School Districts I GOVT 2306, Module 11

Independent School Districts (ISDs) Independent school districts (ISDs) are units of local government that provide public education services to district residents from kindergarten through the twelfth grade. The state has more than a thousand school districts, ranging in size from the Houston ISD with 200,000 students, to several hundred districts that have fewer than 500 students. In 2014-2015, 5.2 million students attended public schools in Texas, an increase of 19 % over the previous decade, four times the national rate of increase. Does this surprise you?

Harris County Districts Does everyone who lives in Houston live in the HISD? Does everyone in the HISD live in Houston? North Forest has now been folded into the HISD. No and no

Fort Bend County Districts Note: Katy ISD crosses county lines.

Montgomery County Districts

Students by Race/Ethnicity In 2014-15, Hispanic students accounted for the largest percentage of total enrollment (52.0 %), followed by White (28.9 %), African American (12.6 %), Asian (3.9 %), and multiracial students (2.0 %). This percentage is growing. Nearly 60 percent of Texas students identify as economically disadvantaged.

Changing Profile Are Texas public school students becoming more or less difficult to educate? More difficult because the risk factors are greater.

Teen Birth Rate Is teen pregnancy a risk factor for students dropping out? Yes

HISD Teen Birthrate

Repeat Teen Births Sex education What steps, if any, can a state take to reduce teen pregnancy rates?

Sex Ed by State

Type of Sex Ed In Texas, school districts are not required to provide sex education. If they do, abstinence must be stressed as the preferred method.

Abstinence

The problem is that abstinence only doesn’t work.

Board of Trustees The governing body for ISDs is the board of trustees, generally composed of seven members (although some of the larger districts have nine members). Board members are elected in non-partisan elections. The HISD board has nine members elected from districts.

HISD Trustees The trustees for the HISD are elected from districts to serve six-year terms with three members facing the voters every two years. HISD elections coincide with Houston city elections.

Board Members are Unsalaried Approve budget Set tax rate Approve personnel contracts Approve salary schedule Award contracts for repair and expansion of physical plant

Superintendent The board hires a superintendent, a professional school administrator, who manages the day-to-day operation of the district and ensures that the board's policy decisions are implemented effectively. In 2014, the board gave Grier a $116 K bonus. In 2016, he resigned. HISD Superintendent Terry Grier earned $300,000 a year.

Quiz How does the school superintendent get the job? Election Appointment by the mayor Appointment by the governor Appointment by the board The answer is D.

What You Have Learned How has the population of students in the state of Texas changed over the last decade? What are ISDs? What is the state’s sex ed policy? How are school districts governed?