Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath has increasingly urged public school districts facing potential state intervention to partner with third-party organizations to manage their lowest-performing campuses. This recommendation comes as several North Texas districts approach the threshold for state takeovers under the current accountability framework.
Under Texas law, a district becomes subject to a state takeover if any of its campuses receives five consecutive F grades in the annual A-F Accountability rating system. Such an intervention allows the agency to appoint a new superintendent and replace the local school board with a Board of Managers.
This process has already occurred at Fort Worth ISD and Lake Worth ISD within the past year.
However, Senate Bill 1882, enacted nearly a decade ago, provides a mechanism for districts to avoid this outcome. The legislation permits schools to partner with external management groups, granting those campuses a two-year exemption from takeover eligibility. This extension allows a campus to receive up to seven consecutive F grades without triggering state intervention.
Everman ISD recently utilized this provision by partnering with Third Future Schools, a nonprofit educational management organization founded by former Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles. The district announced the agreement last month to have the group operate Charles Baxter Junior High and Townley Elementary. One of these schools had just received its fourth F grade at the time of the announcement.
During a press conference regarding the Everman partnership, Morath emphasized that districts should seek partners with specialized expertise in curriculum or instructional support if it benefits students. He stated that districts should not wait to implement such changes if they are deemed beneficial for children.
The Texas Education Agency reports that 95 campuses statewide are currently operated by third-party organizations. In Fort Worth ISD, seven campuses are managed by Texas Wesleyan University’s Leadership Academy Network. While the agency notes that approximately 70% of these partnerships have shown academic growth or maintained acceptable performance, some groups have failed to improve results.
