During a May budget workshop, Houston ISD officials outlined a proposed budget that they say “keeps cuts as far away from the classroom as possible”, despite a projected loss of 4,000 students and tightening revenues. Simultaneously, the school district faces criticism over whether the budget for the upcoming school year meets student needs, particularly in special education and teacher retention.
The workshop, the second of three planned budget sessions before a June vote, centered on HISD’s proposed fiscal year 2026-27 spending plan, which Superintendent Mike Miles described as “very close to a balanced budget” despite declining enrollment and reduced federal funding.
“We need the things that will get us the results for kids,” Miles told the board, framing the budget around student academic performance and long-term financial sustainability.
Declining enrollment and budget concerns
District officials said HISD expects to lose roughly 4,000 students next school year, a decline Miles attributed in part to “immigration-related policies” and other broader factors. That means that for each student who does not join HISD next year, they take with them $6,215, i.e., the state’s basic allotment for each student…