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HOUSTON - Houston ISD Superintendent Millard House is speaking, only briefly, addressing rumors that the state plans to take over the Houston Independent School District as early as Monday.
Superintendent House told FOX 26 this morning, "We have a wonderful strategic plan in place and we appreciate you guys continuing the word."
PREVIOUS STORY: Houston mayor says TEA takeover of Houston ISD could occur in the next week
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is critical of the state taking over the district and voiced his concerns to the Texas Education Agency Commissioner telling him, "Just because the state can doesn’t mean that you should, and it is not the right thing to do for all of these kids."
Superintendent House released a statement Thursday evening, saying:
"I would like to take a moment to address the information that has been making the rounds this week regarding a potential intervention by the Texas Education Agency.
As of today, the district has not received any official notice from the TEA. I remain laser-focused on fulfilling my duties as Superintendent alongside our Board of Trustees to provide the best possible educational outcomes for all HISD students. My team and I will continue to implement our community-informed strategic plan, which is delivering results for HISD students and families.
The district will provide an update for our students, families, and community as soon as we receive new information from the TEA."
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State takeover of Houston ISD could come next week
A takeover of Houston ISD could be coming soon. The Texas Education Agency has been taking about this for years, but now the mayor says it could make the move as soon as Monday.
The mayor says in a conversation with the commissioner Saturday, the commissioner wouldn’t confirm or deny the rumor. "The best way to end this, if it’s not going to happen TEA, the state is to simply say it’s not going to happen and we can all move forward," Mayor Turner says.
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Houston Mayor: State takeover of HISD coming
There was outrage from Houston City Hall as Mayor Sylvester Turner says he's told the state will take over the Houston Independent School District as early as next week. FOX 26's Damali Keith reports more on what this will mean and residents' reactions.
The Mayor also says the commissioner explained to him, it may be mandatory for the state to take control of the district. "And under the mandatory provision because of the status of Wheatley in 2019, they can either move and close Wheatley or they can take over the district."
There is a third option, according to Mayor Turner, to have a bill filed to take away the mandatory provision.
"I was concerned in 2019, and I was critical of the board in 2019. I wasn't sure if they would work in a harmonious way to benefit the children. Four years later, under this superintendent, I don’t have those concerns. HISD now has a B+ rating, and it is scoring higher in every category than Dallas Independent School District. I can’t hold on to the same position I had in 2019 when now it’s moving in the right direction," says Mayor Turner.
Texas Senator Borris L. Miles released a statement on the TEA's possible takeover of HISD. He stated:
"I have been voicing my unwavering opposition to the potential state takeover of Houston Independent School District (HISD) for years. The situation at HISD that initiated the takeover has changed drastically. From the voters overturning the board of trustees to improving academic performance district-wide, HISD is on a new track of success.
The school that initiated this process, Wheatley High School, has come a long way and is now out of Improvement Required status and has been making strides on student success.
We need to face the facts. Historically, state takeovers have failed to improve school districts financially or academically, and they come with a hefty price in terms of money, resources and staffing. The fact that our public education system isn’t fully funded begs the question, can the state even afford to do this? In addition, the timing of this is also bothersome because a state takeover would mean major disruptions in the middle of a school year as students are preparing for the STAAR Test, not to mention the numerous of other problems that come with a takeover.
I have been working tirelessly to ensure HISD continues down its path of success while working with stakeholders and state and local leaders. The local community changed the leadership at the ballot box, and that leadership set a new direction. Superintendent Millard House II took the helm of HISD in 2021 and has made momentous improvements that have resulted in schools improving and students succeeding. The fact of the matter is that HISD students are scoring as competitively as other students in Texas. HISD’s overall TEA rating score is higher than other large Texas school districts like Dallas ISD, San Antonio ISD and El Paso ISD. Let’s keep this train moving, without costly obstacles to hinder HISD’s progress."