Houston Independent School District Packet Summary — August 13, 2026
Key Items on the Agenda
The Houston Independent School District School Board is scheduled to consider a 25-item agenda that includes student achievement monitoring, financial and debt reports, policy changes, major purchasing authorizations, prekindergarten partnerships, library materials, appointments, and a clean-vehicles grant. The agenda also provides for a closed session covering personnel, legal matters, real estate, and district safety and security issues.
Student Achievement and Board Monitoring
The board is scheduled to receive an August monitoring update covering Goals 1 and 2 and six goal progress measures for reading and math. HISD's Goal 1 calls for the percentage of third-grade students earning Meets Grade Level on STAAR reading to rise from 41% in June 2023 to 56% in June 2028; the packet reports 49% for 2025-26, a five-percentage-point increase from the prior year and a result matching the state average.
For reading growth, GPMs 1.1 and 1.2 are identified as meeting their 2025-26 targets, while GPM 1.3 did not meet its target. The packet says third-grade students across all reported race and ethnicity groups maintained expected-growth rates above the national norm of 50%, while second-grade students overall were just below that benchmark. Improvement strategies include stronger instruction for special education students, PreK-2 interventions to build on-grade-level readers, intervention for the bottom 20% of students in grade 3 and above, and content-intensive professional learning.
HISD's Goal 2 calls for third-grade STAAR math performance at Meets Grade Level or above to increase from 38% in June 2023 to 53% in June 2028. The packet reports 44% for 2025-26, up six percentage points over four years and equal to the state average, but still below the district's 2025-26 target. GPMs 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3 are also identified as not meeting their 2025-26 targets.
The math improvement strategies presented in the packet include improving instruction for special education students, providing a math pre-teach course for students needing additional support, launching content-intensive professional learning, and strategic staffing.
Campus Accountability Constraint
The monitoring report also addresses Constraint 1, which states that the superintendent shall not allow the number of multi-year D or F campuses with a prior unacceptable rating to grow or remain the same. The packet reports that internal accountability ratings showed 23 fewer D and F campuses between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years, with no F-rated campuses in 2024-25.
Quarterly Board Self-Evaluation
As a consent item, the board is scheduled to review and consider approval of its Lone Star Governance self-evaluation for April-June 2026. The packet reports a Quarter 4 score of 60 out of 80 possible points and says 282 of 433 public meeting minutes, or 65%, were devoted to student outcomes and governance-related work, above the framework's 50% "Masters Focus" threshold.
The packet's coaching recommendation is to deepen existing governance practices rather than change direction, including ensuring board members can articulate current goal performance and continuing to use student outcomes to drive agenda design. The next quarterly self-evaluation is identified for October 2026, covering July through September.
Major Financial and Contract Items
Purchasing Report
The board is scheduled to receive the Purchasing Services Quarterly Report for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. Board Policy CH(LOCAL) requires reporting of district solicitation purchase costs or aggregates between $250,000 and $1 million, and no board action or vote is required on the report.
The attached report lists $23,004,037.36 in aggregate purchase-order expenditures across 1,301 purchase orders. Individual reported expenditures include $977,094.13 for two-way radio equipment and related products and services, $903,456.50 for instructional curriculum materials and digital resources, and $849,884.19 for supplemental painting services.
Debt Management Report
The board is also scheduled to receive the district's annual Debt Management Activity Report covering July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. The report certifies that debt-management activities complied with the policy approved by the board on June 11, 2026.
The report lists total debt payable of $1.513635 billion at the end of the reporting period. It also reports that the district issued $114.39 million in Variable Rate Maintenance Tax Notes Series 2025A on July 31, 2025, with an initial 5% rate through July 2028 and final maturity in July 2045.
The district also issued Series 2026 Limited Tax Refunding Bonds on May 27, 2026, in connection with refunding $343.8 million of Series 2016A bonds. According to the packet, the early redemption avoided more than $97.5 million in future interest payments and reduced total debt service by $98.5 million, with a present value of $31.5 million.
Major Vendor Awards
The consent agenda asks the board to approve vendor awards for purchases costing $1 million or more. Among the proposed authorizations are:
- Up to $30 million for districtwide special education services, including speech and language therapy, behavior services, evaluations, independent educational evaluations, and specialized equipment and materials.
- Up to $3 million for Nutrition Services catering and commercial food products and services.
- Up to $3 million for districtwide fence installation, maintenance, and repairs.
- Up to $3 million for health and medical supplies and equipment.
- Up to $3 million for technology hardware, software, and related services.
- Up to $2 million for HVAC makeup-air-unit replacement, testing and balancing, and building automation controls at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center.
- Up to $2 million for grounds maintenance equipment, irrigation parts, supplies, and installation.
- Up to $2 million for athletic sports-field equipment, supplies, and grounds maintenance.
- Up to $1.5 million for lock and key purchases, maintenance, repair, and installation.
- Up to $1.08 million to replace traditional landlines with cellular Voice over Long-Term Evolution service.
- Up to $1 million for districtwide flooring materials, maintenance, and repairs.
The packet also proposes amendments to previously approved projects, including increasing the authorization for printing maintenance, supplies, and services to $3.6 million and ratifying expenditures beginning June 24, 2026.
Head Start Prekindergarten Partnerships
The board is scheduled to consider renewing agreements with AVANCE-Houston, Gulf Coast Community Services Association, Harris County Department of Education, and BakerRipley for Head Start prekindergarten collaborative programs. The packet says the four agencies collectively would partner with 23 HISD schools and support 97 pre-K classrooms.
The program's total cost is not expected to exceed $17,837,166.84. HISD would provide $8,290,590 for teacher salaries, while the four Head Start agencies would provide approximately $9.55 million in in-kind contributions.
The packet reports that HISD Head Start participation increased from 1,206 students at 19 schools in 2024-25 to 1,373 students at 26 schools in 2025-26, even as overall HISD pre-K enrollment declined from 11,986 to 11,632 students.
Pre-K Funding Waiver
The board is scheduled to consider authorizing an application to the Texas Education Agency for a waiver from the new 85% funding pass-through requirement affecting the district's Senate Bill 1882 pre-K partnership between Piney Point Elementary School-Kid's Learning Academy and Collaborative for Children.
House Bill 2 requires qualifying partnerships to pass at least 85% of applicable student funding to the private pre-K provider. HISD says it is seeking the waiver because there was inadequate time to negotiate revised partnership agreements. The application deadline identified in the packet is August 31, 2026, and the requested waiver would cover the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years.
Clean Vehicles Grant
The board is scheduled to consider authorizing an interlocal agreement with the Houston-Galveston Area Council for a five-year Clean Vehicles Program Grant. The $348,000 award is contingent on execution of the agreement and fulfillment of program requirements and would support the purchase of four new energy-efficient diesel school buses to replace four aging buses.
Policy and Governance Items
Artificial Intelligence Policy
The board is scheduled to consider establishing Board Policy CQD(LOCAL), Technology Resources: Artificial Intelligence, on second reading. The proposed policy would formally govern district AI use and delegate authority to the superintendent to determine AI training, verify and report compliance, and remove access to district computer systems and databases for training noncompliance when appropriate.
The proposed policy also requires periodic compliance audits and states that AI use must comply with law, district policy, and administrative regulations addressing student and employee use, privacy, and data security. Students using AI to deceive, harm, bully, or harass others would be subject to discipline under existing district rules.
Instructional Materials
Proposed second-reading revisions to EFA(LOCAL) would update HISD's instructional-material review process to address parent requests under state law. The revisions provide for administrative procedures governing petitions, appeals, review criteria, and timelines while retaining district review processes for formal challenges.
The policy states that access to challenged instructional material generally would not be restricted during reconsideration, although the district could deny access to a particular child at the parent's request. A reconsideration committee would review formally challenged material in its entirety and prepare written findings.
Grading and Parent Conferences
Proposed revisions to EIA(LOCAL) would require HISD to provide at least two opportunities each year for in-person conferences between parents and teachers. Additional conferences could be scheduled at the request of either a parent or teacher as needed.
Proposed revisions to EIE(LOCAL) would update district promotion and retention standards. The changes specify that course assignments and unit evaluations would determine grades, with an average of 70 or higher considered passing, and would add early-literacy promotion standards for kindergarten and grade 2.
The revisions also strengthen mandatory intervention provisions for students who do not meet promotion standards. The packet lists possible interventions including small-group instruction, one-on-one tutorials, differentiated instruction, technology-supported instruction, additional assignments, extended instructional time, STAAR preparation, peer tutoring, and mentoring.
Safety and Security
Proposed revisions to CSA(LOCAL) would update building-access-control reporting and add provisions concerning the designation and use of private spaces. The packet says the changes are recommended in part to comply with Senate Bill 8.
The proposed policy calls for weekly inspections of instructional facilities during school hours to verify that exterior doors are closed, latched, and locked by default and cannot be opened from outside without a key. Findings would be reported to the district safety and security committee, Life Safety Systems department, and campus leadership.
Gifts, Donations, and Grants
Proposed revisions to CDC(LOCAL) would change approval and reporting requirements for district gifts and donations, including provisions addressing capital improvements, naming rights, donor recognition, technology donations, solicitations, and real property. The proposed policy would require all donations to be reported and publicly listed after approval, with board approval specifically required for certain donations involving capital improvements, naming or branding recognition, or real property.
Proposed revisions to CB(LOCAL) would clarify district procedures for grant applications and prohibit outside individuals or organizations from independently applying for grants on behalf of HISD unless authorized through district procedures. Board approval would be required for grants involving capital improvements or naming, branding, signage, or other public recognition associated with district property, facilities, or programs.
Student Transfers
Proposed revisions to FDB(LOCAL) would make clarifying changes to intradistrict transfer procedures. The policy continues to establish priority categories for transfers and procedures for magnet and Vanguard programs, special transfers, and enrollment limits at capped schools.
Other Consent Agenda Items
The board is also scheduled to consider several administrative and governance matters:
- Approval of minutes from the June 11 and June 25, 2026, meetings.
- Naming Lauren Gore as HISD's delegate and Karen Duffy as alternate for the 2026 Texas Association of School Boards Delegate Assembly on October 9, 2026.
- Appointing Karen Duffy as HISD's representative to the Council of the Great City Schools.
- Appointing Edgar Colón as HISD's representative to the Houston-Galveston Area Council for the remainder of 2026 following Michelle Cruz Arnold's July 2026 resignation from the School Board.
- Amending the May 14, 2026, meeting minutes to include Travis Hunt's name as the alternate to the superintendent for Texas Education Agency Login access to the Texas Student Data System portal. The packet documents that the board previously approved Hunt's designation, but his name was omitted from the minutes document.
- Authorizing interlocal agreements with Texas public institutions of higher education to provide field instruction in HISD schools in disciplines including speech therapy, school psychology, educational diagnostics, deaf and hard-of-hearing interpreting services, and teacher education.
- Approving proposed campus library book orders and donations after the materials completed the district's review process and required public posting period.
- Delegating annual authority to the superintendent to obligate the district for excess-revenue contracts and agreements. HISD has been identified as having 2026-27 revenue in excess of entitlement, although the packet's current payment estimate is $0; any required payment is due to TEA by September 1, 2026.
Closed Session and Real Estate
The agenda provides for closed-session deliberations involving personnel, pending or contemplated litigation, and several specifically identified legal matters. It also includes discussion of district safety concerns, including districtwide intruder-detection audit findings and HB 3 compliance.
For real estate, the board may consider declaring 12 district properties surplus and authorizing sales procedures: Alcott Elementary School, Briscoe Elementary School, Burrus Elementary School, Cage Elementary School, Dodson Facility, Fleming Middle School, Franklin Elementary School, N.Q. Henderson Elementary School, Port Houston Elementary School, Ross Elementary School, Velasco Warehouse, and West Area Office.
What to Watch at the Meeting
The packet puts student outcomes alongside several consequential operational and policy decisions. Key items scheduled for board consideration include the mixed reading and math goal-progress results, a proposed $30 million special education services procurement, the $17.84 million Head Start collaborative program, the new artificial intelligence policy, revisions affecting instructional materials and student promotion, and potential surplus designation of 12 district properties.
The meeting also brings several state-law-driven changes before the board, including the pre-K funding waiver, library-material approval requirements, safety and private-space provisions, and annual excess-revenue authority. These items could shape district operations, classroom practices, facilities, technology governance, and early-childhood services beyond the immediate meeting agenda.
