The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is set to overhaul its transportation department for the 2025-2026 school year, in an effort to deliver enhanced and efficient services to its students. Kari Feinberg, HISD's Chief of Operational Effectiveness, emphasized that the district aims to "provide reliable, safe and efficient transportation to our students and to our families" while also being "good stewards of taxpayer dollars." As reported by Click2Houston, this restructuring includes the closure of 125 positions, countered by the introduction of 155 new roles.
During this transition, Houston Independent School District seeks to not reduce but rather significantly increase its transportation staff. They are in process of changing roles and responsibilities within the department. "HISD is not reducing its transportation staff, in fact, we will have a larger team than we do right now," a spokesperson told Click2Houston. Despite a reduction in the number of school bus routes this current school year, the district has not confirmed additional cuts for the upcoming one.
Mother Nature dealt a rough hand to Houston Independent School District earlier this week when a severe thunderstorm hit Houston, causing an electrical fire outside Milby High School and minor flooding at Jones Futures Academy. Houston Independent School District’s director of communications, Lana Hill, indicated that the fire was the result of lightning striking a utility pole, prompting the school to go into "secure" mode while the matter was addressed. This news came from the district's broadcasting arm, Houston Chronicle, as they confirmed that all staff and students were safe during the incident.
Hill reported that a school bus heading to Lamar High School was in an accident during the storm near State Highway 288 and Holcombe Boulevard. No serious injuries were reported, but two students were taken to the hospital as a precaution. HISD’s facilities and maintenance teams are working quickly to fix any weather-related problems. Houston Chronicle shared that steps were taken to keep students safe and ensure learning continues without delays.
