Every year, thousands of Houston ISD students compete for seats at the district’s highest-performing magnet high schools through an open-enrollment lottery.
These campuses, including the renowned Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA), offer specialized programs that students can access regardless of their neighborhood or background, as long as they meet the program’s criteria.
That broad opportunity, however, may soon shift.
Privately managed partnerships
A new proposal could convert seven of HISD’s top public high schools into privately managed partnerships under Senate Bill 1882. The state law provides financial incentives for districts that hand over campus operations to outside groups such as nonprofits, charter networks, or higher-education institutions.
HISD recently revealed that four of its top magnet high schools—Challenge Early College High School, Energy Institute High School, Houston Academy for International Studies, and HSPVA—have agreed to pursue the district’s offer for “expanded flexibility and innovation opportunities” by forming SB 1882 partnerships beginning in the 2026–27 school year. Three others—Carnegie Vanguard, DeBakey High School for Health Professions, and Eastwood Academy—are still weighing whether to move forward.
Trick or Treat?
That announcement came on Halloween (Oct. 31) and was presented as a “treat” for high-performing schools. However, many parents and teachers view the move as a “trick” that will leave many Black and Brown students stuck out.
“[The teachers’ union is against] any type of inequities that this may cause
Jackie Anderson, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers
for our students.”
Houston ISD announced the proposal as an honor earned by its top-performing high schools, which are eligible to become “Innovation Partnership Schools.” The partnership enables certain high schools to collaborate with a range of organizations, including nonprofits and charters, for increased autonomy over instruction, operations, hiring, evaluations, and other aspects of school management.
“Level five autonomy is a bold opportunity for Houston ISD’s most successful and innovative school leaders to enjoy a greater level of flexibility, increased resources, and stability that comes from being managed by their own non-profit board,” state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles said in a news release.
Community members weigh in
Several community members have a vastly different take. Many fear these operators will “pick and choose students” to enroll, like private schools and other charters. Jackie Anderson, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers, acknowledges what SB 1882 allows, but hopes implementation will not hinder student access.
“The law allows under the SB 1882 partnership for schools to be managed by a third party. They will remain public schools,” said Anderson, to the Defender. “I hope HISD will follow the law, and [the schools] are truly open enrollment schools. These schools exist to increase student outcomes.
“We will be standing by to evaluate progress.”
Longtime activist and community organizer Pam Gaskin pointed out specific critiques of the move. These include the lack of community input, dire implications for Black and Brown students, and the potential that out-of-district students will either be excluded from consideration for enrollment or face paying exorbitant tuition.
In June 2024, HISD announced its “Defined Autonomy” framework, which gave high-performing schools more autonomy and lower-rated schools less. Prior to the unveiling of that new framework, level four was the highest level for HISD schools.
