SAN ANTONIO – Six Bexar County school districts must submit plans to the state for improving performance at poorly-rated campuses — and in some cases, immediately put them into action.
Meanwhile, the Texas Education Agency could also decide to send a conservator to take a more hands-on involvement in the districts’ affairs.
Individual schools and districts receive A-F ratings from the TEA each year. Though the formula varies by the school level, it can include metrics like test scores, graduation rates, and college and career readiness.
State law requires districts to develop a “turnaround plan” for campuses that have received two failing, or otherwise “unacceptable,” ratings in a row. After a campus hits three years in a row, the district has to implement the plan the next year.
"So what we are looking for is, based on the individual context of that campus, is the district proposing a plan that creates a higher likelihood of success for students who are attending that campus?" said Steve Lecholop, TEA deputy commissioner of governance. “That could look like any number of things, but it is highly dependent on the local context of the individual campus."
Edgewood ISD, Northside ISD, San Antonio ISD, Judson ISD, Harlandale ISD and East Central ISD all received letters from the TEA on Aug. 28 or Sept. 3 ordering them to submit plans for at least one of their campuses.
Edgewood, Northside, Judson and SAISD were also ordered to implement plans at at least one of those campuses.
At least one other local district, Natalia ISD, based in Medina County, was ordered to submit a turnaround plan for one of its campuses.
New plans have to be submitted by Nov. 14, though SAISD was also told to resubmit previous plans for two of its campuses before Sept. 23.
After it’s approved, the plans for the campuses with three years of failing grades must implement them immediately.
The timelines are condensed this year because three years’ worth of TEA ratings dropped within four months of each other.
Due to legal challenges, the 2022-2023 ratings were only released in April, while the 2023-2024 ratings came out alongside the 2024-2025 ratings in August.
The goal is to avoid schools getting failing ratings five years in a row, at which point the commissioner of education must either close the campus or appoint a board of managers to govern the whole school district in place of an elected board of trustees.
In the meantime, multiple consecutive years of failing ratings open the door for the commissioner to appoint a conservator to oversee district operations.
A conservator could direct the actions of the school board, superintendent or even individual principals, with “just a few exceptions,” Lecholop said. However, the scope of their power would depend on what the commissioner of education decides.
It’s not clear what chance any of the districts have of a conservator being forced upon them. Lecholop would only tell KSAT “it’s all based on the individual context of the individual districts, and we’re in the process of conducting that analysis.”
The decision also can’t happen until the 2024 and 2025 school year ratings are finalized, likely later this year.
It’s not likely to be anything a district wants, though.
“A conservator is going to be a black mark, of course. You know, if you have somebody come in, it’s for a reason,” said Edgewood ISD Deputy Superintendent of Academics and School Leadership Phillip Chavez.
Chavez thinks Edgewood will be able to avoid having a conservator assigned to it.
Though the TEA wants turnaround plans for seven Edgewood campuses, Chavez said the district already has plans that have been in place, including curriculum changes.
He said the district also started meeting parents at campuses to keep them informed about changes.
“So after they drop off kids, the superintendent is meeting with groups of parents to explain to them what we’re doing and how we’re going about doing (it), specifically for their campuses,” Chavez said. “When we communicate with families, we’re also getting their feedback. Their feedback is critical for us forming these plans.”
Edgewood ISD — 7 campuses
The TEA instructed the district to develop a plan at one campus:
- Henry B Gonzalez Elementary
The TEA instructed Edgewood to both create and implement a campus turnaround plan at six campuses:
- Brentwood Middle School
- Roy Cisneros Elementary
- Las Palmas Leadership School for Girls
- Roosevelt Dual Language Academy
- Roosevelt Elementary
- Stafford Visual and Performing Arts Elementary
Northside ISD — 4 campuses
The TEA instructed the district to develop a plan at three campuses:
- Glass Elementary
- Martin Elementary
- Neff Middle School
The TEA instructed NISD to both create and implement a campus turnaround plan at just one campus:
- Mead Elementary
San Antonio ISD — 18 campuses
The TEA instructed the district to develop a turnaround plan for seven campuses:
- Hot Wells Middle School
- Rogers College Prep Middle School
- Rogers Middle School
- Highland Hills Elementary
- Bowden Academy
- Rogers Academy
- Woodlawn Academy
The TEA instructed SAISD to both create and implement a campus turnaround plan at nine additional campuses:
- Rhodes Middle School
- Edgar Allen Poe STEM/Dual Language Middle School
- Tafolla Middle School
- Charles Graebner Elementary
- Herff Elementary
- Ogden Elementary
- Carvajal Elementary
- Longfellow Middle School
- David Crockett Academy
The TEA instructed the district to resubmit a previous turnaround plan and implement it two additional campuses:
- Davis Middle School
- Hirsch Elementary
Judson ISD — 4 campuses
The TEA instructed the district to develop a plan at one campus:
- James L. Masters Elementary
The TEA instructed JISD to both create and implement a campus turnaround plan at three campuses:
- Henry Metzger Middle School
- Kirby Middle School
- Park Village Blended Learning Academy
Harlandale ISD — 1 campus
The TEA instructed the district to develop a turnaround plan for one campus:
- Vestal Elementary
East Central ISD — 2 campuses
The TEA instructed the district to develop a turnaround plan for two campuses:
- East Central Cast Lead High School
- Pecan Valley Elementary
Natalia ISD — 1 campus
The TEA instructed the district to develop a turnaround plan for one campus:
- Natalia Junior High School
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