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After more than two weeks of a much-needed vacation, I've spent the past few days catching up on all the news that's happened in Houston ISD since I left for New Orleans. And, to no one's surprise, there's been ... a lot. In case you, like me, have missed some — or all — of the news that my incredible colleagues on the education team have been covering, let's do a quick debrief.
The two biggest stories of the week (and maybe the year?) are the board's narrow passage of the district's $2.1 billion budget Thursday night and improved student performance on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR. Keep reading for a dive into both of these stories, plus thoughts from several community members about the past year in HISD.
This Week's Must Read:
- Wheatley High School sparked the takeover of the state's largest school district after failing to meet state standards. Here's how students are doing one year later.
- HISD reported that a higher percentage of students met or exceeded grade level on most STAAR exams in elementary and middle school, closing the gap with students across Texas.
Parents and educators: Have you left HISD? Reply to this email to tell us where you went and why.
In a rare, non-unanimous vote, HISD's appointed Board of Managers approved the district's $2.1 billion budget for the upcoming school year during the final regular board meeting of the academic year.
Although the budget passed, the narrow 5-4 approval was the board's closest vote and largest public rebuke of state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles since the state takeover of the district more than a year ago.
The four "no" votes were Adam Rivon, Rolando Martinez, Cassandra Auzenne Bandy and Michelle Cruz Arnold, but they did not explain the reasoning for their vote against the budget.
The budget reflects the district's plans to cut hundreds of employees to address a $528 million shortfall caused, in part, by the expiration of federal pandemic relief funds, declining enrollment and stagnant state funding.
Along with cuts, HISD also plans to increase certain employee salaries and provide more average per-pupil funding next year to the 130 schools in the New Education System, where Miles is centering his most dramatic reforms, compared to 144 non-NES campuses.
NES schools — which have historically served a greater proportion of low-income students — will receive $9,445 in average per-pupil funding compared to $6,882 for non-NES campuses, according to HISD budget documents.
Read more from Sam González Kelly's coverage of the meeting here, and keep an eye out for our coverage of the upcoming special board meeting on June 27.
What Else Happened This Week
 Photo by: Brett Coomer, Staff Photographer |
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 Photo by: Brett Coomer, Staff Photographer |
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 Photo by: Melissa Phillip, Staff Photographer |
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 Photo by: Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News |
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 Photo by: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer |
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 Photo by: Kirk Sides, Staff Photographer |
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 Photo by: Yi-Chin Lee, Staff Photographer |
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 Photo by: Yi-Chin Lee, Staff Photographer |
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The Calendar Ahead
• June 17: HISD summer school courses begins
• June 19: School holiday for Juneteenth
• June 27: Board of Managers special meeting at 4 p.m. at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center
• July 4: School holiday for Independence Day
• July 19: HISD summer school courses end
Shoutout
HISD's high school seniors earn diplomas, celebrate graduation
Thousands of HISD high school students officially marked the end of their K-12 education — and a more disruptive academic year than usual — by accepting their diplomas during the district's graduation ceremonies last weekend.
HISD held 45 separate commencement ceremonies to celebrate graduates from each high school at Barnett and Delmar Fieldhouse, NRG Park and other locations around Houston, where family and friends cheered and applauded each student's accomplishments.
The ceremonies occurred about a month after the district held a special Scholars Recognition Ceremony for valedictorians and salutatorians at each campus to honor their hard work. Make sure to congratulate all the incredible graduates for their hard work and accomplishments!
Know a person or program who deserves a shoutout? Let us know here or by replying to this email.
Meet The Team
Photo by: Susan Barber
Our HISD coverage is fueled by reporting from Megan Menchaca, Nusaiba Mizan, Sam González Kelly and Anastasia Goodwin. Assistant City Editor Jennifer Radcliffe also helps contribute to this newsletter.
You can reach out to any of them by emailing them at their firstname.lastname@houstonchronicle.com, filling out this survey or by replying directly to this email.
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