Houston Independent School District’s state-appointed board of managers is preparing to meet with elected trustees as the district considers a possible return to local control following more than three years of state oversight.
The district announced November 6 that appointed board members intend to hold a series of meetings with elected trustees over the coming months to discuss finances, academic programs, facilities, student performance, and other district operations.
The meetings are intended to prepare trustees to resume their responsibilities when the Texas Education Agency ends its intervention. However, district officials emphasized that the announcement does not establish a timeline for returning control to the elected board.
Board of Managers President Ric Campo said the discussions would give trustees a better understanding of the district’s current operations and the changes implemented since the takeover began.
“We want to make sure elected trustees have a clear understanding of where the District stands, the progress our students and schools have made, and the work that lies ahead,” Campo said.
The announcement follows the election of Democrat Gina Hinojosa as Texas governor. Hinojosa campaigned on ending state takeovers of public school districts and replacing Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath.
Campo is preparing for the possibility that elected trustees could return as early as January, when Hinojosa takes office. He said the appointed board intends to provide trustees with extensive information about district operations, including transportation, staffing, classroom instruction, and teacher compensation.
The TEA assumed control of HISD in June 2023 following years of academic failures at Wheatley High School and concerns over the district’s elected leadership. The agency replaced the elected board’s governing authority with appointed managers and installed Mike Miles as superintendent.
Under Miles, HISD implemented the New Education System, which introduced standardized instructional practices, changes to teacher evaluations, and a centralized approach to curriculum.
Student performance on state assessments has improved considerably since the intervention began. However, the district has also faced declining enrollment, staffing disputes, and opposition to campus closures.
Earlier this year, the board approved the closure or consolidation of 12 campuses and authorized a workforce reduction framework affecting more than 23,000 employees.
In May 2025, Morath extended the takeover after determining that the district had not satisfied all three requirements for returning to elected control. Those requirements include eliminating campuses with persistent unacceptable academic ratings, bringing special education services into compliance, and improving board governance.
Morath subsequently indicated that the district could return to local control relatively soon. Under the existing transition process, elected trustees would gradually replace appointed managers over a three-year period once the commissioner authorizes the transition.
Meanwhile, Democrat State Sen. Molly Cook of Houston has proposed changes to Texas law that would impose additional restrictions on state interventions, including stricter standards for initiating takeovers and clearer requirements for returning authority to elected trustees.
Houston Federation of Teachers President Jackie Anderson said that additional safeguards are necessary to ensure districts understand why they are placed under state management and how appointed officials are held accountable.
Anderson also expressed hope that a return to local leadership could encourage experienced teachers who left during the takeover to return to the district.
Although Hinojosa’s incoming administration could change the composition of the appointed board or accelerate the transition process, no official date has been announced for the restoration of elected governance.
