The Texas Education Agency released accreditation statuses for school districts and charter schools across the state, and both Marlin and Buckholts ISD have lost their state accreditation.
“I mean, it makes me upset. Because again, I wouldn’t want to have to send them out. Because it’s a hassle,” says Marlin mother Tina Martinez.
“Had the same exact status last year, and the year before. We had 100 percent of our kids get accepted to colleges and universities last year with a zero percent dropout rate,” says Superintendent Dr. Michael Seabolt.
Seabolt says Friday’s release from the Texas Education Agency is nothing new, and they have already been approved for a review come this Monday.
“While you were under review, we remain open. And we’ve been under review since 2015 -2016. So this is nothing new,” he says.
An accredited-revoked status means the TEA does not recognize the school as a Texas public school following multiple years of deficiencies in academic and or financial performance.
“So the reason the TEA is keeping us in the review is because we keep showing improvement. As long as were showing improvement and making progress, I think TEA will probably let the process go forward,” Seabolt says.
Still, local parents are worried.
“You figure that it’s been so long and so many years that it would be a little bit better. But I guess I don’t know,” Martinez says. All of her kids attend difference schools in Marlin.
Marlin school officials learned in August 2017 the district had failed to meet state standards for a fifth straight year. The district showed marked improvement in its middle and high schools, but elementary remained low.
“So this is a legal process and we have to go through,” Seabolt says.
“It’s up to everybody. Because as a parent, I want my kids to be successful,” Martinez says.
ORIGINAL STORY
Two small Central Texas school districts have lost their state accreditation.
The Texas Education Agency says the Marlin Independent School District and the Buckholts Independent School District lost accreditation after several years of warnings.
According to the TEA’s website, this means the schools are no longer recognized by the state. You can click to view a document from the website below.
FOX 44 spoke with the superintendent at Marlin, who says the school year will continue and the district is seeing improvement.
A spokesperson from TEA says both districts have asked for a review of the decision.
If the decision is not overturned, both districts will close on July 1.
Source: Texas Education Agency
