Houston ISD Superintendent Millard House II announced the release of the district’s five-year strategic plan Feb. 17, which includes strategies for retaining teachers and addressing "magnet deserts," or parts of the district that lack proximity to HISD magnet schools.

According to a Feb. 17 press release, HISD is implementing six commitments to “improve education outcomes, school experiences and work culture.” The district plans on doing this through building trust with parents, providing equal opportunities across all schools, ensuring great schools and programs, cultivating world-class talents, promoting high-quality learning and teaching and delivering effective services to students, according to the release.

“The plan I shared with the Board of Education ensures we will have an unwavering focus in manifesting the dreams of each HISD student,” House said in a statement. “This strategic plan is about increasing opportunity and equity because our students deserve more of it.”

With the goal of increasing trust and transparency with the community, its new Office of Engagement is reorienting its family and engagement strategy to have better customer service, according to the release. Parents will now be able to engage in regular conversations with the district at listening sessions to voice their concerns or issues.

A new Parents Leader Academy will also be established, which will give “parents the tools to be better advocates for their children and their communities,” according to the release.

HISD officials said they plan on improving transportation strategies by using funds from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding to purchase 100 new special education buses, 100 new student express vehicles and 50 new regular buses.

The plan also calls for establishing a budget for fine arts, athletics and academic extracurricular activities, a move that has a goal of bolstering equality across district schools. According to the release, every school will have a nurse, nurse associate, and librarian or media specialist.

“In order for students to excel in school, they must have exposure to a wide variety of learning opportunities both inside and outside the classroom,” Chief of Schools Denise Watts said in a statement. “Students in underperforming schools need and deserve these experiences.”

Included in the plan are efforts to give each student a consistent academic experience. According to the release, HISD will ensure that every child in the district will have access to Pre-K.

HISD will also implement pay raises for all staff with current teachers having the option to make a three-year commitment to the district. Teachers who make the commitment will get $500 immediately when signing a commitment for this spring; $1,000 when signing a contract for the 2023-24 school year; and $2,500 when signing for the 2024-25 school year, according to the release.

New teachers will also be offered an incentive ranging from $2,000-$5,000 based on when they sign and their experience, according to the release.

“We must immediately take steps to keep good teachers in place, going beyond the ESSER stipends teachers received in December and will receive in June,” Chief of Talent Jeremy Grant-Skinner said in a statement. “We must incentivize our teachers to stay the course in this noble profession, at this critically important time for our students, and here, in HISD.”

Additional financial details of the plan will be hashed out in a March 3 budget workshop, House said.