Houston ISD to convert two elementary campuses into Future 2 pre-K–8 schools starting 2026–27

A new pilot model tied to the district’s AI-era strategy

Houston Independent School District officials say they will launch two “Future 2” schools in the 2026–27 academic year, converting Raul C. Martinez Elementary and Gregg Elementary into pre-K–8 campuses with a redesigned instructional day and a curriculum built around both core academics and applied experiences.

The district has framed the pilot as part of a broader initiative branded “Accelerate Houston,” which also includes a middle-school accelerated math pathway, a new virtual school option for some high school students, career and technical education expansion, and additional autonomy options for certain high-performing high schools.

What makes Future 2 different, as described by the district

District materials describe a school day that runs from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with optional programming extending to 6:00 p.m. The model separates the day into three parts: core instruction, structured learning sequences, and experience-based programming designed to develop skills such as collaboration, leadership and problem-solving.

Core academics would continue to follow the district’s New Education System curriculum for reading, writing, math and science, along with a district “Art of Thinking” course. On top of that foundation, the district says students who score in the top range on MAP assessments would have access to accelerated coursework through an AI-driven platform for reading and math.

• Campus structure: Two current elementary campuses would become pre-K–8 schools beginning in 2026–27.
• Schedule: 7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m., with optional extension to 6:00 p.m.
• Academic approach: Standard district curriculum for core subjects, with optional accelerated tracks for some students based on assessment performance.
• Experiences: Projects and other immersive activities that can range from single-day events to multi-week experiences and culminate in performance-based assessments.

Staffing and outside expertise

HISD says teachers will lead coursework and experiences with district-developed materials, while some workshops would be taught by community professionals with specialized expertise outside traditional teaching roles. The district also says staff assigned to Future 2 would receive training to incorporate AI tools in the classroom in addition to regular summer professional development and ongoing training during the school year.

Enrollment and family options

The district says students from any HISD campus will be able to apply to enroll in a Future 2 school, with no academic entry requirements. Enrollment would be limited by building capacity. Families currently assigned to Martinez and Gregg would be enrolled for 2026–27, but the district says they will have the option to opt out and attend a nearby elementary school instead.

District leaders have described the pilot as a shift from emphasizing “what to know” toward “how to think,” arguing that human-centered skills will be increasingly important as artificial intelligence becomes more widespread.

How this fits into HISD’s recent reform landscape

Future 2 is being introduced after several years of major operational and instructional changes in HISD, including the expansion of the New Education System across many campuses and a push for specialized pathways. District communications position the new schools as a pilot intended to test a different model of scheduling, staffing and student experiences while retaining standardized core academics.

HISD has not released public details on every implementation question, including how transportation, staffing allocations, and campus-by-campus capacity limits will be managed once applications open. The first year of operation is scheduled for 2026–27.