Houston Independent School District

The Houston Independent School District is the largest public school system in Texas and the seventh largest in the United States. It operates on an annual general fund budget of more than $1.5 billion and has about 30,000 full and part-time employees. The district educates approximately 202,000 students in 300 schools spread out over 301-square miles.

Dr. Abelardo Saavedra was appointed Superintendent of Schools for the Houston Independent School District in 2004 and some of his goals have been to increase the number of potential high school graduates by recovering students who have dropped out of school and providing extra support to new immigrant students.

Rewarding teachers and principals who successfully educate children who speak languages other than English and students who come from economically disadvantaged families are also a goal along with raising academic standards to help close the achievement gap by increasing the number of students enrolled in pre-advanced, advanced placement and dual-credit courses.

In the 2006-07 school year, a record number of Houston ISD students took and passed advanced placement courses, earned college credit while still in high school, and passed the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. The district would also like to boost the number of children enrolled in pre-kindergarten, and devote time and resources to engage parents and community in students’ academics.

HISD is working hard to become Houston’s K-12 school system of choice, constantly improving and refining instruction and management to make them as effective, productive, and as economical as possible. www.houstonisd.org.