The Texas Education Agency released its A-F Accountability Ratings for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years Aug. 15, and Bastrop ISD officials are praising the year-over-year growth.

The details

Bastrop ISD received a D rating with a score of 61 out of 100 for 2023-24, and a C rating with a score of 71 for 2024-25, according to TEA data.“Growth like this is huge,” said Jennifer Eberly, the chief academic officer of Bastrop ISD.

However, she stressed that a 10-point jump “does not happen overnight.”

“It definitely doesn’t happen by chance,” Eberly said. “It takes a lot of dedicated people, both in the school district and in the community, with a focus on one single goal, and that’s increasing student achievement.”

She also credited the BISD school board, which she noted helped guide the district in the implementation of an updated curriculum about two years ago.

“They’ve supported us every step of the way, and it’s really starting to show now,” Eberly said. “We have the momentum and excitement, and we’re ready to continue to push the bar forward.”

Some context

The 85th Texas Legislature established the A-F Accountability System in 2017 through House Bill 22 to measure three key areas:

• Student achievement
• School progress
• Closing the gaps

The 2023-24 ratings were blocked for nearly a year after 33 school districts joined a lawsuit against the TEA in August 2024, arguing that some schools could receive lower ratings with the same performance.

However, Texas’ 15th Court of Appeals ruled July 3 that the 2023-24 ratings could be released, and the TEA announced July 24 they would be issued alongside the 2024-25 ratings.

“Today marks a return to clarity and accountability,” Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said in a statement Aug. 15. “With the release of the 2025 A-F Ratings, we are reinforcing our commitment to transparency and to providing accurate, readily available information that helps every family understand how their school is doing.”

The outlook

BISD began its 2025-26 school year Aug. 13, and Eberly highlighted how she and other BISD officials are already exploring ways for students to further improve their success in the classroom.

“We’re looking at student populations that are underperforming, and then how are we increasing every year to get them back up to the state standards that we want to be at,” she said. “We’re looking forward to a great year of continued growth.”

BISD officials said they are aiming for a B rating in 2026.

“We increased a full letter grade this year, and that’s what we’re aiming for next year too,” Eberly said.