HOUSTON ISD operates 273 public schools serving 189,934 students, placing it among the larger districts in Texas. The school portfolio breaks down into 181 other, 42 high, 41 middle, 9 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 176,727 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Harris County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,515 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 68.8% local, 8.0% state, and 23.2% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $65,236 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 33/100, ranked #831 of 1044 in Texas against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 43 of 273 schools offering Advanced Placement (533 AP courses district-wide), a 1297.9:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 34.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 63.6% Hispanic or Latino, 24.2% African American, 6.7% White across the district's schools.
HOUSTON ISD school enrollment varies 346× across entities
HOUSTON ISD school enrollment ranges from 25 students (lowest) to 8,641 students (highest), a spread of 8,616 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity — the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
HOUSTON ISD has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 82.9% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility — including this one — receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
HOUSTON ISD student-counselor ratio is 1298:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
HOUSTON ISD chronic absenteeism rate is 34.9% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
HOUSTON ISD has 273 schools, including 181 other, 42 high, 41 middle, 9 elementary. Total enrollment is 189,934 students.
How much does HOUSTON ISD spend per student?
HOUSTON ISD spends $14,515 per student. The district has an equity score of 33/100, ranking #831 in Texas.
What is the average teacher salary in HOUSTON ISD?
The average teacher salary in HOUSTON ISD is $65,236 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near HOUSTON ISD?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Harris County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of HOUSTON ISD?
HOUSTON ISD students are 63.6% Hispanic or Latino, 24.2% African American, 6.7% White, 3.7% Asian, averaged across 273 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for HOUSTON ISD?
HOUSTON ISD has an equity score of 33/100, ranking #831 out of 1044 districts in Texas. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.