Houston ISD's state takeover timeline could face step back with addition of four F-rated campuses

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The eventual end of state intervention at Houston ISD took a small step back this week as annual state accountability ratings show the district now has four failing elementary schools.

The Texas Education Agency has said state-controlled HISD must eliminate multiyear failing accountability grades at all campuses before the state returns control to the district.

The year after the state took over, the 2024-25 school year, HISD eliminated F-rated schools. New state accountability ratings for the 2025-26 school year show Benevidez, Foster, Highland Heights, and Mading elementary schools are now rated F.

It's an outcome HISD superintendent Mike Miles told his state-appointed board of managers on Thursday he feels won't happen again.

"Yes, we've got work to do, and there is a little variability of outcome, but I feel confident that we won't have any Ds and Fs at the end of this year," Miles said.

Friday, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath addressed the setback.

"We did not say no failing campuses; we said no multiyear academically failing campuses, and that's because we need to follow a north star for our children," Morath said.

HISD said the district more than doubled its A- and B-rated campuses. An important step forward, because for the state intervention at HISD to end, three things need to happen, according to the TEA.

No multiyear failing campuses, as Morath said, special education that operates in compliance with state and federal guidelines, and a board of managers that can efficiently operate.

The takeover was extended last year and is now set to end in June of 2027. Morath remains vague on whether that timeline would stick.

"I would anticipate that should all be resolved relatively soon, and as a result we can revert back to local electoral control," Morath said.

The Department of Education has launched a civil rights investigation into HISD to determine if changes the district made to special education last year violate students' civil rights. Eyewitness News asked Morath if that investigation could impact the takeover's end.

"The key is, regardless of how that goes, we want to see special education services improve in Houston, so this will be one of the primary goals for them over the course of this school year," Morath said.

If the takeover ends in 2027, the transition back to local control would be gradual, with just a couple of board of managers positions going before the voters at a time.