Next Year’s Board Could Be the One to Reclaim Houston ISD

School board elections are Tuesday, Nov. 4 and the stakes are high

State Intervention Sparked Change

Houston ISD entered state intervention because some schools failed year after year. Families asked for better. Educators worked hard. The district is improving, and that matters for every child, in every ZIP code.

Progress Could Lead to Local Control

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has set conditions for returning control to the locally elected board. Houston ISD must show:

• • • No multi-year academically unacceptable campuses;  
    • Special education in full compliance with requirements; and  
    • Board procedures focused on students, consistent with high-performing governing teams. 

If these are met, the TEA Commissioner could return Houston ISD to local control. The timing is up to the state, but the moment to prepare is now.

This Election Shapes Houston ISD’s Future

The trustees chosen this year may be the board that takes the reins. We need leaders who will keep students first, stay focused on results, and protect the gains that families and educators have worked hard to achieve.

What a School Board Actually Does

Trustees are not classroom teachers or day-to-day managers. Strong boards:

• • • Set clear student outcome goals that families can understand
    • Monitor progress in public, so everyone can see what’s working
    • Adopt a budget that funds learning, safety, and support
    • Hire and evaluate the superintendent against student goals
    • Build trust through transparency and real community engagement

When boards do these basics well, schools improve faster and progress lasts longer.

Progress Families Can See and Feel

Families should see:

• • • More students reading and doing math on grade level
    • Safe, welcoming campuses with consistent support
    • Extra help for students who need it most
    • Clear communication from schools and the district
    • Honest data that is easy to find and easy to understand
    • More students completing college or earning high-value industry-based credentials, with real pathways to living-wage careers

What to Look for in Trustee Candidates

Use these questions at forums, on calls, or when you meet candidates:

1. Goals: What student outcomes will you prioritize in the first year, and how will we track them?
2. Budget choices: What will you protect in the budget and what will you change to fund what works for students?
3. Transparency: How will you make data simple to find and simple to read for parents and the public?
4. Support for campuses: How will you ensure the highest-need schools get the strongest support?
5. Community voice: How will you partner with parents, students, and educators before decisions are made, not after?

Clear commitments show whether a candidate is ready to govern for student success

What Families Can Do Today

• • • Make a plan to vote. Know your polling place and the dates for early voting and Election Day.
    • Share the basics. Talk to a neighbor, a teammate’s parent, or a friend at church about why the trustee role matters.
    • Ask the questions above. Hold every candidate to a student-first standard.
    • Stay engaged after the election. Keep showing up at Houston ISD board meetings. Keep asking for clear goals, public progress, and budgets that fund what works.

Local control starts at the ballot box. Make a plan to vote on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Look up your polling place, set a reminder, bring required ID, and take a friend or two. Share this with your group chat, your church, and your block. Every vote is a voice for Houston’s kids.