Here are six takeaways from the Round Rock ISD board of trustees voting Thursday to approve the RRISD District of Innovation plan: 1. RRISD is taking advantage of Texas House Bill 1842. State lawmakers passed the law in 2015 to create the DOI system. The law allows school districts to adopt local innovation plans and exempt themselves from certain state regulations that were previously only available to charter schools. Districts that have sought to attain DOI designations say the new law offers the chance for more flexibility in hiring and scheduling practices. although some teachers have criticized the concept as too far-reaching and a risk to teachers' job security, particularly if a DOI district chooses to exempt itself from teacher contracts and benefits. 2. RRISD trustees approved exemptions to seven provisions in the Texas Education Code. Those exemptions include: teacher certifications for dual credit, career and technical education and foreign language courses; minimum minutes of instruction; minimum attendance for class credit; calendar requirements for the first and last day of school; class size ratio requirements for kindergarten through fourth grade; a Sept. 1 age deadline for 5-year-olds entering kindergarten; and requirements for teacher mentors. 3. Education Round Rock, the local teachers and education employees union, opposed the DOI plan. A group of the union's members attended Thursday's meeting and several told trustees the district's plan would not benefit teachers or students. Patrick Simmons, the union's president, told trustees: "We can't just give a blanket request to exempt us from the policies without some guidelines.” 4. The teachers union did not believe the DOI process adequately involved teachers. RRISD followed state protocols in developing its DOI plan, first appointing a design team to assess exemptions, then opening the plan to public comment before Thursday's vote. Susan Seaton with the Texas State Teachers Association told trustees Thursday that more could have been done to get input from teachers. "We urge you to have more transparency,” Seaton said to trustees. 5. Trustees defended their support of moving forward with DOI status.  Several trustees said the plan would bring more flexibility and would ultimately make the district more innovative and better able to serve students. "This is something that is going to set Round Rock [ISD's] path for our students and our teachers,” said Trustee Terri Romere. 6. RRISD is not alone in exploring DOI options. Several other Austin-area school districts are doing the same, including Austin ISD, Georgetown ISD and Lake Travis ISD.