u2019 individualized education programs \u2014 or IEPs, legally binding documents outlining services for students with disabilities \u2014 \u00a0before reassigning them to new campuses.<\/p>\n This month, several parents said the district called to ask to change their students\u2019 school assignments over the phone. Schools and parents can agree to amend some parts of an IEP without hosting a full ARD meeting, said Shannon Rosson, the PACT Project Director for the Partners Resource Network, a nonprofit for parents of children with disabilities.<\/p>\n “That would probably be the easiest way for them to do it,” Rosson said. “A lot of people would say that’s not going to be best practice.”<\/p>\n Some parents, including Mark Stadnyk, requested an in-person meeting instead. But Stadnyk said he worried some families wouldn\u2019t have the time, knowledge or resources to object to the call or consider other options.<\/p>\n \u201cI would just be surprised if they knew to object,\u201d Stadnyk said. \u201cWe have those options because we have the finances and the means to think it through and, you know, identify those (options), but I think a lot of other parents don’t.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Others left their meetings with the district unsatisfied.<\/p>\n Ramon met with district staff in an ARD meeting after she filed a complaint with the TEA. The meeting brought together the committee members responsible for deciding\u00a0her son\u2019s special education program.<\/p>\n Despite her concerns, her son was moved from Hamilton Middle School near her home and reassigned to Marshall Middle School, which is more than three miles away.<\/p>\n As a result, Ramon\u2019s son\u00a0will have to use HISD\u2019s bus system for the first time. She said the district has not yet given her his transportation schedule.<\/p>\n \u201cIt just seems like most people’s TEA complaints got a response saying \u2018Yes, the district is in the wrong.\u2019 But basically, the remedy is, \u2018Just hold an ARD meeting to formalize the fact that you guys don’t have a choice anyway,\u2019\u201d Ramon said.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Cautious optimism<\/p>\n