The Houston ISD board’s Community Engagement Committee presented a semester report at the Jan. 16 board meeting outlining outreach activity, engagement numbers and next steps.

Committee members said they completed 20 engagement events since appointment, engaged 24 organizations, hosted 12 student and family connection sessions and conducted 8 progress‑monitoring and feedback sessions. The committee reported contacting roughly 120 adults and 700 students during the series of outreach events. Committee co‑chairs said the work included visits to school kickoff events, strategic meetings with community organizations and holiday breakfast visits at several campuses.

Key themes identified in the outreach: community members appreciated expanded access to AP/IB and magnet programs but asked for more consistent communication and equitable counselor staffing across campuses. Families also sought clearer information about program changes, more support for student mental health, and expanded access to pre‑K seats in underserved neighborhoods. Committee members said that small, targeted group meetings yielded the most candid two‑way dialogue and that administrators Becca and Ashan helped provide answers to operational questions during sessions.

Planned next steps include repeating the high‑school senior engagement session in the spring, scheduling follow‑up meetings with organizations that requested sessions late in the fall, and improving survey response rates. Committee members asked the board to help publicize the engagements and encouraged board members to report community outreach activities so staff can maintain a single repository of meetings.

The committee asked administration to develop a process for distributing anonymous post‑engagement surveys to gather candid feedback and to make impact reports more accessible to board members and the public. Committee co‑chairs said they will continue weekly planning and will monitor outcomes reported in future sessions.

No formal board vote was required; the session was a committee report and included several board questions and discussion about improving response rates and communication strategies.

What the committee reported: 20 engagements with 24 organizations, about 120 adults and 700 students engaged, 12 student/family connections and 8 progress monitoring sessions. Next steps: repeat spring engagement sessions, expand outreach to organizations that requested meetings, and improve follow‑up surveys and public access to impact reports.