Adopting the state-approved Bluebonnet Learning curriculum for elementary students will come with a funding boost of more than $3 million for the district, which also approved a $2 billion operating budget on Thursday.

After draft documents of the plan leaked and several outlets reported on the imminent changes, district leaders publicly confirmed plans to centralize special education services would begin next school year.

Houston ISD’s state-appointed board voted unanimously to close 12 schools, prompting backlash from parents and officials who criticized the lack of community input. District leaders cited declining enrollment and aging facilities as the reason for the closures.

Backers of Senate Bill 12 call diversity, equity and inclusion programs illegal and discriminatory. Opponents say soon-to-be banned DEI programs offered solutions to long-standing discriminatory policies.

Previously, if a Fort Bend ISD parent complained about a library book, it would be reviewed by a committee. That decision could be appealed to a district-wide committee, and finally, the school board. Now, complaints will go directly to the superintendent.

Superintendent Mike Miles attributed the drop to a necessity to adjust staffing to match student enrollment at each campus.

Earlier this year, a "mid-year screening" found nearly half of HISD principals fell short of proficiency. Some 117 were warned to improve their performance or risk removal, though Superintendent Mike Miles emphasized he expected the "overwhelming majority" of campus leaders to return.

The number of students in Houston ISD has been on a downward slide since the COVID-19 pandemic. That enrollment decline continued this school year, and the expansion of a controversial reform program could make things worse.