Houston ISD adjusts campus staffing, budgets amid enrollment decline

HOUSTON - Houston ISD is making staffing and budget adjustments at some campuses as the district deals with declining enrollment and what it describes as limited financial resources, prompting concerns from the Houston Federation of Teachers about how the changes could impact teachers, programs and students.

What HISD says about budget and staffing changes

In a Sept. 22 press release, HISD announced it had begun its annual "campus leveling" process for the 2026-27 school year.

The district said it projects enrollment each spring and uses those projections to determine campus funding and staffing. Once the school year begins, HISD compares those projections with actual enrollment and student needs.

Campuses with enrollment above projections receive additional funding based on the number of students they are serving, while schools with enrollment below projections may see funding and staffing adjusted.

This year, HISD said campuses have also been asked to make budget adjustments, including reductions to staffing and other campus expenses where necessary, to bring spending in line with available resources.

Big picture view:

The district said the adjustments reflect a broader financial environment facing HISD and other public school districts, including declining enrollment.

"We have worked hard over the last three years to put HISD on stronger financial footing while putting more resources into classrooms and increasing teacher pay," Superintendent Mike Miles said in the release.

Miles said the district also has to adjust when enrollment and revenues change and make decisions now to keep HISD financially strong while continuing to invest in areas it believes have the greatest impact on student achievement.

HISD said some employees could be reassigned from campuses with lower-than-projected enrollment to schools with staffing needs. The district said it will prioritize placing impacted employees in available positions for which they are qualified, including positions at their current campus or elsewhere in HISD.

Houston Federation of Teachers raises concerns

Jackie Anderson, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 2415, told FOX 26 the union is concerned about the amount of information being provided to teachers and families as campuses prepare for the adjustments.

"It’s unfortunate that HISD refuses to act in a transparent manner, a manner of accountability," Anderson said.

Anderson told FOX 26 that HFT has heard additional cuts could be made as soon as Thursday. She said the union understands some adjustments may have to be made because of declining enrollment, but questioned why potentially significant reductions are being made after the district already passed its budget.

According to Anderson, the district initially accounted for a loss of roughly 4,000 students, but the union is now hearing the enrollment decline could be closer to 9,000 students.

FOX 26 has asked HISD for its latest official enrollment numbers and additional information about the scope of the reductions.

Concerns about programs and students

Anderson said one of her biggest concerns is whether reductions could affect academic programs and services students rely on.

She specifically raised concerns about high school seniors who may need certain courses to meet graduation requirements or remain eligible for college admission.

Anderson said she hopes any reductions being made do not compromise students’ ability to access the classes and programs they need.

"I think a major audit, an independent audit, needs to be happening at HISD," Anderson said, adding, "Where is the money?"

What happens to affected HISD teachers?

Anderson said teachers also need clearer answers about what staffing reductions will look like.

She questioned whether teachers whose positions are reduced at one campus will lose their jobs or be transferred to another school, and whether fewer staff members could ultimately mean larger classes for students.

"What does this look like?" Anderson asked. "What is going to happen to our children? What is going to happen to teachers who were given a job in August and two months later are being told that they don’t have a job, if that’s the case?"

Anderson said the timing could make the situation particularly difficult for any educator who ultimately loses a position because the school year is already underway.

HISD has not said in its Sept. 22 release that affected employees will be terminated. Instead, the district said some employees may be reassigned and that HISD will prioritize placing impacted employees into available positions for which they are qualified.

HFT questions HISD's NES spending

Anderson also questioned the district’s continued investment in its New Education System, or NES, while other campuses face potential reductions.

She argued that HISD is making reductions at some non-NES campuses while continuing to fund the NES model and said HFT has questioned the financial sustainability of the program since it was introduced.

Those comments represent the union’s assessment of HISD’s spending priorities. HISD’s Sept. 22 release does not attribute the current campus budget adjustments to NES spending. Instead, the district says the adjustments are based on actual enrollment, student needs, available resources and the broader financial environment facing the district.

Anderson said HFT wants HISD to provide employees and families with a clearer picture of how many campuses and positions will be affected, which programs could be reduced and what the changes will ultimately mean inside classrooms.

FOX 26 has reached out to Houston ISD for additional information about the total amount being reduced, the number of campuses and employees affected, updated enrollment figures and whether district officials are available to discuss the changes.