In April, the Houston Independent School District Board of Trustees unanimously approved the 2021-2022 academic calendar, which includes 15 additional academic days to help address learning gaps caused by COVID-19.

These additional days were added to the calendar after input from teachers, parents, students, and educational experts. Additionally, recent statewide results for the STAAR test show that learning loss has occurred because of the pandemic.

This provides the district an opportunity to address student academic needs and utilize resources to regain learning. That informed the decision to add the 15 additional days of instruction as well as a full return to in-person instruction in the fall. We expect this will produce better student outcomes. Additionally, we are formulating plans that will mitigate students’ lost time and improve educational performance.

The calendar consists of a one-week Thanksgiving break, two-week winter break and a one-week spring break. Students will be off on Labor Day, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents Day, Chavez-Huerta Day, and Memorial Day. The school district will also observe a Fall holiday on September 16, 2021, and Spring holiday on April 15, 2022.

The approved 2021-2022 school year can be found at houstonisd.org/2021AcademicCalendar.

Trustees also voted unanimously to rename Woodrow Wilson Montessori School.  The school will be named after Ella J. Baker, an African American activist who worked more than 50 years alongside some of the nation’s most noted civil rights leaders of the 20th century. The renaming is an effort to align the school with the inclusive values of HISD.

The board also approved a donation of more than $174,000 from Arts Connect Houston for HISD schools to expands access to arts education programming from local, community-based arts/cultural organizations.

Trustees also approved an interlocal agreement with Harris County Resources for Children and Adults (HCRCA) to provide crisis counseling and consultation, social services support, and assistance with referrals from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

A recording of the April 8 Board of Trustees meeting can be found here.