The Texas Education Agency is making strides in taking over failing public school districts, with the most recent additions being Socorro ISD and Marlin ISD.
Last week, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) took action by appointing two conservators to oversee the management of the Socorro Independent School District. The decision came after a thorough investigation conducted by the TEA, which revealed multiple violations of the Texas Education Code. These violations included graduating students who did not meet the necessary requirements, failure to disclose a trustee’s conflict of interest with a vendor, and the unauthorized payment of $283,000 in stipends. Additionally, the TEA report highlighted the existence of complaints filed against board members and administrators.
According to a letter sent to SISD by TEA Commissioner Mike Morath, the conservators consist of a former Dallas Independent School District supervisor and a director at the University of Texas at Austin.
According to Morath, TEA received numerous complaints regarding the findings of the internal academic auditor in the 2019 graduation audit. Furthermore, the agency received additional complaints regarding allegations of conflict of interest, unauthorized use of district funds, misuse of special education funds and personnel, and widespread governance concerns.
He further clarified the responsibilities of the conservators, emphasizing that their involvement does not exempt the district and its governing board from their obligation to adhere to all relevant statutes and rules.
Socorro ISD, which is the second-largest school district in El Paso County, provides education to a whopping 47,000 students. Unfortunately, the district is facing a significant financial challenge with a $33 million deficit. Adding to the difficulties, the superintendent has announced their departure in June to join an Arizona school district. To address these pressing issues, the district’s Board of Trustees made the decision in March to request assistance from the TEA to take over the management.
In February, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) initiated a transition process to take over Marlin Independent School District (ISD), which caters to 880 students in Falls County.
Marlin ISD’s Superintendent, Dr. Michael Morath, has officially announced the initiation of the transition of district governance from the appointed Board of Managers to the elected Board of Trustees. This significant milestone comes after a process that has been underway for over seven years. During the announcement, Dr. Morath also introduced the new members of the elected Board of Trustees, further emphasizing the importance of this transition for Marlin ISD.
In January 2017, Morath initiated the takeover process as a result of the district’s five consecutive years of unsatisfactory academic accountability ratings. As a first step, he appointed five new Board of Managers to oversee Marlin ISD. In January 2019, he decided to extend the tenure of the board “due to a lack of improvement” in the district’s 2017 and 2018 accountability ratings. At that point, the district had experienced seven consecutive years of unacceptable performance.
In January 2021, Morath disclosed a timeline for the district’s Board of Managers transition. However, the commencement of the transition was postponed until Jan. 31, 2024, due to various factors. He also mentioned that more trustees will join the board in January 2025 and January 2026.
In January, La Joya ISD in the Rio Grande Valley underwent a takeover following a TEA investigation conducted last year. The investigation revealed that two LJISD trustees and three central office administrators had committed felonies such as extortion, kickbacks, bribery, theft, wire fraud, and money laundering. These individuals were convicted for their actions almost two years ago.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) also assumed control of Houston ISD last year after a prolonged legal battle, mirroring the situation at LJISD.
In the previous year, the Texas Legislature enacted a law that aimed to simplify the process for TEA in taking necessary actions to address issues of underperforming public schools and corruption.
