HOUSTON - The Houston Independent School District is exploring a plan that would give its highest-performing high schools more control over curriculum, staffing, and scheduling — a move district leaders say builds on recent academic progress, but one that critics warn could open the door to charter-style management.

Under what HISD calls a "Level 5 Autonomy" initiative, principals at schools with a consistent track record of excellence would gain more flexibility to innovate, preserve specialized programs, and make key campus-level decisions. The proposal is part of the district’s Defined Autonomy Framework, a performance-based model introduced two years ago.

HISD Communications Director Lana Hill said the framework has helped raise student achievement across the district.

"The distri

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