Education
BY HANNAH NORTON
Education Edition
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—show them your gratitude by supporting them.
Sponsors
Denise Seiler General Manager dseiler@ communityimpact.com
What's inside
Learn where LHISD is acquiring land for new schools (Page 19)
See photos from recent campus openings in GISD (Page 28)
Huntington Learning Center provides tutoring, test prep (Page 35)
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TEA once again blocked from issuing A F ratings for Texas public schools
The AF 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 AF accountability ratings for Texas school districts and campuses Aug. 12. 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 led Aug. 12, ve public school dis- tricts said the TEA has not been transparent about changes to its accountability system and failed to x “mistakes” made last year. The TEA said it was reviewing the ling to determine next steps. “It is disappointing that a small group of school boards and superintendents opposed to fair
accountability and transparency have once again led a lawsuit aimed at preventing AF ratings from being issued and keeping families in the dark about how their schools are doing,” a TEA spokes- person said in a statement. More details Texas’ AF 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 AF ratings since 2019. In 2022, schools that received a C or lower were deemed “not rated” as they recovered from signicant learning loss from the COVID-19 pandemic. Accountability ratings were not issued at all in 2020 or 2021.
Academic growth
High school graduation rates
Student preparedness for college, a career or the military
SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCYCOMMUNITY IMPACT
Travis County District Judge Karin Crump sided with the school districts in an Aug. 12 order, temporarily blocking the TEA from issuing new accountability ratings while litigation continues. A full hearing was scheduled for Aug. 26, but it has been delayed until Sept. 16, after press time.
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GEORGETOWN EDITION
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