TEXAS, USA — A state takeover looms over Houston ISD. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said the decision could happen as early as next week. 

If it does happen, HISD would not be the first district in Texas to be taken over by the Texas Education Agency. In fact, the state has taken over 15 school districts since 1991.

The reasons range from deficiencies in financial issues to accountability scores.

The TEA has intervened in four districts in the Greater Houston area. Those include:

• North Forest ISD
• Shepherd ISD
• La Marque ISD
• Kendleton ISD

The TEA got involved with North Forest ISD after it found accounting and data reporting issues. It was ultimately annexed to HISD. 

Shepherd ISD ultimately closed and La Marque ISD was annexed to Texas City. Kendleton was annexed to Lamar Consolidated ISD. 

Not all school districts taken over by the state are closed or get annexed. The TEA took charge of El Paso in 2012 and it was returned six years later when it met state standards. 

Below is a list of the other Texas school districts that were adopted by the TEA:

• Kendleton ISD
• Marlin ISD
• Pearsall ISD
• Progreso ISD
• Snyder ISD
• Southside ISD
• Wilmer Hutchins ISD
• Beaumont ISD
• Edgewood ISD
• Harlandale ISD
• Hearne ISD

KHOU 11 on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

HOUSTON — Just two weeks into the fall semester, the frustration is boiling over for students and parents at Houston ISD schools plagued with air conditioning outages.

On Monday, an HVAC issue at Law Elementary required students to be moved to a nearby school, while an HVAC issue Wednesday at the TH Rogers school led HISD officials to cancel classes. Over the past few days, KHOU 11 has received reports from concerned parents at more than a dozen schools with potential AC issues.

What’s behind the problem? Officials with the union representing many of the district’s maintenance workers believe it’s a lack of staff.

“We don’t have employees to do the job -- we are so understaffed in every department,” said Hector Mireles, president of Texas Support Personnel Employees (TSPE) Local 1.

Speaking to KHOU 11 Friday, Mireles said the district was facing the consequences of mass layoffs in May. At the time, HISD said hundreds of maintenance workers were let go because of “tough budget decisions.”

“We lost a lot of experience,” he said. “Now you’ve got these individuals trying to diagnose the system when the veteran could have said, ‘Hey it’s a fuse, take the old fuse out, put a new fuse’ and the AC is running."

Among those let go, Mireles said the district lost HVAC technicians who had deep knowledge of their schools. 

Mireles explained these workers are supposed to complete a series of checks over the summer to prepare AC units for the fall. However, he said TSPE Local 1 members had expressed concerns to him about potential lapses in that process.

Mireles said he believed the May staff cuts also affected the digital control center (DCC), where district HVAC systems are monitored according to a job posting on the HISD website.

On Friday, Mireles said the May layoffs had not only affected AC maintenance but also groundskeeping. Earlier this month, community members gathered together to pick up storm debris outside Marshall Middle School.

To resolve those issues, Mireles said he wanted to see HISD Superintendent Mike Miles rehire some of the workers who were let go in the spring.

“Why don't you bring back the experienced HVAC (technicians), the experienced maintenance employees, the ones that know the campus, the ones that know the school,” he said.

TPSE Local 1 VP Daisy Lozano called on HISD parents to keep asking questions about the AC outages and demanding accountability from the district.

“Kids have gotten sick because of this,” she said. “I’m here to speak up for other parents, they need to come out and get together and do something about it.”

On Friday, HISD said maintenance crews are working hard to repair the school district’s HVAC systems, which are “old and need more attention.”

HISD released the following statement earlier this week:

"HISD is committed to providing a safe and comfortable learning environment for all our students and staff. Our facilities and maintenance teams are a vital part of our operations and have been working hard to get ahead of possible HVAC issues and respond as they emerge. As we’ve reported, some of our systems are old and need more attention, it takes a tremendous effort to maintain these systems and keep HVAC operating. Our crews are doing their best to keep up with the record temperatures and remain focused on keeping our campuses running."

HOUSTON — On Friday, Houston Independent School District Superintendent Mike Miles responded to recent criticism from several Democratic Texas lawmakers.

Miles, who was appointed by the state to lead its largest school district, sent a letter calling on the legislators to "put aside the politics of grievance and divisiveness" and to "lead, follow or get out of the way."

The letter was addressed to the same nine lawmakers who shared a letter on Monday asking Attorney General Ken Paxton to investigate allegations that Miles funneled Texas funds to a Colorado-based charter school network that he founded.

Miles has denied wrongdoing and instead asked lawmakers to work with him to give HISD students an "example of what real leadership looks like."

CROSBY, Texas — Crosby Elementary School students were let out of class early Friday morning after the district said a transformer caught fire on a power pole near the school.

The district said all students and staff were safe and accounted for. Emergency crews needed to cut power to the school while working on repairs, so the students were moved down the street to the Crosby Middle School gym for pickup.

Crosby ISD said parents were contacted about student pickup and more information would be released about transportation for bus riders.

"We ask for your grace and patience," the district said in a Facebook post. "Again, all students and staff members are safe, and the building is safe."

HOUSTON — Former Rockets star James Harden was back in Houston for his J. H-Town weekend.

On Thursday, he cut a ribbon, then revealed a "RAK room" at HISD's Francis Scott Key Middle School. RAK stands for Random Acts of Kindness. Harden's foundation stocked the room with stuff that students can earn for good grades and positive behavior. 

Harden is hyped about this RAK room concept, which is in some other schools as well.

RELATED: James Harden's JH-Town Weekend charity event kicks off Thursday

"This event is fire," he said. "You know, something that I can take an appreciation to just because of the things that we're doing for kids and, you know, growing up as a kid, having an opportunity like this is, I didn't get that chance. I want to make sure these kids, you know, get their opportunity."

The kids were all thrilled to see Harden. He's also earning special recognition from both Houston City Council and the 18th U.S. Congressional District of Texas. Harden later announced that he's going to be making over the basketball courts there.