The Ector County ISD Board of Trustees will meet in special session at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the first floor board room of the administration building, 802 N. Sam Houston Ave., to discuss joining other school districts in challenging the Texas Education Agency’s A-F system.
The board will meet in closed session and then consider approval of a resolution authorizing the district to join litigation against TEA challenging the lack of transparency in calculation of school district accountability ratings.
Seven school districts, including Fort Stockton and Pecos-Barstow-Toyah, recently sued Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath over the revamped letter grade accountability system.
In a collaborative effort to uphold the integrity of the education system, Pecos-Barstow-Toyah Independent School District (PBTISD), along with several other dedicated school districts, has filed a joint lawsuit against the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and Commissioner Mike Morath, a news release said.
The lawsuit was initiated and filed in 419th State District Court in Travis County by Kingsville ISD in Travis County, Texas. Other districts included in the lawsuit besides PBTISD are Fort Stockton ISD, Edinburg CISD, Del Valle ISD, Crowley ISD, and Canutillo ISD.
The legal action addresses what the districts believe to be “unlawful adjustments to the A-F Accountability Rating system, a matter of paramount importance to the future of our students and communities.”
“Our commitment to providing quality education is unwavering,” PBTISD Superintendent Brent Jaco said in a news release. “The A-F Accountability Rating system is intended to be a fair and transparent measure of our schools’ performance. We believe that any adjustments made should be grounded in equity, and accuracy, and have been reported to districts in a timely manner. Our students and educators deserve nothing less.”
The proposed adjustments by Morath could potentially lower the accountability rating of districts across the state like PBTISD that have been making significant strides in student achievement. This lawsuit underscores their collective dedication to ensuring that the educational landscape remains just and equitable, fostering an environment where our students can thrive and reach their fullest potential, the release said.
“As we navigate this legal process, we remain steadfast in our mission to provide an outstanding education for every student within the PBTISD and beyond,” the release said. “By challenging these adjustments, we aim to prevent a scenario in which districts that are on an upward trajectory are inadvertently penalized by changes that do not accurately capture their achievements.”
