Houston ISD Receives Overall B Rating for 2024-25 School Year
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) released the "A-F" ratings for the 2024-25 school year, with Houston ISD receiving an overall B rating. This rating is a significant improvement and could potentially lead to the end of the state takeover of the district, which began in 2023.
Background on the State Takeover
The state takeover of Houston ISD was a result of several factors, including low academic performance in some schools. The TEA ratings are one of the metrics used to determine whether the takeover can end and voting power can be returned to the elected school board. The 2024-25 school year ratings were released alongside the delayed 2023-24 school year ratings, which were previously kept under wraps due to a court order.
Reaction from TEA Commissioner Mike Morath
TEA Commissioner Mike Morath visited Jefferson Elementary in North Houston, a school that improved its campus rating from a D in 2023-24 to an A in the past school year. Morath called the progress "amazing" and stated that it represents a step towards ending the state’s takeover of the district. He noted that while the district is close to meeting the necessary metrics, it has not yet met them.
Progress and Challenges
Of the 273 HISD campus ratings, 18 received a D rating for the 2024-25 school year. However, no HISD campuses received an F rating. Superintendent Mike Miles stated that the results show that "zip code is no longer destiny in HISD," referring to the fact that prior ratings had a disproportionately lower grade for lower-income schools. Miles also noted that 74% of all HISD schools are now "A" or "B" rated schools, with over 130,000 students attending these schools.
Comparison to Other School Districts
HISD’s overall B rating for the 2024-25 school year is in line with the performance of other Houston-area school districts, including Katy, Spring, Conroe, and Cy-Fair, which all received B ratings. Cleveland ISD, located northeast of Houston, was the only Houston-area district to receive an F rating for the previous school year.
Conclusion
The improvement in Houston ISD’s rating is a significant step towards ending the state takeover of the district. While there are still challenges to be addressed, the progress made by the district and its schools is a positive sign for the future of education in Houston. As TEA Commissioner Mike Morath noted, the district is "extraordinarily close" to meeting the necessary metrics, and it is possible that the state takeover could end as soon as next year.
