Austin ISD has appealed the fifth consecutive failing ratings at Burnet and Webb middle schools, the district and the Texas Education Agency confirmed Sept. 18. If the ratings stand, state law requires the education commissioner to close a campus or replace the district's elected board with a board of managers.
Some context
Burnet and Webb each received a fifth consecutive failing rating in TEA's 2026 A-F ratings, released Aug. 14, according to previous Community Impact reporting.
Under state law, five straight unacceptable ratings at any one campus require the commissioner to close it or replace the district's elected board, regardless of the district's overall rating.
Dobie Middle School, which had four straight failing ratings, earned a 'D' this year and avoided a fifth 'F' that would have put a third campus at the state intervention threshold.
Earlier this year, the district tried to hand management of Burnet, Webb and Dobie to an outside partner. TEA rejected the application in May, and AISD ended the partnership in July, past reporting shows.
What the district is saying
AISD said it is providing additional coaching and professional development for teachers and staff and more intensive academic interventions for students at both schools.
"We're continuing our efforts because our students deserve a strong education, regardless of any possible intervention," AISD Superintendent Matias Segura wrote in a Sept. 14 letter to families.
Segura said families at Burnet and Webb can petition TEA to close the campuses. If a majority sign, the commissioner will allow AISD to submit a closure plan. The district said it won't gather signatures or advocate for the petition.
How it works
Only a district superintendent or chief operating officer can file an appeal, and an external panel reviews it, according to TEA.
TEA's manual says districts may appeal for any reason, but requests for exceptions to accountability rules are viewed unfavorably and will most likely be denied.
Neither agency said when the appeal was filed or on what grounds. TEA's appeals window closed Sept. 11, per the agency's 2026 timeline.
What happens next
The commissioner sends decisions to appealing districts by letter before Dec. 11, when TEA releases final ratings and counts of consecutive years of unacceptable performance.
Current ratings and year-over-year history are available at txschools.gov.
