When Kristin Sullivan's son, Rhys, was told he'd have to transfer schools from Bellaire High School to Sharpstown High School for special education classes, the family says they were devastated.
"We got the infamous letter which sent our entire family into a tailspin," Sullivan said. "[Rhys] was devastated, but then his siblings were devastated for him. Lots of tears in our house."
Rhys is one of thousands of Houston ISD students in special education classes impacted by sweeping upcoming changes to special education services. Those changes have prompted an ongoing federal civil rights investigation as well as intervention by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), which in a letter obtained byHouston Public Mediasaid it found the district violated federal law and issued corrective actions the district must take.
In May, the district announced it would consolidate special education programs to select campuses for the 2026-27 school year. The overhaul affects thousands of students and requires many families to transfer from their current campuses that are listed in in their students' Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to different schools.
The changes sparked outrage in the community as well as an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights. Several families, including the Sullivans, also filed complaints with the state agency and protested the sweeping changes as well as the timing of the announcement.
In a letter sent to the Sullivans' home last week, the TEA, which exerts control over Houston ISD as part of an ongoing state takeover, said it found the district violated provisions in the Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA) when it moved certain specialized programs. The state is now requiring HISD to review each student's IEP for "potential harmful effects of any proposed placement or service delivery change" and ensure the district holds meetings with families to review and revise IEPs before students are moved to a new campus.
“Every student will continue receiving the services outlined in his or her IEP,” Kristen Hole, HISD's deputy superintendent, said in a statement. “We will continue implementing these improvements while completing the reviews directed by TEA.”
The district must complete an initial report regarding its implementation of the requirements by Aug. 1 and submit a final report to the TEA verifying completion and corrective actions taken by HISD by Oct. 9, or the agency may pursue additional interventions or sanctions against the district.
In a statement, HISD said it was actively completing the reviews required by the TEA. If a review determines that an admission review and dismissal meeting is warranted – it's a committee meeting of parents, educators, a school representative and special education teacher, among others – then HISD will contact the student's family to conduct one during the school year.
However, the district said a change in campus location alone would not trigger a meeting if the student's IEP and services remain the same.
"Under special education law, a student’s educational placement and location are not the same," HISD said in a statement.
But for the Sullivans, staying at their zoned campus was critical to Rhys' success and happiness, his mother said. The family transitioned Rhys into Bellaire High School earlier this spring and said Rhys had spent time honing his behavior skills to be able to take elective courses with the general student population.
Kristin Sullivan says the changes did not take into account each student's specific needs.
"It feels like we’re dehumanizing these kids," she said. "Every one of these kids has the right to be seen as a human being with dignity, and not just another number in the district."
Roughly a week before the TEA sent the Sullivans its letter, Kristin received a call from the district's central office informing her Rhys would be allowed to attend Bellaire High School and would not have to transfer.
She said she doesn't know why the change was made, but is grateful for the reversal.
HISD has not responded to requests for comments about some exceptions and accommodations made for students in special education at Bellaire High School.Houston Public Mediapreviously reportedon another family that also was told they'd be allowed to remain at Bellaire after being given an initial notice to transfer to Sharpstown.
Families with students in special education across the district have been working to understand and absorb the major restructuring HISD implemented two months ago.
Meredith Yaker's daughter, Mary, was also given notice of a transfer from her zoned middle school. Yaker says she was most disappointed by the district's communication of the changes.
"Look, this isn’t a field trip – this is a very serious situation – just putting a letter in a backpack is nowhere close to appropriate," Yaker said. "That’s just disrespectful."
Both Sullivan and Yaker say they remain cautiously optimistic about the TEA’s findings and the corrective actions it has ordered for the district.
"I think we’re making progress," Sullivan said. "But they made such big demands of [HISD], I don’t know how they’re possibly going to do it by the date."
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