HOUSTON – Houston ISD is expanding its own news operation and with that growth comes a growing debate over transparency and control.
Since launching HISD Now in January 2025, the district has positioned its self-produced news program as a way to give parents direct access to timely, accurate updates. The program publishes multiple daily video reports in both English and Spanish, highlighting the latest district developments, leadership decisions, and school updates.
Now, a newly obtained draft of the district’s 2025-2026 District Improvement Plan (DIP) shows the district’s ambition to take HISD Now even further — including live breaking news coverage, a dedicated mobile news crew, and a $2 million investment to expand the platform’s reach.
A New Direction in District Communication
Now, according to a draft of the District Improvement Plan (DIP) obtained by KPRC 2 News, HISD is prioritizing further expansion of the platform.
By the end of 2025, the district hopes to:
- Grow the HISD Now YouTube channel to 50,000 subscribers
- See HISD Now content repeated in local media five times a week
- Improve parent perceptions of the district by 15%, based on survey data
The effort is being led by HISD’s Chief of Communications, with plans to raise additional philanthropic support to meet long-term goals, according to the draft.
A Shift That’s Raising Eyebrows
While HISD says this is about clarity, accuracy, and access, the pivot to self-produced content has raised questions about independent oversight and the future of traditional media access within the district.
Earlier this school year, KPRC 2 Anchor Andy Cerota asked Superintendent Mike Miles directly whether HISD is holding fewer press conferences and shifting more communication to in-house channels.
“The HISD Now is streaming and getting more and more subscribers. And it gives real information, accurate information about a whole bunch of things that matter most to parents,” Miles said earlier this school year. “So, parents care most about what’s happening in their school, what’s happened with their teacher and their principal. They’re not concerned about a lot of things that the other media is sometimes concerned about. Frankly, they’re interested in the cafeteria food and the bus routes and things like that. That’s what they’re concerned about. So, HISD now, like most news media, is turning towards streaming.”
“Marketing vs. Accountability”
But not everyone sees it as that simple.
Dr. Duncan Klussmann, a former superintendent of Spring Branch ISD and now a professor at the University of Houston, says there’s a fundamental difference between what school districts do with internal messaging and what an independent press provides.
“There’s always a marketing side, you should be doing that as a school district,” Klussmann said. “But that’s different than what the media does.”
He acknowledges that districts are often under pressure in today’s 24/7 news cycle and may want to put their narrative out quickly but says that can’t come at the expense of tough, independent questioning.
“The media needs to ask critical questions. That’s the foundation of our country, a free press that can hold all of us in the public realm accountable. We’re paid by the taxpayers. We should be held accountable for the work that we do.”
He also warned that real insight often comes not from the first question, but from the follow-up, something independent journalists are trained to do.
“Whether it’s interviewing someone for a job or the media asking questions, it’s always the second or third question that really gets to the crux of the matter.”
Legal perspective: Is this a transparency risk?
Emilio Longoria, Associate Professor of Law at South Texas College of Law Houston, told KPRC 2 News’ Rilwan Balogun that while HISD isn’t violating any laws by delivering information itself, the shift could still affect public perception and timely access to critical information.
“This new HISD policy doesn’t appear to alter the public records request system,” Longoria said. “But this will definitely affect the speed at which information is received. Under this new policy, it appears HISD will have more control over when information is received, which could affect election outcomes or government decisions.”
He added that while HISD Now won’t prevent outside media from reporting, the timing and framing of content could shape the conversation in subtle but meaningful ways.
HISD Responds
In a statement, HISD defended its communications approach and rejected the idea that it’s bypassing traditional media.
“HISD NOW works to strengthen communication with families and supports our partnership with local, state, and national press. Contrary to [outside] reporting, nowhere in the District Improvement Plan does it state that HISD will ‘lessen its reliance on external news media.’”
The district says it continues to grant interviews, respond to media requests, and comply with public information laws.
As for parent concerns, a spokesperson said families can still reach out via campus staff, email, phone, or the Parent Square platform.