West Area Panhandle HOME RULE CHARTER IN HISD
(last updated 05/28/2025)
These FAQs are intended to help answer questions with respect to the initiation and implementation of a Home-Rule School District Charter as an alternative method of school district operation pursuant to Tex. Educ. Code §§ 12.011 (HOME RULE SCHOOL DISTRICT CHARTER).
QUESTION 1:
Q: What is a home-rule charter district?
A: A home-rule charter is a locally developed school district, or portion of a school district, in accordance with Texas Education Code § 12.011 – 12.020. It allows the public schools established and operating under the charter to function with greater local control, flexibility, and autonomy over how it operates – similar to how cities govern themselves. Home-rule districts are still public, free, and accountable to state standards, but they allow local control over key decisions like curriculum, staffing, budgeting, and school structure.
QUESTION 2:
Q: Can a portion of HISD become a home-rule district?
A: Yes. A specific geographic area within HISD may seek to operate as a home-rule district. The process involves gathering petition signatures, forming a charter commission, drafting the charter, and receiving voter approval within that defined area. This allows the community to tailor education to the specific needs of its students,.
QUESTION 3:
Q: Will the school(s) where my child(ren) is currently zoned change?
A: No, the current attendance zone boundaries will remain the same. Unless the home-rule charter proposes changes to current attendance zones, existing school zone boundaries and feeder patterns will remain in place. There are no plans to make changes to attendance zones at this time; to the contrary, it is the intent of the charter commission to ensure children continue attending their neighborhood schools or in certain cases the specialty magnet campus in which they are currently enrolled.
QUESTION 4:
Q: Will my property taxes change?
A: A home-rule district can propose its own local tax rate, subject to voter approval. This could replace or supplement HISD taxes, depending on the district’s structure. By law, voters will need to vote on and pass any proposed changes to the property tax rate. There will not be any increases to your property tax rate without voter approval, just as voters would need to vote for and pass HISD bonds or levies.
QUESTION 5:
Q: Who will manage facilities and maintenance?
A: A home-rule district gains local control over buildings, repairs, and upgrades. This means quicker responses to facility needs, better prioritization of technology upgrades, and more transparency in how bond or maintenance funds are used.
QUESTION 6:
Q: What happens to magnet programs and special schools?
A: The home-rule charter can protect and even enhance access to magnet, dual-language, special education, and gifted/GT programs. If your child is currently enrolled in a specialized school, the charter can include a “grandfathering” policy to ensure continued enrollment, even if that school falls outside the new boundaries.
QUESTION 7:
Q: What about teacher contracts and benefits?
A: Teachers in a home-rule district can be offered competitive salaries, innovative contract terms, and improved retention policies. The Teacher Retirement System (“TRS”) benefits will continue to be protected under state law under a home-rule charter district. The home-rule district may also propose better support for classroom educators – a major incentive for teacher retention.
QUESTION 8:
Q: Will HISD be able to cut the home-rule district’s funding?
A: No. Once a home-rule district is established, it receives state funding directly from the Texas Education Agency (“TEA”), just like any other district. HISD cannot withhold funds allocated for students in the new district.
QUESTION 9:
Q: How will accountability work?
A: The home-rule district still must comply with state-mandated accountability systems (e.g., STAAR testing and TEA’s A ‑ F ratings). However, a home-rule district can also assign local metrics that reflect the community’s unique needs and values.
QUESTION 11:
Q: Why now?
A: The West Area Panhandle is uniquely located as the furthest distance from HISD proper making our area underserved due to unreasonable commutes resulting in unequal access to HISD programs and opportunities compared to HISD students throughout the rest of the district at large. This has caused the west area panhandle to become a zone are often overlooked in HISD’s citywide decisions – despite being high-performing. Creating a home-rule charter district allows us to:
- Protect local excellence;
- Improve teacher support;
- Expand education choice; and
- Ensure fair, locally driven resource allocation.
QUESTION 12:
Q: Who will lead the new district?
A: You will! A home-rule district is governed by an elected board of trustees accountable to the local community – not a distant central office. Transparency, public meetings, and community involvement are all required under Texas law.
My School is not NES, why should I care?
The planned move to a PUA system would tighten campus budgets by further reducing already limited per-student funding.
What about private schools and special education?
