HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

One of the key considerations: changes to the system that places sanctions on districts with low-performing schools.

The boil order had been in effect since Sunday, when a power outage at a purification plant caused pressure to drop.

A power outage caused pressure to drop at a water purification plant, which raised concerns about contaminants potentially entering the water supply.

"All Houston ISD schools, offices, and facilities will be closed Monday, Nov. 28, 2022," the district tweeted Sunday night.

Districts around Harris County made calls Sunday night regarding their Monday schedule.

Houston ISD, Spring Branch ISD, and Channelview have all announced closures for Tuesday, Nov. 29 related to the city of Houston's boil water order.

HISD officials are moving a unique program for severely disabled kids from T.H. Rogers School to other schools in the district. Some parents are furious, saying that their children will suffer in the process, by not getting the same level of care and protection.

Houston Independent School District leaders say they are expanding Pre-K classrooms and programming.

Mental and physical health support tops the list of Houston Independent School District student and parent needs, according to a new survey from Rice University Kinder Institute’s Houston Education Research Consortium.

The Houston Independent School District Police Department announced a new tool that will help increase safety, accountability and transparency within its community.

At the top of the mind of Houston Independent School District leaders is enrollment.

An elementary school teacher in Houston, Texas, was charged with a felony after she allegedly dragged a 5-year-old girl by the hair to a trash can for not throwing a fork away.

A Houston Independent School District teacher has been charged after being accused of assaulting a 5-year-old girl on Nov. 3 at Katherine Smith Elementary, according to court records.

During National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, Environment Texas Research and Policy Center, the Coalition of Community Organizations and Houston Independent School District (HISD) will hold a news conference Wednesday to highlight actions the school district is taking to prevent schoolchildren from drinking water with lead in it.

Among other issues, the court will consider whether a law that updated the education code last year has any bearing on TEA Commissioner Mike Morath’s attempt to replace HISD’s board members over low academic scores.

HISD sued to stop the takeover, arguing the agency’s approach skirted due process and fell outside its legal powers under state law. The district also claimed the outcome of TEA’s investigation into the district was predetermined.

A Bellaire High School student has been identified as one of three people killed in a two-vehicle crash on FM 2920 near the Harris County-Waller County line on Sunday, according to the Houston Independent School District.

United Airlines on Saturday welcomed more than 30 students from across the Houston region, including students from the Houston Independent School District, Sterling Aviation High School, and Davis High School to its Hangar X facility for this year’s “Girls in Aviation Day,” a worldwide effort designed to educate and introduce young women to the many career possibilities in aviation-related fields.

Houston’s hometown hero Trae Tha Truth is continuing his philanthropic work by partnering with Houston Independent School District to provide free clothes, supplies, and food to students dealing with homelessness.

Two students charged for allegedly making school threats at Madison High School are out on bond, but a judge has ordered 24-hour house arrest and a mental evaluation for both.

Local law enforcement officials responded to an unconfirmed shooting at a Houston Independent School District high school Tuesday, according to the Houston Police Department.

iEducate was the tutoring program in HISD schools for the 2021-2022 school year and the district credits it for helping correct learning loss suffered during the pandemic.

As students prepare to return to school on Monday, Houston Independent School District Superintendent Millard House II will welcome students back to school in a news conference.

School districts across the U.S. aren't just dealing with teacher deficits in the classroom; they're also needing to fill bus driver seats.

School districts across the U.S. aren't just dealing with teacher deficits in the classroom; they're also needing to fill bus driver seats.

School districts across the U.S. aren't just dealing with teacher deficits in the classroom; they're also needing to fill bus driver seats.

Houston Independent School District, in partnership with Eight Million Stories, Inc., announced Wednesday that it will be offering a new education option called HISD REAL.

The Texas Education Agency has just released the newest accountability ratings, which show how schools performed academically across the state last year.

The Houston Independent School District leaders held a news conference to discuss the district’s planning and precautions as students head back to school.

Superintendent Millard House II told attendees at Thursday's school board meeting that district police need hundreds of new guns and extensive additional training in order to be properly prepared for an active shooter situation.

The superintendent of Houston Independent School District expressed security concerns that its police force needs to be better prepared for the following school year.

Looking for a job? The Houston Independent School District is hosting a service job fair.

The Houston Independent School District, the state’s largest, is short nearly 1,000 teachers with the first day of school roughly a month away.

The switch to four-day school weeks is popular among smaller school districts that don’t always have the finances to attract or retain teachers with pay increases.

The Houston Independent School District is asking anyone interested in becoming a certified teacher to enroll in their alternative certification program or ACP.

In observance of Juneteenth, United Airlines will host 100 students from Houston Independent School District and Aldine Independent School District at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) for a day of aviation activities.

Houston Independent School District Superintendent Millard House II announced Thursday an update to the district’s compensation plan for teachers, according to a release.

Elizabeth Alba Santos is a proud daughter of Mexican-immigrant parents who is currently the first vice president of District I of the Houston Independent School District. Santos has been active with the district since 1986. Santos believes that free public education is essential for all students regardless of their citizenship status. However, Gov. Greg Abbott is set to challenge Plyler v. Doe, the 1982 Supreme Court ruling that ensures free public education for all children, including undocumented students.

Sunday, May 15, 2022, kicked off Senior Week for graduating seniors in the Houston Independent School District and we couldn’t let them go out without a great send-off!

Two Houston Independent School District high schools are among the top 100 in America, and eleven are in the top 100 in Texas, the district announced Wednesday.

The Houston Independent School District is recruiting top-performing teachers to participate in its new RISE (Redesign, Innovate, Support, and Empower) program.

Houston Independent School District’s Bellaire High School has a record-breaking 13 valedictorians, surpassing last year’s nine students who graduated with a perfect grade point average, according to a release.

The former chief operating officer of Houston Independent School District, Brian Busy, is now facing new tax charges in relation to a bribery scheme committed last year, U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery announced Thursday.

HISD said the purpose of the summit is to ensure that attendees gain the tools necessary to either navigate life as an LGBTQ+ student or support an LGBTQ+ student.

Community leaders gathered ahead of Houston Independent School District’s Board of Trustees’ monthly meeting, demanding two high school baseball coaches be fired amid allegations of racism.

A 56-year-old former teacher at a Houston Independent School District elementary school was sentenced to federal prison after admitting he received and possessed child pornography, U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery announced Friday.

Houston Newsmakers: Houston ISD Superintendent Millard House II on 5-year strategic plan; budget cuts likely for district

A former elementary school teacher in Houston Independent School District has been arrested after allegations arose that he inappropriately touched a second grade student at Ashford Elementary multiple times in 2016.

Houston Independent School District’s 2021-2022 annual report from the Texas Education Agency shows below-average scores in several areas, including STAAR test scores.

As the omicron surge dwindles, school district officials move to lift mask mandates.

School districts in Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio are letting students, teachers and staff decide for themselves on whether to wear face coverings.

Mayor Sylvester Turner celebrated Houston Reads Day along with Houston Independent School District Superintendent Millard House on Wednesday.

The change follows new indoor mask-wearing guidelines from the Centers for Disease...

The Houston Independent School District has relaxed its mask mandates, making it optional to wear masks within HISD schools, facilities, and school buses, officials announced Monday. Anyone wanting to wear a mask can still request one when entering an HISD building.

A group is protesting Friday over the mask mandate at Houston Independent School District.

Parents who oppose HISD’s mask mandate voiced their frustrations Thursday over the school district’s plan to keep the policy in place, at least for the next month.

The board of Houston Independent School District will hold an in-person meeting Thursday afternoon to discuss its current guidance on mask mandates, large gatherings and social distancing that was put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As COVID-19 cases decrease nationwide, the debate over masks in schools is returning to center stage.

Congratulations to Aaliyah Tezeno, KPRC 2 and American Furniture Warehouse's first senior scholarship winner of 2022!

The superintendent of Houston Independent School District, Millard House II, was joined by several law enforcement agencies and local officials to introduce the “No Trafficking Zone” law, creating a 1,000-foot no-trafficking zone around all schools in Texas.

Houston Independent School District police are investigating after at least 17 vehicles were broken into - in broad daylight - at an east Houston elementary school, officials confirm.

Administrators, teachers, and parents have all had to roll up their sleeves in a sense to wade through the pandemic and make sure kids were educated, but one Houston Independent School District principal gave a literal example just this week.

Despite school closures across Texas, representative with the Houston Independent School...

Past testing by the district found more than 200 schools had at least one tap test positive for lead contamination.

Scott Henry said his comments at a recent work session were taken out of context but his...

Houston Independent School District will no longer offer its virtual academy.

Thousands of students went back to the classroom this week following the winter break.

Monday morning roughly 194,000 Houston ISD students will return to classrooms as COVID-19 cases rise.

Today, several city-affiliated sites are closed today and tomorrow for the holiday as Houston Independent School District prepares to expand testing to its students and staff for a safe return Monday.

Bridget Wade beat incumbent trustee Anne Sung handily in Saturday’s runoff elections, while Kendall Baker edged out incumbent trustee Holly Flynn Vilaseca.

Local, state, and national issues are all influencing the runoff elections for four seats on the Houston Independent School District Board of Trustees. Early voting begins today.

“There’s nothing else like it anywhere in the orchestra field,” said David Connor, community embedded musician for the Houston Symphony.

Education and medical experts discuss local back-to-school COVID policies and safety. Plus, a parent in Lamar Consolidated ISD shares her personal story about what her young children are facing as they return to a school without a mask mandate.

On Tuesday's Houston Matters, HISD superintendent Millard House II also said he was confident that the district's proposed mask mandate would be passed.

Dallas and Austin public schools will require masks in defiance of governor's directive. Houston is probably next.

Despite the governor’s insistence that “now is the time for personal responsibility,” mayors, county judges and other officials across Texas are trying to take back local control.

On July 1, Millard House II becomes the new superintendent of the Houston Independent School District, with a three-year contract paying him $350,000 yearly, the chance to earn $150,000 in incentive pay a year, $25,000 dropped into a retirement fund for him each year and a one-time payment of $35,000 to help him in...

Taking time out from his continuing barrage of criticism aimed at President Biden and how he’s handling immigration and the border, Texas Governor Greg Abbott Wednesday announced that the state is finally releasing $11.2 billion in one-time federal stimulus money for the state’s public schools.

The coronavirus has ushered-in a new age of digital learning for districts across the state. HISD’s Chief Technology Officer Scott Gilhousen said the district intends to make sure all its students have access to school-owned computers and tablets throughout the pandemic and even after it is over. How much all those...

^ Keep Houston Press Free Support Us LocalCommunityJournalismI Support Support the independent voice of Houston and help keep the future of Houston Press free. He needed to speak to a person in authority and according to HISD that is a principal – not a teacher. in the lawsuit — and his family, argues that this is nonsense and that HISD is misreading the law. According to the civil lawsuit seeking damages filed in federal court, Swearer told no one else that I.M. HISD denies that Swearer, who no longer teaches at Chavez, was aware her student had been sexually assaulted and did nothing about it.

^ Keep Houston Press Free Support Us LocalCommunityJournalismI Support Support the independent voice of Houston and help keep the future of Houston Press free. Saying it was "a bittersweet moment," Lathan said she intends to remain at the helm of HISD until the end of the 2020-21 school year. Members of the HISD school board who supported Lathan made several runs at having her named the superintendent of the district, but were repeatedly unsuccessful in getting her status moved up from Interim. HISD was not doing timely initial special ed evaluations and the TEA alleged "falsified data in order to hide these failures." Patricia Allen, president of the HISD school board, who had supported Lathan for the HISD superintendency, issued this statement:“As president of the HISD Board of Education, I would like to thank Dr. Lathan for her many years of service to the students of the Houston Independent School District – especially for her leadership as interim superintendent since March 2018.

^ Keep Houston Press Free Support Us LocalCommunityJournalismI Support Support the independent voice of Houston and help keep the future of Houston Press free. Hidalgo urged local employers to do the responsible thing by telling their workers to just stay home until conditions improve. “In addition, we are planning to pause planned construction outages scheduled for Monday and Tuesday,” Diaz wrote in a statement to the Houston Press. “We knew this weather was coming,” Hidalgo said, “so we front-loaded the vaccinations for those days today and yesterday. Hidalgo urged locals to prep for this coming storm the same way they would for a particularly hairy hurricane.

^ Keep Houston Press Free Support Us LocalCommunityJournalismI Support Support the independent voice of Houston and help keep the future of Houston Press free. Multiple sources have told the Houston Press that there are more confirmed positive coronavirus cases within district campuses than the stats on HISD’s public dashboard reflect. It’s still unclear how and how often the district’s dashboard is updated with new positive COVID-19 cases. Related Stories HISD and COVID-19: Up Close and In Person“Respectfully, we must pass on the interview at this time,” HISD spokeswoman Sherry Williams said. HISD does not report deaths to the health department,” the HISD press office statement read.

The Texas Education Agency has tasked two conservators to shore up special education services in Houston schools. Each of the two new conservators come with 40 years of experience in special education. The other, Fred Schafer, has directed special education in Katy ISD, among other districts. Their new task is a big one: Fix what the TEA called “institutionalized” failures in special ed in HISD. “I firmly believe that in the field of special education, support is a very crucial part of making sure that we’re in compliance,” Cordeau said.

The option to deny virtual instruction is a measure that the Texas Education Agency gave school districts last fall. Houston students who are struggling in online classes may soon be required to return to in-person learning, according to a notice sent to principals this week. If campuses choose to require those students to return to face-to-face instruction, they have to give their families a two-week notice. The option to deny virtual instrution is a measure that the Texas Education Agency gave school districts last fall. So far HISD has not used it, though the Pasadena Independent School District moved to stop virtual instruction for struggling students in December.

But under new changes to a COVID-19 leave policy at the Houston Independent School District, the option to switch to virtual instruction is now more limited. HISD administrators maintain the change in its leave policy is because federal relief for the coronavirus, known as the CARES Act, is slated to end this month. Earlier this year, HISD changed the benchmark that triggered a return to virtual school for the state's school district, soon after that limit was reached. Only about a quarter of HISD teachers who applied for a virtual teaching position were selected for one, as of Nov. 4, according to public records obtained by Houston Public Media. From July to early November, 370 HISD teachers applied for a completely virtual role; less than 100 were approved.

Interim Superintendent, Dr. Grenita Lathan, addresses the concerns, rumors, and questions from listeners surrounding the future of the Houston Independent School District. Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast . Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day's most important and pressing issues. Subscribe to Today in Houston Fill out the form below to subscribe our new daily editorial newsletter from the HPM Newsroom.

Houston teachers aren't pleased with the conditions they're expected to teach in amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and they staged a "sick-out" protest Thursday to demand a safer environment for themselves and their students. The planned sick-out happened on the same day that 16 Houston Independent School District schools reopened after being temporarily closed due to positive or presumed cases of COVID-19 on campus. Instead, they're openly "going into the building on a wish and a prayer that we are negative," she said. “That’s simply frightening to me,” said Latson, as reported by Isensee. Protest organizers urged teachers who called in sick to take the time to get tested for COVID-19.

Houston teachers aren't pleased with the conditions they're expected to teach in amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and they staged a "sick-out" protest Thursday to demand a safer environment for themselves and their students. The planned sick-out happened on the same day that 16 Houston Independent School District schools reopened after being temporarily closed due to positive or presumed cases of COVID-19 on campus. Instead, they're openly "going into the building on a wish and a prayer that we are negative," she said. “That’s simply frightening to me,” said Latson, as reported by Isensee. Protest organizers urged teachers who called in sick to take the time to get tested for COVID-19.

It's back to campus for students after 16 Houston Independent School District schools closed due to COVID-19 cases earlier this week. Campuses that were temporarily closed on Tuesday due to confirmed or presumed positive COVID-19 cases have been deep cleaned and disinfected, according to HISD officials. There are now 90 confirmed cases on HISD's COVID-19 dashboard, including 10 confirmed student cases and 80 confirmed staff cases, as of Thursday morning. If two or more confirmed positive cases are reported on a campus, the campus will close and shift to virtual learning to adequately identify contacts of positive cases. According to HISD officials, parents and students will be notified by the school's principal in all three scenarios.

It's back to campus for students after 16 Houston Independent School District schools closed due to COVID-19 cases earlier this week. Campuses that were temporarily closed on Tuesday due to confirmed or presumed positive COVID-19 cases have been deep cleaned and disinfected, according to HISD officials. There are now 90 confirmed cases on HISD's COVID-19 dashboard, including 10 confirmed student cases and 80 confirmed staff cases, as of Thursday morning. If two or more confirmed positive cases are reported on a campus, the campus will close and shift to virtual learning to adequately identify contacts of positive cases. According to HISD officials, parents and students will be notified by the school's principal in all three scenarios.

Only a day after in-person learning resumed for Houston Independent School District, 16 HISD schools have temporarily closed due to COVID-19 cases on campus. The following Houston schools have been temporarily closed and transitioned to virtual learning this week, according to HISD officials. As of Tuesday afternoon, four schools including Foerster Elementary, Houston Academy for International Studies High School, Lewis Elementary and Roberts Elementary have closed due to confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to the HISD statement. The other HISD schools have closed due to presumed COVID-19 cases. As of Tuesday morning, there are now 89 total confirmed cases reported on the HISD COVID-19 dashboard, including 10 student confirmed cases and 79 staff confirmed cases.

HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan addressed the public on the first day of in-person classes during the pandemic on Monday. She specifically thanked the Moody Foundation for its late September grant of $1 million that has helped fund “110,000 devices and 36,200 internet hotspots” for HISD students in need. Bus service is limited to elementary, special education and specialty school students as well as students who are homeless. She also touched on the staggering number of HISD students who HISD has lost all contact with during the pandemic despite its best efforts to reach them. “We still have about 13,000 students that have not enrolled,” Lathan said.

I think as a society, we need to develop an understanding that thats probably going to be the reality for the next school year. Klussmann retired from Spring Branch ISD five years ago and now is a consultant and assistant professor at University of Houston. He recently contributed to a blueprint for back to schoool from the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. The Texas Education Agency has proposed that Texas students could attend almost year-round school, starting in early August. Schools have to be really, really, really cleaned at night so that anything that may have been in a school can be eradicated, said Randi Weingarten, president of the union.

Coronavirus cases in Texas near 19,000, 477 reported deadAbout 170 Texas Army National Guards listen to Houston Food Bank president and CEO Brian Greene and congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee welcoming them to help distribute food across Texas and the nation during an orientation Monday, April 20, 2020, in Houston. less About 170 Texas Army National Guards listen to Houston Food Bank president and CEO Brian Greene and congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee welcoming them to help distribute food across Texas and the nation during an ... more Photo: Yi-Chin Lee, Staff Photographer Photo: Yi-Chin Lee, Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 107 Caption Close Coronavirus cases in Texas near 19,000, 477 reported dead 1 / 107 Back to GalleryAUSTIN, Texas (AP) The number of coronavirus cases in Texas is approaching 19,000 and the number who have died is now at least 477, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported on Sunday. The department reported at least 18,923 cases of the virus, an increase from more than 18,200 cases on Saturday. TIMELINE: Here are the important dates for the reopening of TexasThe department also reported at least 1,471 hospitalized due to COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

After cancelling its own food distribution on March 26, the Houston ISD just announced it is getting back into the game, starting Monday, April 6. The first effort operated in partnership with the Houston Food Bank, was very successful but concerns about possible community spread arose among workers and the students and their families showing up. HISD Nutrition Services will continue to work with the Houston Food Bank for the initiative and use the Hexser T. Holliday Food Services Support Facility as the central hub for this initiative. Staff will pack food boxes at the facility, which then will be delivered to the distribution sites Monday through Friday. Monday, April 6Milby High School, 1601 Broadway, 9 a.m.Wesley Elementary School, 800 Dillard, 9 a.m.Revere Middle School, 10502 Briar Forest, 11 a.m.Madison High School, 13719 White Heather, 11 a.m.Northside High School, 1101 Quitman, 3 p.m.Tuesday, April 7McReynolds Middle School, 5910 Market., 9 a.m.Bastian Elementary School, 5051 Bellfort, 9 a.m.

HISD, other school districts to remain closed through at least April 10Haryie Garrigues wears a protective mask as he get drinks from 5-year-old Eleanor Hutcheson as the Houston Independent School District along with the Houston Food Bank handed out food to hundreds of families in need Saturday, March 14, 2020, in Houston. less Haryie Garrigues wears a protective mask as he get drinks from 5-year-old Eleanor Hutcheson as the Houston Independent School District along with the Houston Food Bank handed out food to hundreds of families in ... more Photo: Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer Photo: Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 107 Caption Close HISD, other school districts to remain closed through at least April 10 1 / 107 Back to GalleryHouston ISD and other local school districts announced Monday that they will remain closed through at least April 10 amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Cy-Fair, Katy, Fort Bend and Aldine ISDs were among the 20-plus Houston-area districts that announced they also will stay shut down until that date. HISD officials said they will re-evaluate on April 6 whether to re-open. As districts around the state and across the country continue to grapple with how to proceed in this unprecedented challenge to public health and education, the Houston Independent School District supports the nations need to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic, district officials said in a statement.

Houston-area school districts offering free meals due to coronavirus closuresHaryie Garrigues wears a protective mask as he get drinks from 5-year-old Eleanor Hutcheson as the Houston Independent School District along with the Houston Food Bank handed out food. Many of these students come from low-income areas and depend on their schools to provide them with two free meals a day. Meals will be delivered curbside at the following locations: Austin Elementary, Caney Creek High School, Conroe High School, Grand Oaks High School, Hauke High School, Knox Junior High, Oak Ridge High School, The Woodlands College Park High School, The Woodlands High School, and Washington Junior High. Humble ISD (children must be present to receive meals)Beginning March 17, the district will offer free meals from 8 to 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.on Tuesday-Friday at Elm Grove Elementary School, Oaks Elementary School, Ridge Creek Elementary School, River Pines Elementary School, Humble Middle School, and Ross Sterling Middle School. Meals can be picked up from 11 a.m. to noon in the drop-off/parking area at Dickinson High School.

Parents of kids who go to the Arabic Immersion Magnet School in Montrose are taking issue with their childrens new bus route. She said she is particularly concerned because her daughter is uncomfortable when she gets home from school. The kids get off the bus and they rush to the bathroom, she said. Transportation Services continues to face an ongoing critical driver shortage, like its counterparts across the region, HISD said in the statement. Parents have previously voiced concerns about lengthy HISD bus routes, including one three-hour bus ride that turned into a medical emergency.

HISD: Bellaire HS students' bags will be checked upon return to schoolTeachers and staff return to Bellaire High School on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020, the day after a student was shot and killed at the school. Teachers and staff return to Bellaire High School on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020, the day after a student was shot and killed at the school. Photo: Jay R. Jordan / Houston Chronicle Photo: Jay R. Jordan / Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close HISD: Bellaire HS students' bags will be checked upon return to school 1 / 1 Back to GalleryBellaire High School students will be required to enter the school Thursday through a single entry point, where administrators will check bags, according to an email to parents Wednesday night from the Houston Independent School District. STUDENT REMEMBERED: Friends: Bellaire teens dream was to join ArmyClasses were cancelled Wednesday as the Bellaire community grieved. According to the message, all students are required to open their bags upon entering the school, so administrators can see the contents.