The ratings for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school year were released on Aug. 15 after a nearly two-year legal fight. For the 2023-24 school year, SCUCISD received a C rating with 79 out of 100 possible points.
A closer look
Texas schools are rated on an A-F scale based on the criteria of student achievement, student progress and closing opportunity gaps, according to Community Impact reporting.
According to the 2024-25 TEA accountability report, SCUCISD was one of 491 Texas districts to receive a B rating, accounting for 41.1% of evaluated districts. SCUCISD was one of 392 districts to receive a C for 2023-24, making up 32.9% of evaluated districts.
Total student enrollment for the district in 2024-25 was 14,917. According to TEA data, 32.1% of students were economically disadvantaged, 19.9% were in special education programs and 5.1% were emergent bilingual or English learners.
The 2024-25 average district attendance was 94%, and 16.3% of students were chronically absent, meaning they missed 10% or more of the school year.
Of the 16 SCUCISD campuses that received a 2024-25 TEA rating, 10 received B ratings, four received C ratings and two received D ratings. There were no A or F rated campuses.
Two campuses received F ratings in 2023-24, Rose Garden Elementary with a score of 58 and Schertz Elementary with a score of 57. The two campuses rose to D ratings of 64 and 69, respectively, in 2024-25.
According to the TEA website, districts that scored a D or F in 2024 or 2025 may receive extra resources and support from the state. Any campus that received a D or an F in both 2024 and 2025 must develop a turnaround plan and submit it to the TEA by Nov. 14, according to a letter sent to school leaders Aug. 14.
Eight SCUCISD campuses improved letter grades between 2024-24 and 2024-25, and two campuses received state Distinction Designations, according to a district news release. Laura Ingalls Wilder Intermediate earned a Distinction in Comparative Academic Growth and Ray D. Corbett Junior High received a Distinction for Closing the Gaps.
“We’ve stayed focused on what matters most—student growth. These gains reflect the intentional, day-in and day-out work happening in classrooms across our district,” Superintendent Paige Meloni said in a news release.
The seven SCUCISD campuses with 35% or more economically disadvantaged populations averaged a 76.9, while the nine campuses less than 35% averaged a 83.6, according to TEA data.
Elementary schools averaged a 77.4, middle schools averaged a 85 and high schools averaged a 82.
Zooming out
Statewide, SCUCISD was part of the 24% of school districts improving their A-F ratings between the 2023-24 to 2024-25 school years. According to TEA data, 64% kept the same rating and 12% received a lower rating.
“We see that year over year, our schools have gotten better across the state for our kids,” TEA Commissioner Mike Morath told reporters on Aug. 14. “And these are not just numbers on a slide. These are the lives of children.”
The 2024-25 ratings were issued on the state law mandated Aug. 15 date, but the 2023-24 ratings were blocked for nearly a year.
A total of 33 school districts sued the TEA in August of 2024, arguing that the agency made it tough for schools to earn a high score and were too delayed in notifying districts about changes to the accountability system, according to previous reporting by Community Impact.
In July, Texas’ 15th Court of Appeals ruled that the 2023-24 ratings could be released, with TEA subsequently announcing their release to coincide with 2024-25 ratings.
Morath told reporters he felt the lawsuits were “basically blinding” parents and taxpayers to how well schools are performing.
“We won those lawsuits, but unfortunately, the parents lost, because telling a parent today how well they did in 2024 doesn’t help them with the supports they need to provide their kid at the start of 2025.”
Hannah Norton and Chloe Young contributed to this report.
