Hays CISD received an overall grade of B from the Texas Education Agency in the first official release of the agency’s A-F accountability rating system. The 84 out of 100 score shows a significant improvement over last year’s C score of 77 out of 100. In the three domains the TEA uses to measure a district, HCISD received an 82 for student achievement, an 84 for school progress and an 83 for closing the gaps. For the first time this year, TEA awarded a letter grade to both the district overall and each of its 24 campuses. Four HCISD schools—Barton and Dahlstrom middle schools and Elm Grove and Negley elementary schools—received an A, but two—Simon and McCormick middle schools—received D grades. No schools in the district received an F. In 2018—under the previous grading scale, which labeled schools as either meeting standards or needing improvement—only one HCISD school was labeled Improvement Required. That school, Tom Green Elementary, this year was awarded a B grade by the TEA.