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McReynolds Middle School is one of the HISD schools slated to closed in Houston on Tuesday, March 24, 2026.<\/p>\n
Elizabeth Conley\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n
More than 100 Houston ISD schools are still operating far below capacity \u2014 even after the district closed a dozen campuses<\/a> last school year, according to district data released this summer.<\/p>\n Last year, HISD closed or consolidated 12 campuses, citing larger-than-expected enrollment declines and aging facilities. But more than 100 schools that opened their doors this school year are operating under 60% capacity, according to 2025-26 district data<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n State-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles has said HISD could lose $50 to $60 million in state funding every year due to enrollment declines \u201cunless things drastically change.\u201d He said in February the district also could have closed up to 40 campuses based on aging facility conditions alone, which often prove costly to repair and replace.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n HISD\u2019s enrollment declines have accelerated since the state takeover began in 2023. But the declines started well before then and have been exacerbated by multiple factors, including charter school growth<\/a>, Texas\u2019 new private school voucher program<\/a>, an immigration slowdown<\/a> and declining birth rates nationwide, said Bill King, a fellow in public finance at Rice University\u2019s Baker Institute for Public Policy.<\/p>\n King, who wrote an August report<\/a> on HISD\u2019s campus capacity, predicted more schools will likely close as the district continues to lose students.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHISD is in a perfect storm,\u201d King said. \u201cWe need to accept that as a reality, and then we need to start planning and putting policies in place around what this new reality is.\u201d<\/p>\n A majority of the Houston area\u2019s largest school districts also saw enrollment dips last school year, prompting school closures at several districts.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n POOR CONDITIONS: More than 100 HISD school buildings may need to be replaced, projections show<\/a><\/p>\n More schools under capacity<\/p>\n More than 60 HISD schools were operating at less than 50% capacity last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n Most of the campuses on HISD\u2019s closure list fell below that threshold. But seven of the 10 least-used campuses last school year still reopened this August, and dozens remain less than half full, according to district data.<\/p>\n \u201cI was a little bit confused about the criteria they used,\u201d King said. \u201cThere are certainly a lot of schools on that list we had that are very low enrolled that nothing was done about, and my question being, \u2018Why not?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n HISD said it used several factors to determine closures, including enrollment, poor facility conditions and how much building space was used. Nearly 90 HISD campuses also moved to higher flood designations after drafts of Harris County\u2019s new flood risk maps<\/a> were released this spring, which King said could influence future decisions on closing schools.<\/p>\n Miles also said HISD tried to limit closures because they can disrupt their surrounding communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOur schools that had the \u2026 poorest facilities are (serving) our underserved populations,\u201d Miles said in February. \u201cThat breaks my heart, because I think they should be community schools, but they’ve been losing enrollment for a long time, and the facility isn’t working.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Losing funds<\/p>\n School districts receive funding from the state based on attendance. When districts lose students without closing campuses, they miss out on per-pupil funding while keeping the high operating costs needed to maintain and staff those facilities, King said.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Emptier schools and tighter budgets could force districts to cut critical programs, staffing or extracurricular activities. Since the takeover began, HISD has cut hundreds of central office positions, ended a wraparound specialist program designed to provide on-campus services to students and eliminated most librarian positions.\u00a0<\/p>\n Last October, Houston voters declined to pass a projected $4.4 billion bond<\/a>, which the district planned to use to rebuild and renovate 43 campuses.<\/p>\n The district\u2019s state-appointed board of managers approved a $2 billion budget with a projected $25 million deficit in June.<\/p>\n King said more closures are necessary to prevent future cuts.<\/p>\n \u201cI think too frequently, the effect on the community drives the whole decision,\u201d King said. \u201cIt really ought to be about the kids and the financial security of the school district.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n STATE TAKEOVER:\u00a0Superintendent Mike Miles says HISD\u2019s state takeover could end after 2026-27 school year<\/a><\/p>\n The challenges of closing schools<\/p>\n When schools close, neighborhoods often lose a community hub that offers distinct services and a sense of history and pride, experts told the Chronicle.<\/p>\n School closures can also negatively affect student achievement. At\u00a0HISD, many of the students forced to move by closures ended up at lower-rated campuses<\/a>, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis.<\/p>\n HISD announced its proposal to close 12 campuses in February, two weeks before the board\u2019s final decision, causing significant community uproar \u2014 particularly after Miles said previously that the district would not close any schools that year.<\/p>\n King encouraged \u201ctearing off the Band-Aid\u201d to close underenrolled schools. But he said transparency could help minimize future harm.<\/p>\n \u201cOne thing they could do is engage the community. What do you want to do with a property after schools close?\u201d King said. \u201cMaybe it could be a community center or affordable\u00a0housing.\u201d<\/p>\n