HISD announces no school closures for 2024-2025 among other details on managing district’s budget

In Houston, Texas (KTRK) — Superintendent Mike Miles of Houston Independent School District (HISD) unveiled the budget details for the upcoming academic year on Tuesday.

For the 2024-2025 school year, certain schools will receive increased funding and additional programs, while campuses experiencing declining enrollment will see reduced allocations.

HISD is grappling with financial challenges, which are expected to persist into the next year due to declining student enrollment, reduced federal funding, and stagnant state funding.

According to Miles, “The financial outlook, barring significant changes, would lead to a situation where our reserves would become too depleted.”

The district intends to allocate funds to support 130 specialized “New Education System” (NES) schools, providing additional stipends for teachers and administrators.

Magnet program subsidies will remain unchanged, Miles confirmed.

Funding for select non-NES schools will be contingent upon their enrollment and attendance figures for the current academic year.

Addressing concerns about school closures, Miles assured the community that no schools will be shuttered next year, emphasizing the importance of efforts to enhance instruction, programming, and support for these institutions.

In addition, the upcoming academic year will include an extension of the school calendar by eight days, alongside a $2,500 raise for teachers.

Despite these initiatives, Miles stated that further cuts will be implemented at the HISD central headquarters, viewing it as a worthwhile investment.

A series of meetings will be held leading up to the final budget submission in June. The district’s board of managers is scheduled to convene for approval on Thursday, with provision for public commentary.