Wichita Falls School District Avoids Takeover by State

WICHITA FALLS, TX — The Wichita Falls school district will not be placed under state control, district officials announced at a Thursday board meeting.

Under state law, when a single school receives five consecutive F grades on the state’s accountability scale, the Texas Education Agency can replace a district’s locally elected school board or close the struggling campus.

After years of underperformance at Kirby Middle School, Wichita Falls ISD closed the campus and moved the students to Hirschi Middle School. The district also entered a partnership with Third Future Schools, a charter school network focused on turning around struggling schools.

The moves may have helped TEA decide against a state takeover.

Donny Lee, the superintendent of Wichita Falls, said he expects to have no failing campuses when accountability ratings are released later this year.

“We’ll be able to continue operating under a locally elected school board. To say the least, we are thrilled,” Lee said at Thursday’s board meeting. The announcement was met with applause.

Texas has increasingly relied on state interventions as a means to shape learning in public schools. Last year, TEA announced it will replace the elected school boards of Fort Worth, as well as the Beaumont, Connally and Lake Worth school districts because of academic underperformance. The largest takeover is also occurring at the Houston Independent School District, which has more than 183,000 students.