Lake Travis ISD’s Hudson Bend Middle School has earned recognition as a Texas School to Watch, according to a Jan. 27 press release from Marco Alvarado, the district’s director of communications.

The Schools to Watch program was developed in 1999, aiming to identify the middle schools across the country who were displaying academic excellence and a commitment to helping all students achieve, the release said.

The designation is by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform along with the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals and is based on various criteria. Hudson Bend Middle School first earned this designation in 2014, receiving recertification in 2017, according to the release.

The recognition holds for a three-year period, and in order to earn recertification, schools need to meet a number of goals. LTISD submitted an application prior to being evaluated by state teams, which conducted interviews of administrators, teachers, students and parents, the release said. Data including suspension rates, student work and the quality of lessons were also assessed.

“This unique designation is a reflection of our school’s commitment to academic growth and achievement,” Tom Payne, Hudson Bend Middle School principal, said in the release. “The most telling part of the process was the observance of our school climate where students value the relationships they build with the staff, as well as the staff’s focus on making sure no student falls between the cracks.”