Board member Jacci Hotzel, who serves on the district’s Schools of Choice Committee, emphasized that while no formal commitments have been made, the latest developments represent an important step in evaluating potential partners.
“Both of the organizations were very STEM-focused, " Hotzel said. “I wouldn't say they brought the same ideas to the table, but they brought very complimentary ideas to the table for what they thought a school of choice could LCISD.”
How it happened
Hotzel said that earlier this year, the LCISD trustees authorized the administration to explore new partnerships for developing “micro schools” and other innovative learning models to expand academic offerings at the district.
Since then, the district has received submissions from Alpha Premier Academy and the YMCA, Hotzel said.
The evaluation considered areas such as academic planning, financial stability, leadership structure and overall alignment with LCISD’s vision for innovative education and capacity interviews, Hotzel said.
About the bill
Signed in 2017, Texas Senate Bill 1882 allows school districts to partner with nonprofits and other external entities to form specialized schools of choice, according to the Texas Education Agency’s website.
Though specific dollar amounts were not discussed at the meeting, the bill offers increased state funding, as public school campuses that are eligible can receive higher levels of funding, according to the TEA.
Outside of Galveston, LCISD would be the first school in the Greater Houston area to have a partnership under this bill, according to the TEA.
Zooming out
LCISD had 6.5% of students transferring out to private, charter or home schools in 2024-25, which was higher than Katy ISD’s loss of nearly 4% of students but lower than Fort Bend ISD’s 11% loss, as previously reported by Community Impact.
While not partnering with a nonprofit, Fort Bend ISD plans to expand their academic offerings through premiere opportunities in an attempt to compete with neighboring charter schools and students who might use state-funded vouchers to attend private schools.
Demographic firm Zonda Education President Bob Templeton said at the April 23 meeting the impact of private and charter school enrollment at LCISD will be analyzed in the upcoming first quarter of 2025 report.
Moving forward
Hotzel emphasized that this recommendation does not constitute a formal partnership, though the organizations have been vetted as potential partners.
Given only two organizations applied, Hotzel said that the district could make another request for applicants as officials continue to have a clearer idea of the type of schools they want to build.
“This gives the district flexibility without locking us into a decision, because I don't think we're quite there yet with our micro schools in order to move forward,” Hotzel said.
