RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles is getting another bonus after the district's state-appointed Board of Managers unanimously approved his annual evaluation Thursday—the same day Miles announced four HISD schools received failing grades.
How much Miles will actually receive remains unclear.
Under his contract, Miles is eligible for an annual performance bonus of up to $231,000 on top of his $462,000 base salary, according to the Houston Chronicle. HISD did not immediately disclose Miles' evaluation score or the amount of his latest bonus.
The timing comes as HISD touts significant academic gains across the district while also acknowledging some campuses moved in the opposite direction.
Hours before the board approved Miles' evaluation, per the Houston Chronicle, the superintendent held a news conference Thursday previewing HISD's 2026 accountability ratings. Miles said four schools received F ratings, up from zero the previous year.
The HISD superintendent earned $126,730 in bonuses last year. He is eligible to earn up to $231,000 in 2026.
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This was Foster's second nonconsecutive time to earn an F rating after earning a C in 2025. Both Highland and Madding were previously given a B grade in 2025's accountability rating. Meanwhile, Benavides earned a C in 2024, but dipped to a D in 2025.
At the same time, HISD reported significant gains elsewhere across the district. FOX 26 reported that 205 HISD campuses earned A or B ratings this year, up from 93 since the state takeover in 2023. The district also said the number of schools receiving D or F ratings fell from 120 in 2023 to 13 this year, with no middle or high schools receiving either grade.
"These ratings represent the hard work of our students, teachers, and staff and the transformation happening in classrooms across the District," Miles said during Thursday's news conference.
The latest ratings also come as HISD continues dealing with significant teacher turnover. Chron reported earlier this week on public records obtained by a former HISD parent showing dozens of campuses lost at least half of their teachers during the 2025-26 school year. That included several where the number of departures approached or exceeded the size of the teaching staff recorded in August.
Still, Miles said he expects the district to turn the struggling schools around.
"Our goal is to make sure that we have great educators in front of those kids, that we have good leadership and we have a good system," Miles said. "I feel confident that those schools are going to turn around quickly."
TEA Commissioner Mike Morath is expected to decide in June 2027 whether to extend the state intervention or begin transitioning HISD back to elected governance.
The bonus itself isn't new territory for Miles.
Last September , the Board of Managers awarded him a $173,660 performance bonus after giving him a score of 91.4 out of 100. At the time, Chron reported Miles' total compensation exceeded $635,000, including his base salary of $462,000, which was boosted from $380,000 after the board approved a five‐year extension for the controversial educator earlier that summer.
This year's evaluation considers seven categories ranging from carrying out the district's vision to communication, employee wellness and developing staff. What remains unanswered is how the board scored Miles this time—and how close his latest bonus will come to the $231,000 maximum.
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