Later Start Date Could Be On Tap For Friendswood ISD

FRIENDSWOOD, TX -- The Friendswood ISD board of trustees is expected to vote on a change to the school calendar for the 2017-2018 school year that could result in a later start date to the school year.

However, moving forward will hinge on whether or not trustees approve the Friendswood ISD’s proposed District of Innovation plan.

The District of Innovation program was passed by the 84th legislative session in 2015 as House Bill 1842.
The program is designed to give school districts greater local control over educational programming, giving traditional independent school districts most of the flexibilities available to Texas' open-enrollment charter schools.
Every school district that adopts a plan have concerns about a number of issues, which are not considered allowable exemptions, which might include school start dates, teacher certification, classroom ratio, length of the school day, and teacher contracts.
Friendswood ISD has discussed becoming a District of Innovation since last spring, Owen said. The school board voted in September to give the district the go-ahead to start the process.
Other school districts in the Greater Houston area are in various phase of development of their individual plans, including Stafford Municipal ISD, Katy ISD, Cy-Fair ISD, Tomball ISD, Spring Branch ISD and Humble ISD.
The Texas Education Code prohibits districts from starting classes before the fourth Monday in August, and in the fall that fourth Monday falls on At Aug. 28, and latest since the law went into effect in 2007.
If the board fails to approve the plan, Friendswood ISD will be forced to have to scrap the proposed calendar and craft a new one with the later start date.

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