The Houston Independent School District, Texas’ largest school system, is said to have cut over 2300 administrative employees due to a reduction in student enrolment.
According to Houston Public Media [HPM], Houston Independent School District Superintendent Mike Miles announced during a virtual forum on Thursday the elimination of 2,347 employees or more than 20% of the district’s workforce.
Furthermore, Miles informed HPM that “Houston Independent School District’s (HISD) central office has grown far too much over the last decade.”
“At the same time, student enrollment (in Houston Independent School district) has decreased by 27,000 children… So that shows you there was bloat in the central office, and we’re cutting some of that bloat,” he continued.
The Houston Independent School District’s staff reductions will free up more funds in the budget to pay for 28 campus improvements, according to HPM, which will include “premade lesson plans for teachers, classroom cameras for disciplinary purposes, and a greater emphasis on testing-based performance evaluations, among other initiatives.”
“Over the next two years, Miles plans to expand those controversial reforms to a total of 150 schools and to enact a district-wide, pay-for-performance model for all teachers,” according to HPM. “The changes will be costly, and Miles said the administration will explore additional cuts and possible campus closures in the coming years.”
Miles did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Houston Independent School District is in charge of 274 schools and around 187,000 students.
Houston Independent School District was taken over by the state earlier this year owing to years of poor student performance at Phillis Wheatley High School. Miles was chosen by the state to handle the district’s academic downturn and turmoil.
The Houston Independent School District staff cuts come after the coronavirus outbreak ushered in what may be the fastest spike in homeschooling in US history. Even when schools reopened and vaccines became widely available, the Associated Press reported that many parents preferred to continue guiding their children’s educations themselves.
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