Districtwide ‘Sick Out’ Called in Houston ISD as Families Protest Ongoing State Control

A new call to keep students home targets attendance-based funding

A districtwide “sick out” was planned for Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, urging Houston Independent School District families to keep students home from class as a form of protest against the state takeover that began in 2023. Organizers framed the action as a boycott intended to demonstrate dissatisfaction with the district’s current governance and academic reforms under state-appointed leadership.

The event follows a similar protest in February 2025, when families were encouraged to keep students out for a day or withdraw them after attendance was taken. District data later showed absenteeism rose above typical levels that day, underscoring the central tactic behind such actions: in Texas, school funding is tied in part to student attendance, meaning higher absences can reduce revenue.

Why Houston ISD remains under state oversight

Houston ISD, the state’s largest school district, has been governed by a state-appointed superintendent and board of managers since June 2023. The intervention replaced the authority of elected trustees, who continue to exist in advisory roles but do not control district decisions.

The takeover was triggered after years of failing accountability ratings at Phillis Wheatley High School, activating state intervention provisions that allow the Texas Education Agency to replace a district’s elected leadership. In June 2025, state officials announced the takeover would continue through at least June 1, 2027, extending the period before any transition back to elected governance could occur.

What families and organizers say they are protesting

Organizers and participating parents have tied the sick-out effort to concerns about districtwide changes since the takeover, including staffing turnover, campus-level restructuring, and the expansion of the district’s instructional reform model known as the New Education System. Critics have also raised concerns about how decisions are made under an appointed board and whether community feedback influences policy.

In prior sick-out organizing, families were encouraged to participate in multiple ways:

• keeping a student home for the full day,
• bringing a student to school and picking them up after attendance is taken,
• or picking a student up after lunch.

District response and broader context

District leaders have previously opposed calls for students to miss class, arguing that instructional time matters and emphasizing claims of academic progress under the current reforms, even as the district has also faced persistent challenges including workforce churn and enrollment pressures.

The dispute highlights a central tension in Houston ISD: state leaders have said the intervention requires time to restructure district systems, while critics argue the same changes have come with disruptions that families want officials to reconsider.

As of Thursday morning, it remained unclear how many students would ultimately be absent. The impact is expected to be reflected in attendance totals reported at the campus and district level following the school day.