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Tomball ISD seeks renewal of District of Innovation plan with targeted grievance and staffing flexibilities
Summary
Deputy Superintendent Dr. Amy Shindolf told trustees the district will ask the board in April to renew its District of Innovation for 2026–2031, keeping prior exemptions (calendar, class-size waiver filing, teacher-certification flexibility) and adding targeted grievance-timeline relief; the redlined plan has been posted for 30 days.
Tomball ISD Deputy Superintendent Dr. Amy Shindolf reviewed the district’s proposed District of Innovation (DOI) renewal during the March 16 board workshop and said the redlined plan is posted for public comment ahead of an April board vote.
"If you are a district of innovation and you have an adopted plan, then you are able to exempt from certain provisions of the Texas Education Code similar to the ability of charter schools," Dr. Shindolf said, framing DOI as a tool to increase local control and flexibility while keeping curriculum, graduation and financial-accountability laws intact.
What the plan would do: staff told trustees the proposed renewal (covering 2026–2031) largely maintains prior exemptions — school-calendar flexibility, waivers to the state class-size filing process while retaining a local 22:1 K–4 target, limited teacher-certification exemptions used primarily for CTE or specialized instructor hires, and the local teacher and administrator appraisal system. The district also proposes a carefully targeted exemption on portions of new grievance-timeline requirements so the district may set its own timelines for timely, local resolution.
Trustees asked for additional clarity. One trustee requested a plain-language "step one/step two" summary of the grievance process for parents; staff agreed to prepare a layman’s version before broader publication. On class size, staff reiterated that Tomball ISD does not use DOI to relax classroom ratios: the district maintains a 22:1 K–4 standard and notifies the board if a classroom reaches 24:1.
Next steps: the DOI renewal and any aligned policy changes will be docketed for the April board meeting for formal action. If approved, the district will submit the plan to the Texas Education Agency and the five-year plan would be effective through 2031 (subject to earlier amendment if needed).
