Leander - Liberty Hill Edition | March 2024

BY CHLOE YOUNG

Board rejects state’s new AF rating system Liberty Hill ISD formally expressed its disapproval of the Texas Education Agency’s new AF accountability rating system in the form of a resolution passed Feb. 20. Current situation LHISD is opposing the TEA’s “refreshed” AF rating system, which has changed how ratings are calculated. Under the new system, districts may receive lower ratings despite student performance improving. While Superintendent Steven Snell said he did not recommend the district join more than 100 others in a lawsuit against the TEA, the resolution allows LHISD to oppose the new rating system. Snell said TEA Commis- sioner Mike Morath previously said most Texas school districts were in favor of the new system because only 10% joined the lawsuit.

Liberty Hill ISD adopts new attendance zones Over 600 students in Liberty Hill ISD are expected to attend Tierra Rosa Elementary next school year after the board of trustees approved new attendance zones at a Feb. 20 meeting. What you need to know Tierra Rosa Elementary will pull students from Santa Rita and Bar W elementaries once it opens in August in the Santa Rita Ranch subdivision. With a capacity of 800 students, about 619 students will attend Tierra Rosa Elementary for the 2024-25 school year with more students attending each year, projections show. The new school will relieve Santa Rita Elementary as it is over capacity by around 200 students, Superintendent Steven Snell said at a community forum on Jan. 16. Ocials said the new attendance zones are intended to stay in place until Elementary School No. 8 opens in 2026 in the Lariat neighborhood.

Elementary attendance boundaries

School location

Bill Burden

Santa Rita

Louine Noble

Tierra Rosa

Rancho Sienna

183

Liberty Hill

RONALD REAGAN BLVD.

Bar W

MAP NOT TO SCALE N

SOURCE: LIBERTY HILL ISDCOMMUNITY IMPACT

What they’re saying “We did our absolute best to minimize the number of families who were being moved or tran- sitioned,” said Todd Washburn, LHISD assistant superintendent of teaching and learning. “We know they love their schools and don’t like to move from their schools, so we’ve tried to mitigate that.”

LEANDER LIBERTY HILL EDITION