HISD eliminates wraparound services department, shifts to integrated support model
HOUSTON - In a significant shift aimed at streamlining services and maximizing resources, the Houston Independent School District announced Thursday it is dissolving its Wraparound Services Department and eliminating the wraparound specialist model in favor of a more integrated student support system.
The move comes as HISD realigns its approach to student care amid tighter budgets and evolving district needs.
According to HISD's website, Wraparound Services was designed to deliver high-quality, comprehensive support and resources to students and families, enhancing student readiness for learning and preparing them for success through 2035 and beyond. Students who may need food, clothing, or counseling support were able to receive immediate assistance under these services.
Created to serve a district of more than 270 largely autonomous campuses, the wraparound model is no longer compatible with HISD's current centralized and collaborative structure, district officials said. Leaders also cited inconsistent service delivery and a lack of demonstrated impact on student outcomes as reasons for the change.
"We are not cutting services — we are changing how those services are delivered," said Najah Callan, Deputy Chief of Family and Community Partnerships. "Our goal is a more effective, complete continuum of care for our most vulnerable students."
Under the new model, existing school personnel — including nurses, counselors, and office managers — will be responsible for identifying and addressing student needs. HISD's 130 New Education System (NES) campuses, which serve many of the district's most at-risk students, will maintain extended hours and robust support staffing.
HISD also plans to expand its network of Sunrise Centers, which act as "centralized hubs" for student and family services. The district currently operates several such centers and has received board approval to expand to eight locations for the upcoming school year.
The Student Assistance Form (SAF), which allows educators, parents, and community members to request support for students, will remain available.
Some educators and union leaders say the decision could negatively impact students and families who rely on campus-based support.
"I knew when they started cutting out these wraparound services and opening these Sunrise Centers, it wouldn't be the answer," said Jackie Anderson, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers. "Parents have told us the centers are closed during the day. When I was a teacher at HISD, our wraparound specialist on campus was a godsend. We had children who needed immediate service — food, clothes — and that specialist was there."
In 2021, then-Superintendent Millard House announced that every campus would be assigned a wraparound specialist, funded in part by federal COVID-19 relief dollars through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) fund. HISD leaders said that one-time funding has now expired.
Despite concerns, district officials say the new structure will deliver more consistent and efficient support by leveraging existing campus and district resources.
HISD stated in Thursday's memo they have a continued commitment to collaboration with community organizations. Interested partners are encouraged to contact John Meade, director of community partnerships, at partner@houstonisd.org.
The Source
FOX 26 received information on the changes in HISD from their district office. Reporter Sherman Desselle spoke with educators in the district.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Prowess, pride and peace: A National Day Parade ride to remember
SINGAPORE – 'You could take a little trip around Singapore town, in a Singapore city bus' – so go the lyrics of Singapore Town, a popular National Day song first performed in 1967 by The Sidaislers, a singing group from St Andrew's Cathedral. On the afternoon of June 21, I found myself going around downtown, not in a Singapore city bus, but aboard a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Leopard 2SG main battle tank – one of 66 assets taking part in the mobile column drive-past for the 2025 National Day Parade (NDP). Equipped with a 120mm main gun and a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, the tank was one of several vehicles that members of the media were invited to ride in that day. Other SAF assets included the Bronco All Terrain Tracked Carrier – an articulated armoured vehicle developed by ST Kinetics and the Defence Science and Technology Agency – and the Light Strike Vehicle, a fast and lightweight anti-tank vehicle that can be mounted with a variety of weapons. I jumped at the chance to ride the Leopard 2SG tank, which I had seen so many times at NDPs over the years. Although I served my national service in the army, the largest SAF vehicle I had sat in was the five-tonner truck – though I did belt out 'C-130 rolling down the strip' during my basic military training, a marching song inspired by the C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft. Standing in the Leopard 2SG as it rolled along a 3km route from Nicoll Highway to St Andrew's Road and back gave me a new vantage point to view familiar landmarks such as the Civilian War Memorial, the former City Hall building and the Esplanade. Seeing such vehicles on the roads here has become a familiar spectacle during the annual National Day celebrations, stirring feelings of pride and excitement for many Singaporeans. However, I realised the sight of tanks rolling down city streets will evoke very different emotions elsewhere in the world. They are harbingers of fear rather than celebration, often associated with political turmoil, loss and deep uncertainty. In post-independence Singapore, the destruction of our city has only ever been fictional – depicted in the movies Ah Boys To Men and Independence Day: Resurgence. But in the Middle East, Ukraine and far too many other places, war has reduced cities to rubble and left lives in tatters. That sobering contrast made me grateful for the safety and security that my family and I enjoy in Singapore – a peace protected in part by the same vehicles, artillery, as well as the men and women we will see at the Padang on Aug 9. Zhaki Abdullah is a correspondent at The Straits Times. He is on the health beat, in addition to occasionally covering science, environmental, tech and Muslim affairs issues. Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction Discover how to enjoy other premium articles here
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Yahoo
Houston ISD Faces Extended TEA Control Until 2027, New Board Appointed
(Texas Scorecard) – Houston Independent School District will remain under the control of the Texas Education Agency through at least June 1, 2027. Alongside the extended timeline, TEA also announced the replacement of four members of the state-appointed Board of Managers. TEA took control of Houston ISD in 2023 after years of chronic student underperformance and governance failures. The state replaced the elected school board, appointed Superintendent Mike Miles, and implemented a series of aggressive reforms. Since the takeover, Houston ISD has reduced the number of D- and F-rated campuses from 121 in 2023 to 41 in 2024, according to preliminary reporting. Despite progress, TEA Commissioner Mike Morath emphasized the need for continued state involvement to ensure long-term improvement. 'Houston ISD has always been a district with some of the highest performing schools in the country, but it was also a district that allowed some of its schools to fail students for over a decade,' Morath said. Ultimately, two years has not been enough time to fix district systems that were broken for decades. The extension of this intervention will allow the district to build on its progress and achieve lasting success for students once the board transitions back to elected leadership. To conclude the intervention, Houston ISD must eliminate all multi-year failing campuses, fully comply with state and federal special education laws, and demonstrate effective board governance. Earlier this year, Houston ISD spent hundreds of millions of dollars without the required board approval. Community reactions remain divided. Parent and advocacy groups praised the focus on student achievement, while critics have questioned the transparency of the appointment process and urged greater community input. The new Houston ISD Board appointees are: Edgar Colón: Legal expert and political science lecturer Lauren Gore: Harvard Law graduate and general partner at LDR Growth Partners Marty Goossen: Retired vice chairman of J.P. Morgan Private Bank Marcos Rosales: Trial lawyer at Beck Redden LLP Brina Morales, director of communications for the Greater Houston Partnership, celebrated the TEA extension, writing, 'Commissioner Morath is right to extend the period of reform to ensure these improvements take hold long-term, significantly impacting generations of students.'
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Yahoo
Texas Education Agency extends Houston school district takeover through 2027
The state takeover of the Houston Independent School District will continue for two more years, the Texas Education Agency announced Monday. Education Commissioner Mike Morath had until June 1 to decide next steps for the state's largest school district, whose former superintendent and elected school board members were ousted and replaced in 2023 due to years of poor academic outcomes at a single campus and allegations of leadership misconduct. Since then, state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles has led the district, a controversial figure in Houston who has ushered improvements on state exams while struggling to win over community support. Still, Morath decided to extend the intervention until June 1, 2027, applauding the district for its improvements but citing the need for more progress. That progress, he said, will have to include no school campuses with failing accountability scores across multiple years, compliance with special education requirements and improved school board governance. Morath on Monday also announced the appointment of four new school board members, replacing four he selected in 2023. 'With the changes made in the last two years, Houston ISD is well on its way to being a district where all of its schools provide students with the educational opportunities that will allow them to access the American Dream,' the commissioner said in a statement. 'Ultimately, two years has not been enough time to fix district systems that were broken for decades. The extension of this intervention will allow the district to build on its progress and achieve lasting success for students once the board transitions back to elected leadership.' The Houston Chronicle first reported the extension of the takeover. Under Miles' leadership, the district has experienced extraordinary staff turnover and plummeting student enrollment. Miles, who inherited a district that for years ran an overall well-performing school system, has faced accusations of shepherding a militaristic educational environment where teachers have limited freedom to teach in ways they see fit and children are exhausted and disengaged from learning. Miles, on the other hand, has touted student improvement on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR test, and progress in the district's A-F accountability ratings as proof that his model is effective, an achievement that Morath and state lawmakers have publicly commended. During the November election, Houston voters shot down a plan to approve $4.4 billion in academic and infrastructure improvements for the school district — the largest proposal of its kind in state history — which many saw as a litmus test for Miles' support. First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
