the U.S. Justice Department. NFISD would be merged into HISD. On June 13, 2013 the HISD board voted unanimously to absorb the North Forest Independent School District (NFISD). HISD won the Broad Prize in 2013. On January 14, 2016 the HISD board voted 5-4 to rename four campuses named after Robert E. Lee or others linked to the Confederacy. In October 2018 the HISD board chose to appoint Saavedra as the interim HISD superintendent, but the board later reversed its decision. The board members who did not favor bringing in Saavedra were not aware of this until a board member who did support this announced the decision at an official board meeting. The reversal meant that Grenita Latham remained as the interim superintendent. By 2019 the Texas Education Agency (TEA) had opened an investigation against the school board and ordered a halt to any efforts to recruit a permanent superintendent. By August 2019 the TEA wrote a preliminary report recommending that the HISD school board be dissolved, with a state-appointed board of managers and conservator replacing it, and to reduce the accreditation of HISD. The report alleges wrongdoing of various board members, including violations of the Texas Open Meetings Act. The TEA initially had suggested a board takeover due to poor performance at some schools, but the alleged violation of the open meetings act when several board members attempted to re-hire Saavedra, without the knowledge of the remaining board members, became the reason to seek dismissal of the board. In 2019 HISD received a grade of 88 - "B" - from the TEA, while in 2018 it had a grade of 84. In 2019 271 HISD schools were counted in TEA accountability ratings. 250 schools passed, while 21 (7.5% of schools) did not. 2020s In 2020 the HISD board voted 6-3 against naming Lathan as permanent superintendent. Millard House became the new superintendent on July 1, 2021. All board members voted to approve him and he was the only finalist for the position. He was from the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System. During the COVID-19 pandemic in Texas House agreed to institute a mask mandate effective fall 2021 despite Governor of Texas Greg Abbott banning school districts from having mask mandates. Additionally the HISD board of education voted to approve the mask mandate. The vote was eight in favor and none voting against. Bilingual education, Magnet, and Vanguard schools HISD focuses