Schools in Houston
Houston ISD (HISD), the city's largest school district and the one under Texas Education Agency state takeover since 2023, earned an overall B grade in the 2026 TEA accountability ratings -- a real, documented improvement (from 120 failing campuses in 2023 down to 14 D/F campuses in 2026) but one that comes with a genuine, sourced controversy over how some of those grades were calculated, and a reminder that Houston's city limits are served by more than just HISD.
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Learn moreHISD: State Takeover, and a Real, Documented Turnaround
HISD has been under Texas Education Agency state control since 2023, when the state ousted the elected board and installed an appointed superintendent (Mike Miles) following years of academic struggles at a subset of campuses -- the district is aiming to exit state control by June 2027. The turnaround since then is real and sourced: in 2023, 120 HISD campuses received a failing (F) grade; by the 2026 TEA accountability results, that number had fallen to just 9 D-rated and 5 F-rated campuses combined (14 total) out of 272 rated campuses. HISD earned an overall B district grade for 2026.
Campus-Level Breakdown
Of the 272 HISD campuses that received an individual 2026 grade, 92 earned an A and 113 earned a B -- meaning 205 campuses, about 75%, graded A or B. Another 46 graded C, and 14 graded D or F combined, with 7 campuses not rated. As with any large district, this is a real range: a district-level B does not mean every individual school performs at that level, and parents should check the specific assigned school for any address rather than relying on the district figure alone.
A Real Controversy Worth Disclosing: Grade-Inflation Allegations
A Houston Chronicle investigation published in 2026 found that online-course credit was inflating some HISD campus accountability grades -- reporting that, without those online courses factored in, some schools that received passing grades would instead have received an F. This is a genuine, sourced controversy specific to HISD's 2026 results, not a generic caveat -- anyone weighing a specific HISD campus's grade should be aware that the underlying calculation has been publicly challenged, and should look at more than the headline letter grade where possible.
Houston's City Limits Span More Than One District
Houston's irregular city limits mean HISD is not the only district serving city residents -- portions of the city fall within Spring Branch ISD, Alief ISD, and other neighboring districts, each with its own separate TEA accountability rating, separate from HISD's state-takeover status and separate from the grade-inflation controversy above. This matters concretely: a Houston address's assigned school district depends on the specific street, not on being inside city limits generically. Confirm the actual district (and specific campus) for any address via the Texas Education Agency's TXschools.gov database before relying on any district-level statistic in this section.
Key takeaways
- HISD, under TEA state takeover since 2023, earned an overall B grade in 2026 -- a real improvement from 120 failing campuses in 2023 to 14 D/F campuses in 2026 (out of 272 rated), with an exit from state control targeted for June 2027.
- 205 of 272 rated HISD campuses (about 75%) earned an A or B for 2026; 46 graded C and 14 graded D or F.
- A 2026 Houston Chronicle investigation found online-course credit inflating some HISD campus grades -- some passing campuses would reportedly grade F without that inflation. A genuine, disclosed controversy, not a generic caveat.
- Houston's city limits are served by more than one school district -- Spring Branch ISD, Alief ISD, and others also serve portions of the city, each with its own separate TEA rating.
- Check the specific assigned district and campus for any address via TXschools.gov before relying on any citywide or HISD-district-level statistic.
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