Mineola School District became another District of Innovation in the state after Wednesday’s submission of the locally adopted plan to Mike Morath, Texas commissioner of education.

The Mineola School Board adopted the District of Innovation Plan last Monday night following an eight-month process involving more than 80 community and staff members as well as student representatives.

The District of Innovation status became an option for school districts with the passing of House Bill 1842 during the 84th Legislative Session. This law gives traditional public school districts most of the flexibilities afforded to open enrollment charter schools in Texas through more local control. It provides districts exemptions from many statues under state law including school start dates, minimum number of minutes, class-size ratio, teacher certification requirements, student discipline requirements and the 90 percent attendance rule to earn credit.

“Becoming a District of Innovation gives us the opportunity to utilize flexibility and obtain more local control as we continue to transform and create a high-quality learning experience for our students. We recognize that our school system needs to evolve from the industrial era mentality of factory line production towards a more personalized approach to enable our students to excel in a customized environment,” said Superintendent Kim Tunnell in a press release from the school district.

According to TEA, districts are eligible for designation if certain performance requirements are met and the district follows certain procedures for adoption. The designation provides exemption from certain sections of the Texas Education Code that inhibit the goals of the district as outlined in the locally adopted Innovation Plan for up to five years.

The process to achieve this designation in Mineola School District began in January as the Strategic Planning Committee and Design Teams developed the strategies for Mineola ISD in creating a high-performing, innovative learning environment for students.

The desire for more local control and flexibility was shared by the group and the school board responded by investigating the possibility of the District of Innovation status after a public hearing. The work of the committee included taking the Strategic Plan and identifying barriers within current statute and creating the local Innovation Plan. The school board reviewed the plan in June and the plan was posted for the required 30 days for additional input and feedback. The final District of Innovation plan was approved by the District Advisory Council on Aug. 10 and then by the board on Aug. 15.

Regan Brandon, president of the Mineola School Board, stated, “Our strategic plan calls for innovative methods and a commitment to high standards for our students. This District Innovation Plan will help improve the educational opportunities for our students by taking advantage of every option made available to us for more flexibility and local control. We appreciate the legislative support of HB 1842 and the next five years to continue our work in Mineola ISD.”