Houston ISD’s enrollment has declined more significantly than district leaders anticipated earlier this year, according to an internal district document obtained by Houston Public Media.
In May, the district projected a loss of 6,500 students compared to last year and budgeted accordingly. The new data shows enrollment across HISD’s 270-plus campuses is down to 168,409 this year — or 1,621 more students lost than projected.
State funding from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) is tied to student attendance and enrollment. That means with the added loss, the district stands to lose roughly $10 million more in state funding for 2025-26 compared to what it received for 2024-25.
HISD, which has been under TEA control since the 2023-24 school year, has experienced a steady decline in enrollment over the last several years. The internal document shows the enrollment decline this year is the sharpest since the 2021-2022 school year.
The district is closed this week for the Thanksgiving holiday and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The new data shows some of the sharpest campus drops – schools that lost more than 20% of their enrollment from the previous year – include Furr High School, Sharpstown High School, Navarro Middle School, Gregory Lincoln Education Center, SOAR Center, Marshall Middle School, Revere Middle School, Henderson Elementary and Law Elementary.
The enrollment figures are coming to light after the district’s recent decision to pause campus closures. In August, state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles announced he was reviewing campuses to submit a list of 10 schools to the board that would be recommended for closure.
At the time, Miles noted several reasons for closing a campus, including aging infrastructure and low enrollment. Last week, the district said it was pausing its move to close campuses, though campus closures may still be considered.
District spokesperson Trey Serna said taking this time now “will help the district explore solutions that ensure any students affected in the future end up in even better learning environments.”
In the spring, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy reported HISD campuses were operating at 77% capacity. At the time of the report, HISD had close to 177,000 students enrolled, nearly 10,000 more than current data shows. The district has the capacity to accommodate more than 200,000 students.
One of the report’s authors, Bill King, emphasized uneven distribution among the schools. The report found overcrowding concentrated in schools on the more affluent west side of the district and under capacity largely on the east side.
The new data shared with Houston Public Media shows the district’s “West Division” had the smallest drop in enrollment. The “South Division,” which encompasses some of the east side of HISD, had the biggest drop in enrollment.
Great Job & the Team @ Houston Public Media for sharing this story.
