HOUSTON — The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights opened an investigation on Friday into the Houston Independent School District over concerns that the district may be discriminating against students with disabilities by separating them from their non-disabled peers. The investigation will examine whether the district violated Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The inquiry stems from allegations that the district is centralizing certain special education services and moving students with disabilities away from general education classrooms starting in the 2026-27 school year. Federal law requires public schools to educate children with disabilities alongside their non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate and to follow specific procedures when making placement decisions.

"Schools cannot exclude students with disabilities simply because of their disability status. Placement decisions must be made individually, based on each student's needs, rather than by blanket policies that segregate students by disability category. The allegations described here are alarming. The Trump Administration will fully investigate this situation and fight to ensure every child with a disability receives the education and support guaranteed under the law," Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said.

According to a district statement, Houston Independent School District serves more than 21,000 students receiving special education services. Over 15,000 of those students are served in inclusive settings, with no changes to their current campus or services. Approximately 5,000 students who are primarily served in self-contained settings can expect small class sizes, low adult-to-student ratios to support specialized instruction, and placement with similar-age peers. According to the district statement, programs for those students will be available on more than half of HISD campuses, and transportation will continue to be provided for any student whose individualized education program requires it.

According to the district's website, designated Special Education Success Program sites would serve students in Early Childhood Special Education; Skills for Living and Learning; Structured Learning Classroom–Alternate; Structured Learning Classroom–Standard; and Behavior Support Classroom programs. The district says the programs will not be available at every campus because it wants to centralize specialized resources and staffing.

Parents have raised concerns that the proposed changes could harm their children's social development and lead to longer commutes that may be difficult for students with medical or behavioral needs. "They say this is for efficiency and I ask, well, is it effective?" HISD parent Mireille Patman said in a podcast interview.

The district declined a request for an interview on Friday but shared a statement following the investigation announcement. The district's statement said its special education updates for the 2026-27 school year focus on increasing access to services in the least restrictive environment, strengthening systems to improve the quality of instruction, and improving student outcomes.