New report finds some HISD schools are overcapacity while others are on the brink of closure

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- HISD has 255 campuses that serve around 177,000 students, but they have space for over 200,000.

Bill King, a co-author of a new Baker Institute report on school capacity, was surprised to learn HISD students were either crammed onto campuses or barely filling seats.

"I was not that surprised to see we had quite a few under-enrolled schools; I frankly was pretty surprised to see we had so many over-enrolled schools," King said.

Through HISD data, the report found that at 22 schools, capacity is over 120%, 60 campuses are over 100%, 51 schools are under 50% capacity, and 81 campuses are at 50% to 75% capacity.

"I'd never heard that before, that there were schools that were that vacant," King said.

When plotted on a map, the full schools are mostly out west, and the empty schools are mostly to the east. King said this could be attributed to young families being drawn to the more affluent communities and schools out west, and people who aren't zoned to the high-demand schools will still try to get their child a seat in the classroom.

So, how do we fix this disparity?

Because HISD is so large, King said a bussing program to spread kids out would be tough. He also said we need to think about the future of HSD. Fewer women are having children, and King suggests the current political climate means the immigration population won't grow fast enough to make up for that decline. King said the numbers suggest consolidation on the east side and expansion in the west.

"It's likely we have as many children as we will ever have in HISD, ever, ever again. So when you talk about building a new school you need to think about not what we need right this second but what do we need in 10 years or 20 years," King said.

HISD is considering closing some schools in 2026, though plans are still in the works.

An HISD spokesperson said, "As the study notes, enrollment trends result from complex factors. Still, it is no surprise that while some HISD campuses are oversubscribed, many others are underused. Houston ISD had long been a district where some schools offered an outstanding education with top-tier programs, but many schools in many neighborhoods did not. That's why, under the current administration, HISD is so focused on whole-system transformation and ensuring that every school is a world-class option and that all students receive an excellent education."

For more news updates, follow Lileana Pearson on Facebook, X and Instagram.