The district plans to begin transfers when classes start on August 10. The state agency ordered a review of the educational plans and to meet with families before moving students to new campuses.
The Houston Independent School District (HISD) will maintain its reorganization of special education services for the 2026-2027 cycle, although the Texas Education Agency (TEA) ordered a review of the individualized education programs for about 5,000 students before assigning them to new campuses.
The changes are part of the Student Success Program, a model that will concentrate some special education classrooms on designated campuses. The affected students include those who spend at least half of their school day in autonomous classrooms or separated from general education classes.
Classes will begin on Monday, August 10, 2026, according to HISD’s academic calendar. The district expects that some students will attend a campus different from the one they had during the previous cycle.
TEA Ordered to Review Educational Plans Before Transfers
The state investigation began after a mother filed a complaint about her son’s reassignment. TEA concluded that HISD violated two federal special education provisions and determined that the district cannot unilaterally modify a student’s individualized education program.
The corrective order requires reviewing the IEPs of affected students, evaluating the potential consequences of a change of campus, and meeting with families before making the new assignment.
An IEP, or Individualized Education Program, is the document that outlines the services, supports, academic goals, and educational conditions that a student with a disability will receive.
In Texas, these decisions are made by the ARD committee, composed of the family, teachers, special education staff, and school representatives. The committee develops the IEP and makes decisions about the student’s educational program.
TEA also ordered training for the district’s special education staff and warned that it could impose additional interventions or sanctions if HISD does not complete the corrections by October 9.
Related: Families question the changes in HISD special education
HISD Distinguishes Between Services and Assigned Campus
HISD maintains that a change in physical location does not by itself modify the IEP when the services and supports remain the same.
The district will continue reviewing students’ records. When a review determines that an ARD meeting is needed, the family will receive a notice to schedule it during the 2026-2027 school year.
This position does not fully align with the schedule set by TEA, which ordered the required reviews and meetings to be completed before transferring the affected students.
HISD states that each student will continue to receive the services specified in their IEP, and that the reorganization aims to reduce class sizes, increase the number of adults in the classrooms, and provide more specialized staff training.
The Student Success Program is also facing a federal investigation into HISD’s special education changes for potential impacts on the rights of students with disabilities.
The Program Will Concentrate Services on Designated Campuses
The changes affect programs such as Early Childhood Special Education, Skills for Living and Learning, Structured Learning Classroom – Alternate, Structured Learning Classroom – Standard, and Behavior Support Classroom.
These programs serve students whose IEPs require an autonomous teaching environment for at least 50% of the school day.
HISD will offer the specialized programs at about 150 campuses. Some campuses that currently have multiple programs could retain only one, while services distributed across different schools could be consolidated in a single location.
The district set ratios of one adult for every five students in the Skills for Living and Learning (SLL) and Structured Learning Classroom – Standard (SLC-Standard) programs. For SLC-Alternate, BSC (Behavior Support Classroom), and early childhood special education, the planned ratio is one adult for every four students.
The Preparing Students for Independence programs and transition services for students older than 18 are not part of this reorganization.
Families Will Receive Information About the Assigned Campus
HISD stated that affected families will receive the assigned location and will be able to participate in transition meetings or visit the new campus before the change.
The district will also coordinate transportation when it is part of the services required by the student’s IEP.
The Special Education Success Programs page indicates that families do not need to initiate a general enrollment process to participate in the new model. The Special Education Department will contact those affected directly.
Families with questions about a transfer, an ARD meeting, or the services included in an IEP can contact their special education teacher or their school administration.
HISD’s Special Education Parent Support Team is available at 713-556-7042 and at the email [email protected]. The state SPEDTex line handles inquiries about special education and IEPs at 1-855-773-3839.
The first day of classes will be August 10. TEA set October 9 as the deadline to complete corrective measures before considering new interventions.
