Despite pleas to the contrary from public speakers, the Houston ISD Board of Managers voted unanimously Thursday night to discontinue certain vocational classes and move others from four high schools to the Barbara Jordan Career Center.
The vote came on a day when University of Houston researchers released a report saying that “Houston ISD’s enrollment decline has accelerated since the state takeover more than two years ago, while experienced educators are leaving the district at higher rates.”
All of which, with the accompanying decline in state money, puts even more pressure on the district to find the additional money it will need for the enhanced courses and equipment that Superintendent Mike Miles envisions are needed for his expansion of career and technology centers. The Barbara Jordan expansion is just the start. Two more CTE centers are part of his plans for the rest of the district.
Students in Kashmere, Northside, Heights and Waltrip career ed classes will move to the center for part of their school days beginning in the 2026-27 school year. In all, the HISD administration plans to move classes from 10 area schools to Barbara Jordan, which is undergoing renovation and a building extension.
This does not, Miles’ administration argues, undermine the student’s home schools – although many of those in attendance at Thursday’s meeting did not agree. HISD’s position is that students will have available many more Career and Technical Education courses than they could ever have at their home schools. And that the students will be returned to their home schools in time for their participation in sports and other extracurriculars.
The schools will maintain their magnet status in certain areas. Heights in computer technology, Kashmere in fine arts and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), Northside in Culinary Arts and Waltrip in its Engineering Program of Study.
Discontinued courses – because they’ve been deemed low-paying or not called for in the Houston market – are in the Graphic Design and Digital Communications Program. Students already in this career path will be able to continue, but no new students will be allowed in this sequence.
Several speakers complained that the district really didn’t meet its own board-approved requirement for gathering community input about any plans to make a significant change in magnet programs. They discounted the suddenly scheduled information meetings held at 10 high schools last week, saying most people didn’t know about them to attend. And that rather than an exchange of views, those in attendance were just told what the changes would be.
The UH researchers’ report said that “Houston ISD’s enrollment found that students moved to nearby school districts and charter schools and others from public education.
The UH study found that “lower-autonomy NES [New Education System] classes experienced the largest enrollment losses while the highest autonomy campuses (Level 4), which include magnet and specialty programs, were the only group with enrollment growth both before and after the takeover.
“Enrollment declines were also significant in early grades, including kindergarten and first grade, indicating families are choosing not to enroll young children in HISD,” the UH study said.
Miles has often said that teachers don’t have to be certified or have years of experience to do their jobs well – although the district has been putting more emphasis on getting its uncertified teachers certified.
The UH study disagrees, noting that research shows that having certified and experienced teachers results in better student outcomes. Toni Templeton, senior research scientist at UH’s Institute for Education Policy Research and Evaluation oversaw the study.
“Since the takeover, the number of first-year teachers increased by 64.7%, while teachers with two to five years of experience grew by 12.5%,” the report found.
“At the same time, the share of uncertified teachers rose sharply — from 0.3% in 2016-17 to 19.8% in 2024-25 — despite research linking certified, experienced teachers to positive student outcomes.
“Seasoned teachers have also left in large numbers. Educators with 16 or more years of experience dwindled substantially in the second year of the takeover. Teacher retention also dropped, with just 58.6% of teachers remaining on their campuses from the 2023-24 to 2024-25 school year, compared to retention rates above 70% prior to the takeover.”
In terms of students, the report also found:
- Lower-autonomy NES campuses experienced the largest enrollment losses, while the highest autonomy campuses (Level 4), which include magnet and specialty programs, were the only group with enrollment growth both before and after the takeover.
- Enrollment declines were also significant in early grades, including kindergarten and first grade, indicating families are choosing not to enroll young children in HISD.
This article appears in Private: Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2026.