Nine Houston ISD schools will be piloting a new education model in the 2026-27 school year that will include core subject studies, learning activities and training in artificial intelligence use, according to the district.
What’s happening?
HISD’s Future 2 pilot program will debut at seven more schools than originally planned, joining Gregg Elementary School and Clemente Martinez Elementary School, which were already scheduled to utilize the model, according to an April 28 video announcement from HISD.
Schools recently added to the Future 2 launch for the 2026-27 school year are:
On April 23, HISD Superintendent Mike Miles answered parents’ questions on Future 2 schools and other topics via a district livestream. Miles said the pilot program will give students a variety of skills that will be vital for the future workplace. Examples include problem-solving, leadership, working in teams and working with AI, he said.
“The world’s moving fast,” Miles said during the Q&A. “The workplace is changing, and ... not only do we have to read, write and do math—of course that’s always going to be essential. That’s job No. 1, but there’s a job No. 2 and ... that is [getting] students ready for [the] year 2030, year 2035 world and workplace. ... Many skills that now in HISD we’re teaching some of them, but we gotta do more.”
Long story short
Schools involved in the pilot program will have school days from 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m., with optional activities offered until 6 p.m., Miles said during the Q&A. The instructional day will be divided into sections with core subjects—reading, writing, math and “the art of thinking”—being studied in the morning.
The afternoons at Future 2 pilot schools will be devoted to “hands-on” learning opportunities, Miles said. Courses on using AI will be available for “the upper grades,” and AI learning programs will also be utilized in the schools, he added.
“We’re trying to strike the right balance,” Miles said. “We’re not gonna say, ‘let’s not use any AI or AI-enabled tools.’ First of all, I don’t think you can use anything online these days without something AI-enabled. ... We’re very conscious of students needing to use their own mind, their own creativity and being able to write and do math without Chat GPT.”
What else?
Families can choose to opt out of attending a Future 2 campus, instead attending another school, according to a Feb. 18 HISD news release. Alternatively, HISD students from any campus can apply to attend a Future 2 school by filling out an application here.
To learn more about the Future 2 program, visit https://accelhou.houstonisd.org/future-2.
