Houston Independent School District’s state-appointed board of managers voted unanimously Thursday to approve a reduction in force framework that applies to more than 23,000 district employees. The decision gives administrators the authority to cut or reassign teaching positions and some central office roles as the district works toward a balanced budget for the 2026-27 school year.
The move drew pushback from elected trustees, who do not have decision-making authority under the state’s takeover of Houston ISD.
Elected Trustee Felicity Pereyra raised concerns that the reduction in force could accelerate the replacement of certified teachers with uncertified ones, citing research on student outcomes. Elected Trustee Maria Benzon questioned the logic of approving a workforce reduction while simultaneously holding hiring fairs, calling it “manufactured chaos.”
Houston ISD has shed roughly 1,200 employees since 2018‑19—about 5 percent of its workforce—according to an analysis by Georgetown University’s Edunomics Lab, even as the district’s student population fell by roughly 16–19 percent over the same period.
Houston ISD is not alone. Austin ISD is also working to close a deficit that could reach $181 million.
If specific positions are eliminated for next year, the names of affected employees would be brought back to the board at a future meeting.
In nearby Conroe ISD, after finance staff warned of a potential $8 million budget shortfall tied to the district’s first enrollment decline in nearly a decade, officials are working through cuts. District leaders now say they do not anticipate a shortfall next year after targeted adjustments.
Unlike several neighboring districts, the district is not pursuing layoffs or school closures.
Superintendent David Vinson told staff in a February email that the district is focused on rethinking operations rather than simply cutting them. To close the gap, Conroe ISD is phasing out its Communities in Schools program, which runs about $500,000 annually and has been part of the district since 2006, providing services such as food assistance and home visits for students in need.
The district is also discontinuing new enrollment in its Japanese language program at The Woodlands High School, though students already in the program can finish their coursework. A petition to save the Japanese program had collected just over 1,100 signatures as of Tuesday.
Instructional coaches will be reassigned rather than let go, and the district plans to add special education staff and open three new schools in the coming years.
