The Houston Independent School District allocates between $10 million and $19 million annually to salaries of staff who develop its educational materials. Texas and Colorado schools are already using part of them without paying HISD.
The Houston Independent School District (HISD) freely shares its curriculum with other school systems, although it has allocated between $10 million and $19 million annually to the salaries of employees responsible for developing it since June 2023. The materials, created for Houston schools, are used at various grade levels in districts in Texas and Colorado.
Among the recipients are Beaumont, Garland and Tyler ISD, the International Leadership of Texas charter school network, and the Montezuma-Cueblo district in Colorado. Some incorporate specific lessons, while others use the materials as part of the educational model promoted by Superintendent Mike Miles.
The amounts correspond to the annual salary expenditure for at least 100 employees assigned to curriculum development, according to records examined by the Houston Chronicle in an investigation published on October 19, 2026. They do not represent the cost of distributing the materials to other districts, which has not been publicly established.
HISD allocates up to $19 million annually for curriculum development salaries
HISD began expanding its curriculum development team after the Texas Education Agency took control of the district in June 2023 and named Miles as superintendent. Part of the salaries has also been funded with grants from the state agency.
The work includes developing teacher guides, presentations, and versions of lessons adapted to different learning levels. The materials support the New Education System (NES), which organizes teaching through structured lessons, frequent assessments, and reinforcement or extension activities based on student performance.
The NES model at HISD is part of the changes Miles introduced to improve academic results. Developing a curriculum of its own also requires ongoing revisions to correct errors, incorporate content, and maintain alignment with state standards.
Tyler ISD unanimously approved an agreement to use Houston’s curriculum
The Tyler ISD School Board on March 23, 2026, by six votes to zero, approved an agreement to receive HISD curriculum content. It also authorized the board president and the superintendent to sign it once the document was available.
The documents from the March 23 meeting state that, during the 2026-2027 cycle, Tyler would use Houston’s NES curriculum as a starting point to plan and support teaching at certain campuses.
The Tyler district described the delivery of the materials as a collaboration between school systems that share goals of academic improvement.
Garland ISD also confirmed that it received the resources at no cost. During the 2025-2026 cycle it used some of them in a limited number of schools, primarily as a tool to develop its own materials, not as a program that should be reproduced in full.
Beaumont ISD confirmed that HISD provided free curricular resources to it, though it did not specify the extent of their use.
Colorado schools adopt materials while other districts adapt them
The Montezuma-Cortez district, in Colorado, uses mathematics and science materials developed by HISD during the 2026-2027 cycle. It has also incorporated the NES model in its elementary schools, with adaptations to meet Colorado’s educational standards.
The International Leadership of Texas network reported that it continues to use some HISD resources at certain campuses, particularly in grades three through eight, English I, and Algebra I.
These differences show that receiving the curriculum does not necessarily mean adopting all of Houston’s educational practices. Schools can select content, modify lessons, or incorporate a teaching structure similar to it.
HISD defends sharing the materials, but questions remain about the agreements
HISD told the Houston Chronicle that it receives frequent requests from other school systems interested in its academic progress. The district stated that, when possible, it shares its expertise, curricular materials, training, and professional development at no cost.
Some education experts consider that sharing resources can benefit districts with smaller teams. Jacob Kirksey, a professor at Texas Tech University, told the Houston Chronicle that the interest from other schools reflects both HISD’s advances and the opportunity to test free materials.
Maria Ott, a professor at the University of Southern California, noted that developing materials within a district can foster teacher engagement and provide greater continuity to instruction.
Other experts question the decision to give away resources that require substantial investment. Carol Burris, Executive Director of the Network for Public Education, told the same newspaper that sharing for free a curriculum developed with staff hired represents an unusual practice.
The cost of distributing already prepared files does not necessarily equal the expense of creating them. The available information also does not demonstrate that sharing them has caused budget cuts in Houston schools.
The transparency of the agreements remains an outstanding issue. HISD responded to a records request from the Houston Chronicle that there were no documents corresponding to curriculum agreements for the current cycle. However, Tyler ISD’s minutes document the board’s authorization to enter into one of those agreements. The approval does not by itself confirm the date on which it was finally signed.
The distribution occurs while HISD faces financial pressures related to student losses. The district projected around 160,000 students for the 2026-2027 cycle, below the enrollment used initially to develop its budget.
Related: HISD loses nearly 10,000 students and begins cuts in Houston schools.
As of October 19, HISD had not provided a specific distribution cost or a complete public list of the districts receiving its materials. Documented agreements show different ways of using the curriculum, while the district maintains its practice of sharing it at no cost.
