HOUSTON — The Houston ISD Board of Managers voted earlier this year to close 12 school campuses, where the final school bell rang Thursday.
Citing declining enrollment, aging infrastructure and staffing challenges, the board closed the campuses. Affected students will attend different campuses beginning in the fall.
Port Houston Elementary School in Pleasantville is closing permanently. Cindy Cura, vice president of the school's PTO, said, "Right now, we just feel emotional about the school, because it's been here for years, and now that it's closing down, it's just sad." She added, "This is the only school in this area, like Hispanic community, and like you see, most parents they walk, they have to walk, and with this about closing the school, it's actually affecting everybody."
Parents and students gathered at the school Thursday for a walkout event. Parents held protests earlier this year in opposition to the closure.
Briscoe Elementary School is also closing. Constructed nearly a century ago, the building features historic brick architecture. Houston historian Mister McKinney said, "You've got the beautiful brick architecture along with these really white cast you can see all throughout, the parapet on top. It just showcases the ornate of the architecture." He added, "We obviously hope that they keep the school building itself. Maybe there are ways to repurpose it for something else."
The district said, "HISD has not yet determined what will be done with the properties." It created a website to provide information regarding campus closures and student transfers and will continue providing information to affected families regarding student transitions ahead of the 2026-27 school year.