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HISD board approves targeted improvement plans amid protests over NES and student suspensions
Summary
The Board of Managers approved 2024‑25 targeted improvement plans for identified campuses, a vote that drew dozens of public speakers who criticized the district's New Education System (NES), called for reinstatement of suspended students, and demanded leadership changes at multiple schools.
The Houston Independent School District Board of Managers voted 9‑0 on Feb. 13 to approve the district’s 2024‑25 targeted improvement plans for comprehensive support and intervention campuses, a required set of action plans for schools identified under federal and state accountability rules.
Board materials identified 37 campuses in the targeted‑improvement listing: 34 campuses currently in NES status and three PUA (Performance‑Up‑Action) schools. District staff said 32 of the 34 NES campuses were listed as "comprehensive progress," meaning those campuses already show improvement under state identification rules and are on track to exit identification if progress continues.
The vote followed hours of public comment. More than 60 individuals addressed the board during the evening, including students, parents, teachers, union representatives and community groups. Many speakers urged the board to rescind suspensions handed to 45 Northside High School students who walked out Feb. 7 to protest immigration enforcement and district policies; asked the board to halt or scale back NES conversions; and demanded changes in school leadership at specific campuses, most prominently Wharton Dual Language Academy.
Public commenters described a range of complaints: suspension and discipline policies used against student demonstrators, alleged principal misconduct at Wharton and other campuses, reduced library access and removal of librarians at some schools, and broader concerns about scripted materials, staffing turnover and the district’s outreach to families. Several speakers delivered petitions asking the board to reinstate suspended students and to prohibit ICE access to campuses.
Trustees discussed the technical distinctions between "comprehensive identified" and "comprehensive progress" campuses and asked staff to continue providing campus‑level updates and to post supporting materials and Q&A online. The board took no additional policy action on NES conversions at the meeting; trustees approved the targeted improvement plans as presented.
Votes at a glance
- Accept Board monitoring update (Goal 3 progress measures 3.2/3.3): approved 9‑0. - Approve 2024‑25 targeted improvement plans for HISD comprehensive support/intervention campuses: approved 9‑0 (37 campuses listed; 34 NES, 3 PUA; 32 NES listed as "comprehensive progress"). - Consent and legal items (including contingent fee legal services agreements considered after closed session): approved (board announced approvals following closed session).
Board members and district staff said they will post more detailed school‑level data and continue outreach to campus shared decision‑making committees, but speakers told the board that procedural improvements will not address their immediate demands for reinstating suspended students and changing campus leaders at troubled schools.
