Houston Independent School District announced its pushing back magnet and Vanguard application deadlines, but has yet to set a schedule.
Marshall Middle School students wait for the doors to open for the first day of school on Sunday, Aug. 21, 2022 in Houston.The Houston Independent School District is pushing back its deadlines for applications to magnet and other school choice programs until December but released few details about the new timeline or a planned overhaul to the software system used to collect applications and conduct lotteries.
Critics of the system originally designed to desegregate schools say it now sends the most talented students and invested families to a handful of schools deemed more desirable in white, affluent neighborhoods, leaving behind families that may not have the means or ability to take advantage of the system.
Currently, the software for the new application is in discovery, meaning it's still being designed. It’s being developed by Salesforce, a California-based software company, officials said. Although it's a new platform, the requirements and demo for the application -- address, date of birth, demographic info -- remain the same as previous years.