Education
BY ADAM DOE
Lewisville ISD officials plan to repurpose Mill Street Elementary School into the district’s second early childhood education center for the 2026-27 school year, according to a turnaround plan for the school, following multiple years of low accountability ratings. The Texas Education Agency requires schools that score multiple unacceptable ratings, D or F, to submit a turnaround plan, according to LISD’s website. Mill Street scored an F for the last three consecutive school years. District leadership released a turnaround plan for the school in mid-October. The plan states current students will be reassigned to higher performing campuses based on zoning and program availability ahead of the 2026-27 school year. Lewisville ISD to reassign Mill Street students
Diving deeper
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Samantha Fitzpatrick, LISD’s director of communications, said some faculty and staff will be transferred to other campuses as part of the turnaround plan. All LISD employees will remain employed by the district. One of the principal causes of the low ratings is high teacher turnover, forcing experienced teach- ers to spend time training new teachers, leaving less time for instruction, according to a presenta- tion from Chief Schools Officer Lori Litchfield at an Oct. 6 work session. “There has been turnover at Mill Street in the past three years,” Litchfield said. “In the past three years it’s been 54 total, and in the past two years it’s been 35.” Litchfield added that of the 35 teachers that left in the last two years, 23 of them either retired, chose to pursue higher education, changed career fields, got new jobs, left for personal reasons or moved out of the district. Other factors affecting the school’s rating are low parent engagement and persistent classroom disruptions from students, per the presentation.
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Elementary school transfers Bilingual students:
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During the 2024-25 school year, roughly two-thirds of the 663 students at Mill Street Elementary are in the school’s bilingual program, according to TEA data.
Looking ahead
“Our shared goal is to get them to a C rating this school year.” LEWISVILLE ISD SUPERINTENDENT LORI RAPP
accountability rating for the 2025-26 school year by improving instruction through more effective teacher training and feedback, Chief of Elementary Schools Stephanie Lawson said.
LISD trustees will vote to approve the turnaround plan at a Nov. 10 meeting, and pending board approval, the district will submit to TEA for approval by Nov. 21. LISD officials will work to improve the school’s
DCTA presents the LISD “Destination: Success” Achievement Award ve
Lily Rabner, 8th-Grade student at Hu nes Middle School “Lily is an exceptional student who consistently excels academically, performs acts of kindness that li those around her, and makes a positive difference in quiet but meaningful ways. She leads with purpose as Student Council President and a member of the National Junior Honor Society. She truly embodies what it means to be a Husky— leading with kindness, integrity, and school spirit in all she does.” — Dr. Bradley Willi, Principal, Hu nes Middle School
dent She egrity,
Mrs. Bradley is a teacher who’s made a difference in my life because she’s helped me expand the way I look at the world.
elped
Alexis Ariceaga, 10th-grade student at Lewisville HS Killough “My favorite way to give back is by offering support to anyone who’s had a bad day or needs emotional encouragement.” He lives by his parents’ advice: “If you try your best, someday it will all work out.” Alexis adds, “My first time taking a DCTA GoZone ride was nerve-racking but also exciting because I knew I didn’t have to ask for rides anymore and could get to places faster.”
Mrs. Werts has made a difference in my life because she’s always there to greet me when I get off the shuttle with a hug, and she makes my day better.
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