Key takeaways:
- The Houston Independent School District (HISD) will be taken over by a new board appointed by the state Commissioner of Education.
- The move has angered Democrats, who have accused the state of making a political move.
- The HISD serves nearly 200,000 students and is the eighth-largest school district in the country.
The Houston Independent School District (HISD), the largest school district in Texas and one of the largest in the nation, will be taken over by a new board appointed by the state Commissioner of Education, the district announced Wednesday.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) will be replacing the district’s superintendent and board of education trustees in the next few months, according to a statement released by the current board of education. The takeover is being made under a state law that allows the state to remove the board of districts with schools that are failing to meet certain state standards.
The move has angered Democrats, who have accused the state of making a political move. It also deepens a high-stakes rift between Texas’ largest city, where Democrats wield control locally and state Republican leaders have sought increasing authority in the wake of election fumbles and pandemic restrictions.
The HISD serves nearly 200,000 students and is the eighth-largest school district in the country. The takeover has been threatened for years, and it is unclear what changes the new board will make.
The TEA has not yet announced who will be appointed to the new board, or when the takeover will be completed. It is also unclear what impact the takeover will have on the district’s students and staff.
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