La Porte ISD faces public education challenges head on as they welcome student back to school

LA PORTE, Texas (KTRK) -- Kicking off his seventh year as La Porte ISD's superintendent, Dr. Walter Jackson is up with the sun, welcoming students to the first day of the 2026-27 school year.

It's all smiles, hugs, and handshakes inside the halls of La Porte's 12 campuses Thursday morning. It's the reward for the summer of work it took to get here.

"In the summer, I consider myself a businessman, but the goal is to always have students around to love on them and build meaningful relationships with them," Jackson said.

The business of running a school district has grown more challenging in Texas.

A district of about 7,000 students, Jackson said enrollment in La Porte ISD dropped by about 140 students in the 2025-26 school year.

"What we have to do is we have to compete better, and make certain that people in our community understand the wonderful services and programs that we offer," Jackson said.

Across the state, parents have more education options, including homeschooling, charter schools, and paying for private schools using state voucher money. Jackson said La Porte tries to appeal to families through services like their partnerships with area colleges that allow students to graduate high school with their college-associated degree.

Plus, it's an open enrollment district, which means you don't have to live in La Porte to have your child attend.

Jackson also highlighted Dewalt High School, whose principal, Tremayne Wickliffe, said it allows students who may otherwise slip through the cracks to join smaller classes with more specialized help.

"You have teachers who really get to know the kids not only instructionally but in a business professional manner and know that combination to know how to get them motivated to work, and it works," Wickliffe said.

Of course, the school year can't start if there aren't teachers in every classroom. La Porte High School Principal Kade Griffin said they offer competitive pay compared to larger area districts. Griffin says early STAAR test results have the district growing slightly, sitting at a B rating, which he said incentivizes teachers to stay.

"We really create a family atmosphere here, a family culture here in La Porte ISD," Griffin said.

Jackson said they are able to offer competitive pay because the board runs a fiscally conservative and tight ship. But Jackson said with security, transportation, and day-to-day costs growing, the belt has to tighten.

"It's not getting any cheaper. We have worked really hard alongside our board and staff to right-size our district so we are not overly staffed; we have been very conservative with that," Jackson said.