On October 3, the Everman ISD Board of Trustees voted to join dozens of other North Texas school districts and many others across the state in a lawsuit against the Texas Education Agency.

The litigation is in response to the lack of communication regarding the projected significant changes to the state’s A-F accountability rating system. School districts continue to wait on the finalized rules for the new standards that will impact every district and campus in the state.

Texas schools are rated with an A through F letter grade each year by the TEA. The system uses performance measures, methods and procedures based on student performance on the STAAR test, graduation rates, and College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR) metrics. Those measures and methods are yet to be finalized, which is problematic and may significantly change this year’s rating despite seeing growth in student results. 

Initially filed by Kingsville ISD, the lawsuit refers to TEA Commissioner Mike Morath’s failure to provide school districts with “a document in a simple, accessible format that explains the accountability performance measures, methods, and procedures that will be applied” for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years, in violation of state law. The suit seeks an injunction to stop the commissioner from issuing new ratings using retroactively, incomplete measures.

Everman ISD supports increased student performance standards and accountability; however, Texas school districts are legally required to receive adequate notice of how the standards will be applied. 

“We have a responsibility to do our due diligence in the best interest of our students, staff and community. We support our teachers and students and need an accountability system that  reflects the hard work that happens in Everman ISD each day,”  Superintendent Dr. Felicia Donaldson said. 

Get more information on the A-F Accountability System on the TEA Website.