HISD is officially a 'District of Innovation': Here's what that means for parents and students
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Houston ISD is now a "District of Innovation" after board members gave their unanimous final approval on Thursday night.
The designation not only gives districts more flexibility, it allows them to exempt themselves from certain state laws.
PREVIOUS REPORT: Board set to vote Thursday on whether to make HISD District of Innovation
The District of Innovation system will go into effect for an initial five-year term starting in January.
A similar proposal in HISD failed in 2021 after teacher groups opposed it, but it was brought back up this year with that state-appointed board.
HISD first voted to become a District of Innovation in September. The board has voted unanimously to move forward through every step of the process since.
Once the plan is in effect, it will trigger a number of changes, including:
- Adding at least eight more days to the school calendar year -- school would start as early as the first Monday in August. Right now, there are 172 school days, but HISD wants to extend that to between 180 to 185.
- Allows district to hire uncertified teachers without getting waivers from the Texas Education Agency. However, according to our partners at the Houston Chronicle, a change to the final guidelines means HISD will not be allowed to hire those uncertified teachers without notifying parents first.
- Allows HISD to increase class sizes in elementary schools.
- Lets HISD develop custom teacher evaluation systems, which were at the center of a Houston Federation of Teachers lawsuit.
Districts of Innovation are not new. In face, the TEA says the majority of districts in the state have the designation.
There are currently 965 Districts of Innovation across the state, according to the TEA. The ones in the Houston area include Pearland, Alvin, Aldine, Friendswood, and Fort Bend ISD.
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