Ponderosa Elementary and Bailey Middle School students will see the additional learning days on their 2026-27 calendar.
"I actually think it is good. Kids get more learning into it, more hands-on. It's perfect for me," Ponderosa parent Emmy Roman said.
The Spring ISD board of trustees approved the change on Tuesday when they adopted the Texas Education Agency's Accelerating Campus Excellence (ACE) program.
ACE is a program meant to help turn around academically struggling schools by incentivizing high-performing teachers, implementing curricula, and extending the school year.
"Nine seems kind of long, but it's really not, so I don't know how much of an improvement needs to happen," Ponderosa parent Jesusali Kim said.
According to the TEA, Ponderosa Elementary has had three consecutive overall F accountability ratings, and Bailey Middle has had two consecutive overall F ratings. While the Texas Education Agency isn't threatening Spring ISD with a takeover, the district is teetering on the edge of qualifying for one.
One board member at an April 7 work session did ask how the additional days would be paid for.
"Yes, Dr. Jensen, trustee, what we did was we received funding to provide additional compensation for the teachers and instructors at these campuses," Dr. Michael Love, the chief of innovation and student support services for Spring ISD, said.
The district told our reporting partners at the Houston Chronicle that they received $700,000 in grant money to support operations such as teaching, facilities, and transportation.
The district did not respond to ABC13's request for an interview but did send a statement, saying, in part, that these efforts are setting up both campuses for long-term success.