A Texas House bill aims to make it easier for educators to suspend and expel students from school — but not all Houston-area districts are racing to kick kids out.

Local districts offered mixed reactions in recent days to House Bill 6, which gives school staff more power to suspend children who cause “significant classroom disruption,” send kids to in-school suspension indefinitely and discipline students for off-campus behavior. The legislation responds to teachers and administrators reporting more instances of students acting out since the pandemic.

Supporters of the bill, including most House Republicans and a coalition of districts, say school staff need more options for removing disruptive or dangerous students, which would help keep classrooms on track and teachers safe. Critics, including Democrats in the House Public Education Committee, argue the proposals would unfairly impact Black and Latino students — who are disciplined at higher rates than white and Asian students — while failing to address the root causes of misbehavior.

The Landing contacted several Houston-area districts — Aldine, Alief, Cy-Fair, Houston, Katy, Pasadena and Spring ISDs — to ask where they stand on student discipline and House Bill 6. Here’s what they had to say.

Houston ISD

When presented with multiple questions about student discipline, HISD administrators initially sent a blanket statement emphasizing the district’s focus on instructional support.

When presented with follow-up questions, Deputy Chief of Schools Daniel Girard said the district had not been approached to join the Student Behavior Management Coalition — a group of 40 districts supporting more flexibility for disciplining students — but the district would act “in compliance with the law” on any disciplinary matters. District leaders did not grant an interview request.

“HISD believes the best tool we have is high-quality instruction,” Girard said in a statement. “This involves supporting educators so that they can keep students learning and engaged with their coursework.” 

HISD issued out-of-school suspensions at a rate slightly higher than state average in 2023-24, but it sent students to in-school suspension and alternative school at a rate well below average.

Pasadena ISD

In an interview with the Houston Landing this week, Toni Lopez, Pasadena’s deputy superintendent of staff and academic achievement, acknowledged that state mandates limiting discipline can sometimes tie administrators’ hands. However, the district has not endorsed House Bill 6 or the proposals in it.

“If we could go a whole school year and not one kid be suspended, that would be huge, and it would make my heart super happy,” said Lopez, who was named Pasadena’s lone finalist for superintendent earlier this month. “But I also don’t want a kid sitting in a classroom with 25 other kids and being dangerous to other kids. That balance is delicate. It’s very, very delicate.”

Pasadena disciplined students at a rate above state average in 2023-24, heavily relying on in-school suspensions.

Aldine ISD

Aldine ISD has the region’s second-highest out-of-school suspension rate among large districts, although its overall disciplinary rate has fallen in recent years. 

In a statement, Aldine administrators said they will continue to “invest in relationships, consistent uniform classroom management techniques, and revisions in how we address consequences.” District administrators declined an interview request.

When asked what tools could better support staff dealing with classroom disruptions, Aldine officials said schools could use greater support with teacher preparation programs. Nearly half of Aldine’s new teacher hires in 2022 and 2023 were uncertified, meaning they have received less formal training on how to manage a classroom. 

“Schools need support with adequate teacher preparation programs,” Aldine administrators said in their statement. “In addition, partnering with parents on student self-management and resources for emotional well-being and mental health is also needed.”

Alief ISD

In a statement sent to the Houston Landing, an Alief spokesperson said the district had no plans to lobby in favor of House Bill 6 or any other disciplinary proposals. District leaders did not grant an interview request.

“Alief ISD’s approach to student discipline is that they cannot learn if they are at home,” an Alief spokesperson said in a statement. “We have embedded behavior support and interventions to keep students in school and support them while they are here.”

Alief’s out-of-school suspension rate exceeds the state average, though the rate dropped 16 percent in 2023-24. District staff send students to in-school suspension and alternative school at roughly state-average rates.

Spring ISD

Spring has the highest out-of-school suspension rate in the region by a wide margin, issuing  21.7 suspensions per 100 students in 2023-24, roughly three times the state average. The trend dates back nearly a decade, although district officials have made concerted efforts to lower the district’s disciplinary rate during the current school year.

Spring administrators confirmed they plan to continue those efforts regardless of whether House Bill 6 passes. Still, they acknowledged the bill could hobble the district’s progress.

“If House Bill 6 were to remove certain guardrails around student suspensions, it could impact these efforts by potentially increasing exclusionary discipline rates,” Spring officials said in a statement. “While we recognize the need for appropriate disciplinary measures, we also believe in the value of interventions that address behavioral issues while keeping students engaged in their education.”

Cy-Fair ISD

As a member of the Student Behavior Management Coalition, the Houston area’s second-largest district is lobbying for more authority to discipline students. 

District officials did not grant an interview request or respond to questions sent over email, but Cy-Fair Superintendent Douglas Killian spoke in support of House Bill 6 at a House committee hearing last week.

In the hearing, Killian recounted how a student in the district fatally shot a classmate in the head off-campus, filmed the shooting and put the video on social media earlier this month. Killian argued under House Bill 6, district officials would have the power to immediately send the student to juvenile detention. Instead, because the event took place off-campus, the student could return to class the next day.

“Good classroom management can prevent 99 percent of bad behavior,” Killian said. “We’re asking for this tool in our tool chest to be able to address that 1 percent that need that extra help.”

Cy-Fair’s suspension rates are slightly less than double the state average, while it sends students to alternative school at an average rate.

Katy ISD

Although Katy ISD has one of the lowest discipline rates in the region, the district is a member of the Student Behavior Management Coalition. 

District officials declined to provide an interview or comment to the Landing, but Katy ISD Deputy Superintendent Leslie Haack also spoke in favor of House Bill 6 at last week’s hearing.

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