HISD hearing draws large public outcry as officials and parents urge pause on plan to close 12 schools

Houston — Dozens of parents, students, teachers and visiting elected officials pressed the Houston Independent School District board of managers on Feb. 26 to delay or stop a plan to close 12 campuses, saying the proposal was rushed, lacked adequate community input and would harm students who rely on neighborhood schools.

Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia told the board she had heard from families who were "completely blindsided" by the proposal and asked the managers to "please pause" so parents, teachers and students can have more say on how closures are planned and implemented. "Safety cannot be an afterthought," Garcia said, citing long walking routes, missing sidewalks and crossings families would face.

The meeting featured 78 registered speakers under the board’s public‑comment rules. Congressman Christian Menifee likewise urged delay, saying decisions that close schools "require so much more" than two weeks of notice and recommended more months of authentic engagement. State Sen. Carol Alvarado and state representatives also urged a pause and criticized the timing and short notice to families.

Administrators defended the recommendation as a response to long‑term enrollment decline, aging facilities and cost burdens. Chief staff presenting the closure item said the district used a three‑factor framework — facility condition, enrollment and building utilization — and noted some campuses have improved academically since 2023. The administration emphasized commitments to maintain special‑education services and to provide transition supports.

But parents and community leaders repeatedly questioned key logistics and the process used to reach the recommendation. Speakers who live near Port Houston Elementary and Burris Elementary said walking routes to the proposed receiving schools are unsafe, that some children would not be eligible for bus service, and that the community was not meaningfully consulted. A 10‑year‑old student, Naya, told the board she would be "so angry" if her school were closed without parents being heard. Several speakers noted that Port Houston is a B‑rated campus and said moving students to a lower‑rated receiving school would be harmful.

Trustees and some invited local elected officials asked the board to slow down or remove the closures from the consent agenda so additional community conversations could occur. Administration promised direct shuttle buses from closing campuses to receiving campuses for two years for families that request it and said the average distance between closing and receiving campuses was 1.86 miles. Officials also said they would make individualized calls to affected families, extend the school choice window to March 6, make staffing placement decisions by April 17 and list June 4 as the final day for closing campuses in this timeline.

General counsel Katasha Woods told the board that the district followed the board policy cited in the presentation (noted in the meeting as "C2 Local" and related regulation) and that objective criteria had been used in the closure analysis. Facilities staff explained that facility condition assessments and a facilities condition index (FCI) informed the selection and that assessments dated back to 2017 with refreshes in 2020 and 2023.

Community groups, union leaders and neighborhood advocates pressed several themes: that closures disproportionately affect Black and Brown neighborhoods, that decisions made under a state takeover have eroded local trust, and that proposed property sales and consolidation risk gentrification. The Houston Federation of Teachers' representative warned the board to "take notice" about potential liability for failing to provide safe transportation in hazardous conditions.

The record does not show the board taking a final vote on the proposed closures at this meeting. Toward the meeting’s end, the board approved the night's agenda by consensus and adjourned. The board scheduled its next meeting for March 19.

What’s next: The administration said it plans to bring final contract negotiations for separate items (including an 1882 pre‑K partnership) to the board before the March meeting and to continue transition supports, legacy planning and facility‑use discussions through the spring. Public commenters asked the board to postpone any votes on closure until the district completes more community engagement and shares precise transportation and special‑education transition plans.