The principal's assignment comes a week after the district's state-appointed Board of Managers voted to close Ross, a STEM magnet campus, along with 11 other schools because of declining enrollment and aging facilities.
State-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles said that HISD would have closed two more schools — Gregg and Clemente Martinez elementary schools — but instead converted them into schools focused on artificial intelligence.
Gregg, in southeast Houston, and C. Martinez, in the Northside area, are about the same size, with 251 and 244 students respectively. HISD said it communicated with the schools' principals, staff and families before Miles announced the changes.
Under the closure plan, Ross' students can choose to attend either Roosevelt Elementary School or the new AI-focused program at C. Martinez. Ross' principal, Chandra Reed, will follow her students to C. Martinez to lead the campus. Reed has been the principal at Ross since August 2023, according to district records.
It is not clear what role, if any, C. Martinez's current principal, Christina Aguirre-Oliva, will have in HISD next school year. HISD did not respond to a request for comment.
HISD said in February that it will keep administrators who have contracts and meet performance standards. If administrators at closing schools are not placed at the campuses receiving their students, those administrators will be placed in open positions throughout HISD.
WHAT ARE 'FUTURE 2' SCHOOLS?
HISD will convert Gregg and Clemente Martinez into "Future 2 Schools," serving students from kindergarten through eighth grade and targeting skills needed with the rise of artificial intelligence. The schools are meant to emphasize "critical thinking, problem-solving, and the use of artificial intelligence," according to HISD.
Miles sought to create these schools as early as August. Future 2 Schools were among several brief announcements at a beginning-of-the-year teachers' convocation.
HISD is asking Clemente Martinez families to return a form by Friday "to guarantee your child's seat," according to a Google form. It is unclear what will happen if a family does not sign the "HISD Future 2 Commitment" form. HISD did not respond to a request for comment.
"By signing below, I understand that my child is transitioning to the Future 2 model beginning August 2026," according to another form handout. "I understand that programming, schedules, and instructional practices may look different from previous years. I am committed and would like to secure my child's seat."
Families that sign agree to "Support the Future Ready program," ensure student attendance every day on time, "encourage strong effort and positive behavior," "stay informed and partner with teachers," and "work together with the school to help students succeed," according to the Google form.
Future 2's instructional model will begin in grades 3 and 4 with "developmentally appropriate" material, HISD told the Chronicle in response to questions about coursework for the schools' younger students.
"K through 2nd grade students will continue to receive a strong foundational academic experience that supports early literacy and numeracy development," HISD said.
Fifth- and sixth-graders will take semester-long courses focused on AI tools, design-thinking, the study of cultures, and "how things work," Miles said in January. Students will take those four courses over two years.
Students will be required to learn a musical instrument to advance from sixth grade, Miles said. Students will also be offered opportunities to play music, participate in team sports, complete community service projects or learn how to swim. Overall, students will have experiences centered on skills Miles said are valuable as AI spreads.
The Houston Chronicle requested the Future 2 School "concept paper" Miles mentioned to the Board of Managers in January, but the Chronicle has not received that paper.
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