Colleen DeGuzman/Houston Public Media

Major changes coming to Houston ISD's special education services may require some students to attend new schools outside of their neighborhood to access certain education programs.

Speaking on the district's broadcast channel Wednesday, Deputy Superintendent Kristen Hole said some students who need specialized programs may need to transfer to one of 150 campuses recently designated to provide specialty services.

"We will still have over half of our campuses that offer [specialized] classrooms for students, but some families will be required to move schools to be able to access the services," Hole said.

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If a campus change is required, the district says it will support families through the transition and will coordinate transportation arrangements if needed.

Details available on the district's website show the plan includes cutting back on the schools that offer multiple programs and relocating specialized programs spread across several schools to a single campus.

The district added that it is "necessary" for one site to service students from multiple campuses to ensure they have access to the specialized resources and support needed.

"This approach allows teachers to collaborate more effectively and better serve students with similar needs and IEP goals — ultimately improving support and outcomes for students," the district wrote in a statement.

On Wednesday, a few hours before the district publicly announced the changes, some special education teachers received a PowerPoint outline of the plan.

The PowerPoint showed the district's plans to provide additional training to general education and special education teachers, and how classrooms will be limited to students from two different grade levels. Previously, a single classroom could serve students of several grade levels.

The announcement comes after Houston Public Media reported on leaked draft documents circulated online in late April and in a privately held Special Education Parent Advisory Committee meeting that confirmed the district was planning to centralize services.

Patman is the parent of a special education student in Houston ISD and attended the small meeting with district leaders about the changes. She said the timing of the restructuring is a serious concern for her. Patman has been preparing her son Teddy, who has down syndrome, for months for his transition to Heights High School.

“The timing of it is outrageous," Patman said. "It tells me that our kids are an afterthought. It has always been [that] special education is the afterthought. That’s how I feel."

There are more than 20,000 students in the district utilizing special education services, and for years, the department has been a weak area for the district.

In 2021, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) dispatched conservators to oversee the department's compliance after a special accreditations probe found "systematic failure in special education" had become "institutionalized" in Houston ISD and that the district had been aware of its deficiencies for "at least a decade."

The district said all families impacted will receive a personal phone call from the district during the first two weeks in May. The changes are expected to begin at the start of the school year in August.