The gist
PISD is one of more than 100 school districts in Texas that is suing the TEA over its new A-F accountability rating system.
On Oct. 26, following witness testimony and oral arguments on the case, the 419th Civil District Court in Travis County issued a temporary injunction that will prevent the TEA from issuing or adjusting the ratings.
PISD joined the lawsuit Sept. 19, with officials citing concerns that the TEA’s adjusted rankings would show “the misleading appearance of declining school performance.” Lower accountability scores would also impact enrollment and property values in the district.
After the case was filed in August, the TEA delayed the release of its new ratings, which were set to come out in October before the Oct. 26 court ruling.
What they’re saying
An emailed statement from district officials said that they expect the TEA to be held accountable “just as school districts are.”
“The court recognized that the Legislature expects for families, schools and educators to know the rules by which schools will be graded in advance, rather than applying new rules retroactively as the TEA has attempted to do for the 2022-2023 school year,” the statement said. “Accountability ratings can serve a useful purpose when the criteria for the ratings is transparent, established in advance and districts have an opportunity to use ratings as a goal, rather than as a punitive measure with criteria set after the fact.”
Officials added that the district will continue to collect “far more useful local data,” and “continue to focus on improving student achievement.”
“[We] look forward to seeing continued student growth this year, just as we did during the 2022-23 school year,” the district’s statement said.
What’s next
The trial on the case will take place at 9 a.m. Feb. 12, according to court documents.
