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Cynthia Vega reports.

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DISD superintendent Michael Hinojosa is considering drastic changes to improve low-performance schools.

One of them involves a longer school year.

Hinojosa is sitting down with board members behind closed doors at DISD headquarters to discuss this plan that calls for extending the school year at six to eight low-performing DISD high schools.

At the moment, 12 of them are being monitored by the Texas Education Agency, for poor student performance.

The state is even threatening to close down two of them, including H. Grady Spruce High School, if student TAKs scores do not improve by this spring.

Extending the school year by up to five weeks would give students more time in the classroom.

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There will be a vote on the plan by the end of April.

Part of the plan also calls for upping teachers' incentives to keep top-notch teachers in place at these schools, giving them two-year contracts, instead of one, and increasing their bonuses from $6,000 to $10,000.

Hinojosa says the money is there for these payments.

"We have some of the stimulus package money. Or if we have to redirect some of our current dollars, that we're spending on other things, we need to do that. But this is a huge priority for this school district and it's very important for those families, in those communities and those schools," he said.

Members of the board said they were not available for reaction until they've heard the plan in full.

There will be a vote on the plan by the end of April.

If the plan gets the green light, they will extend the school year as soon as next year.

The low-performing schools will be the ones affected.

E-mail cvega@wfaa.com.