Three struggling Austin middle schools will likely come under the operation of charter schools after a detailed review of testing scores and projections showed the schools are unlikely to improve enough to avoid a district takeover.
Austin ISD board members are expected to vote later this month on whether to seek the charter partnerships and relinquish control of Dobie, Webb and Burnet middle schools as part of a scramble to maintain control of the district.
At a board meeting Thursday night, Superintendent Matias Segura confirmed the schools were showing meaningful academic gains but not enough, or at least fast enough, to escape Texas’ accountability clock. Without dramatic improvement this year, the campuses could trigger a chain reaction that allows the state to close the schools or seize control of the entire district.
What a fifth failing rating could trigger
Under Texas policy, if any of the three schools receive a fifth failing accountability rating after this year’s standardized tests, the state education commissioner could order the campuses closed or overtake the district entirely, replacing elected trustees with a state-appointed board of managers and diminishing local input on district decisions. Test scores weigh heavily in the accountability ratings.
Segura told board members the district relied on an internal data review as well as an analysis by a technical partner, Steady State, which showed especially strong academic growth at Burnet and Dobie.
“In reality, that great work is leading to improvement, and we’re excited to share some of that, but we also recognize that there are lots of challenges with the types of growth we need in the time period that we have,” Segura said after commending teachers and staff at the three schools, which he said he visited recently.
Trustee Arati Singh highlighted double-digit gains in reading and math scores among seventh and eighth grade students at Dobie and Burnet middle schools.
“I don’t know if I have really seen these kinds of gains,” Singh said. “Thank you to the staff of our schools for doing this and the students and our families for really focusing in. I wish we could continue this trajectory.”
Tight timeline for high-stakes decision
Following Segura’s presentation, board members questioned the timeline for the decision, stressing a district-wide communication should come well before any application is submitted. Segura said he also wanted to meet with teachers and staff at the affected schools before communicating the plan to the entire district.
Multiple trustees suggested holding a public community meeting ahead of the board’s Jan. 29 voting meeting if board members seek to meet the state’s Jan. 31 priority deadline.
Segura said the state would have up to 60 days to approve, deny or request additional information on the district’s application. If the district is allowed to enter into the partnership, a 2017 law would pause accountability ratings at the campuses for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years.
A decision from the state would come no later than the end of May. If the proposal isn’t accepted, and the schools receive a fifth failing rating, a state takeover would remain a possibility.
If board members move forward, a vote on which charter operators would run each campus would take place in February.
In the last five years, the Texas Education Agency has taken control of large districts, including Houston and Fort Worth. In December, the agency announced plans to take over Lake Worth, Connally and Beaumont school districts.
State takeovers vary across Texas but can include changes in curriculum, staffing and student programs.
When a district partners with a charter school to operate a campus, some responsibilities, such as transportation, remain with the district, while instructional decisions shift to the charter partner.
Weighing risks of charter control and state takeover
Outside of Dobie Middle School, Hidekel Garcia, whose daughter attends the campus, said on Jan. 9 that she remains dissatisfied with the education her daughter is receiving but is conflicted about the school being turned over to a charter, fearing additional teacher losses while hoping the change could bring improvements in discipline.
Garcia said her opinion of a state takeover would similarly depend on whether the state has a clear plan to help students succeed and how it would affect the school community, including existing career pathway programs.
“If the state has a plan that will actually be good for the kids, go for it, but if it is going to be worse than what they have now, might as well leave them as they are,” Garcia said.
Segura told trustees during the meeting that each charter partnership varies and board members would consider whether potential charter partners have a history of retaining staff, working with existing administrators and aligning with the district’s values.
