Houston ISD to cut more than 100 staff who serve students experiencing homelessness, hunger

Houston ISD will eliminate many of the specialists who work on school campuses to serve students struggling with poverty-related issues, such as hunger and homelessness.

HISD Executive Director of Student Supports Phuong Tieu delivered the news to roughly 170 district staff during a virtual meeting Thursday morning, saying their roles will be cut at the end of June due to budget constraints , according to a video recording of the meeting obtained by the Houston Landing and information from attendees.

The news comes after HISD opened seven centers across Houston to connect families living in poverty with food, clothes and more last fall.

At the time, HISD described the effort as an addition to the ecosystem of resources available to families, not a replacement. Miles said the Sunrise Centers would act as a “force multiplier” and coordinate closely with wraparound specialists operating on campuses.

However, some community advocates have critiqued the Sunrise Centers as insufficient to meet families’ needs because they are not physically located at school and may be inaccessible to those with unreliable transportation.

In the first months of operation, a tiny fraction of HISD’s economically disadvantaged families had used the Sunrise Centers, according to a December report from the Landing .

Meanwhile, the potential savings from cutting the wraparound specialists remain murky. HISD’s Sunrise Centers are budgeted to cost $12 million this year, while cuts to wraparound would save HISD roughly $10 million in salary costs, if they target 170 specialists.

Even if some wraparound specialists remain, the reduction in force could have dire consequences for students, said a specialist who requested anonymity due to a fear of retaliation from HISD. Increasing the distance between resources and families in need will make it difficult for remaining wraparound staff to do their jobs.

“If they do keep the coordinators, it’s impossible for them to do what we do on campus,” the specialist said. “How are they going to manage 50 campuses each person? Not to the extent that we do, because we work with the kids and families every day.”

Asher Lehrer-Small covers education for the Landing and would love to hear your tips, questions and story ideas about Houston ISD. Reach him at asher@houstonlanding.org .