In the six schools of Lake Worth ISD, all except his high school received a note “F”. As a whole district, they obtained a “D” (62), the worst in northern Texas this year.
Lake Worth, Texas-Lake Worth ISD faces a potential state takeover of the State after the responsibility of the Texas Education School (TEA) newly published for 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 showed that a primary school failed for a fifth consecutive year.
It would be the second school district of the County of Tarrant to face this intervention, because Fort Worth ISD awaits a decision of the Commissioner of Texas Education Agency (TEA), Mike Morath, in the coming months.
Under the law of Texas, when a school or a district receives a failing note in the responsibility of the AF of the State for five consecutive years, it triggers the compulsory closure or the possibility of a board of directors appointed by the State. For Lake Worth ISD, the school in question is Marilyn Miller Language Academy, which for 55 out of 100 in the latest version of the ratings. The primary school has just over 500 students, 91.2% of whom come from low -income families and 43.6% of which are emerging bilingual learners, according to tea data.
A press release from Lake Worth ISD did not mention a potential state control, but rather said that the district “recognizes the challenges of being a district listed in” and added that they “are disappointed, but we are not discouraged”.
“We understand where we are as a district, and we see this as an opportunity to grow,” said Armando Velazquez, Chairman of the Lake Worth Board of Directors. “With a clear plan, a committed team, a feeling of emergency and a belief in the potential of each student, we are convinced that the work that we do today will lead to a stronger and more successful tomorrow for our entire neighborhood.”
Lake Worth ISD, as a whole district, received a “D” for 2025, which was an improvement in the F received in 2024, but still the lowest note received in northern Texas. There are six schools in Lake Worth ISD and all except one (Lake Worth high school) received an F.
Morath did not publicly comment on the status of the Worth Worth. WFAA contacted tea about possible intervention with Lake Worth ISD. We have not heard in relation to the publication.
“We have a significant amount of work to be done, and we are committed to improving the academic results of our students,” said the press release from Lake Worth ISD.
How are the liability ratings determined?
The Texas Education Agency publishes liability ratings each year, except when legal challenges delay their release. School districts challenged the state rating system in prosecution, alleging that tea has made changes to the rating system which made a good note more difficult and has not given enough time to adapt.
The judges then ruled that the State could release its notes for the 2023 and 2024 school years. The 2023 notes were published in April.
The notes published on Friday come from school years 2024 and 2025. The grades are determined by the performance of the school in three different categories: the success of the students, the progress of the school and the commission of the gaps.
Student results and school progress represent 70% of the final ranking, according to tea. The rest is determined by the metric “fill the gap”.
In primary school, the success of students measures whether the students met or not to the expectations of the STAAR test. For high school campuses, he also measures graduation rates and college / career preparation.
School progress measures the way students carry out state tests over time and how this performance is compared to other schools with similar economic students.
The closing of the gap measures to what extent schools increase scores among special needs and English as second language learners.
Critics of the responsibility system argue that the AF system night with poorer districts because they are more likely to receive faulty notes and to face an intervention. The defenders say that the notes allow parents to see how their district and their school take place.
