Education Education Guide
BY HANNAH NORTON
2024
Readers, welcome to your annual CI Education Edition! This guide features the latest updates and resources about local K-12 public school options in your community, ranging from new campuses to budget details to bond elections. All of the stories were written by our team of local journalists, and all of the advertisements are from nearby businesses who support our mission to provide free, useful news—please show them your gratitude by supporting them.
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What's inside
Expert breaks down budget issues for districts (Page 22)
PfISD’s new superintendent outlines district goals (Page 24)
RRISD to use grant funding for window safety film (Page 25)
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TEA once again blocked from issuing A-F ratings for Texas public schools
The A-F accountability system The TEA’s accountability system was established by the 2017 Texas Legislature based on a variety of factors, including:
The annual State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness
For the second year in a row, a Travis County judge blocked the Texas Education Agency from releasing its A-F accountability ratings for Texas school districts and campuses Sept. 18. The case echoes a 2023 lawsuit from over 100 school districts, which alleged the TEA’s revamped accountability system was “unlawful” and would unfairly harm school districts. The agency was set to release ratings for the 2023-24 school year on Aug. 15. In a lawsuit filed Aug. 12, five public school dis- tricts said the TEA has not been transparent about changes to its accountability system and failed to fix “mistakes” made last year. An additional 27 districts have since joined the lawsuit. A TEA spokesperson told Community Impact the agency plans to appeal; however, the injunction will remain in effect unless an appeals court issues
a new ruling, according to court documents. More details Texas’ A-F system, designed in 2017, gives parents insight about the quality of their children’s school. If a campus or district receives a failing grade for several years in a row, the state can intervene. Districts have not received complete A-F ratings since 2019. In 2022, schools that received a C or lower were deemed “not rated” as they recovered from significant learning loss from the COVID-19 pandemic. Accountability ratings were not issued at all in 2020 or 2021. The STAAR test—which the state redesigned to feature more open-ended questions and be administered fully online—has become a “flawed assessment instrument” that the TEA failed to verify by a third party, according to the lawsuit.
Academic growth
High school graduation rates
Student preparedness for college, a career or the military
SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Travis County Judge Daniella DeSeta Lyttle sided with the plaintiffs in blocking the ratings for the 2023-24 school year after hearing oral arguments from the TEA and districts involved in the case Sept. 16-17. A full trial has been set for Feb. 10.
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NORTH - NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION
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