Austin ISD moves closer to state takeover after 2 schools receive fifth failing ratings

This announcement came just a day before the Texas Education Agency is set to release statewide accountability ratings publicly. For months, Austin ISD has tried to avoid this outcome, but state law is now triggered. The law mandates Commissioner Morath either close the two schools or appoint a board of managers to replace the district's elected school board.

Another campus, Dobie Middle School, managed to break its own four-year streak of failing ratings. By earning a D, Dobie paused its accountability clock, avoiding the immediate threat of state intervention that Burnet and Webb now face.

For Austin families, this means the future of their local school board and potentially their middle schools hangs in the balance. The situation illustrates the serious consequences for districts under state accountability measures, setting a precedent for how the TEA handles repeated low performance across Texas.