An Austin ISD school that has repeatedly received low ratings from the Texas Education Agency could threaten the district’s elected Board of Trustees autonomy if its rating does not improve next year, Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde said during a Dec. 2 Austin ISD board meeting.
To avoid consequences from the state and to try to improve the school, the Board of Trustees will consider ending a contract with, Texas Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Coalition, or T-STEM Coalition, a nonprofit that has been managing the in-district charter, Elizalde said.
In 2018, Austin ISD chose to turn Mendez Middle School into an in-district charter to prevent the state shutting it down, but a lack of improvement could lead to the state replacing all members of the district's Board of Trustees, Elizalde said.
After a school goes three or more consecutive years receiving a lower than C rating from the Texas Education Agency, state law requires the Texas commissioner of education to choose between closing the school or appointing a board of managers to replace the elected board members for a district. TEA began attempts to replace Houston ISD's elected board in 2019, though the decision has been winding through courts, according to court documents.
