HISD approves final magnet plan

As part of the $1.74 billion budget, a sharply divided Board of Education approved a new magnet school funding formula for the Houston Independent School District.

The board split 5-4 over the program, with board members Juliet Stipeche, Harvin Moore, Michael Lunceford and Anna Eastman voting against the proposal.

The new magnet school funding plan sought to standardize funding by magnet school across types. Under the old system, the board assigned funding on a school-by-school basis every year. Under the new plan, approved magnet schools will receive set funding level determined by the type of school.

Table one here shows the funding levels for each type of schools.

Criticism of the plan focuses on cuts to certain schools who benefited from large amounts of funding under the old system, most notable T.H. Rodgers and Rice schools.https://thesismag.com/wp-admin/post-new.php

An earlier plan eliminated all extra district-level funding for Vanguard schools for gifted and talented students. District administrators reasoned that the extra $400 provided by the state for each gifted and talented students would be enough money

The plan adopted will provide schools with Vanguard programs $410 extra per student using local funds.

Some Vanguard programs, like Lanier Middle School, will receive additional funding under the plan, while some, like Carnegie Vanguard High School will absorb some cuts.

Finally, all schools with a magnet designation will receive a flat $50,000 grant to hired a magnet coordinator.

The plan will be phased in over three years, to ease the change with the amount of funds.