After 7 years of state oversight, Texas starts process of returning local control to Marlin ISD
After the district received failing marks for five years in a row under the state’s accountability rating system, the state assumed control of the district for the first time in 2017 and installed a board of managers in place of the board of trustees. In 2019, state supervision was prolonged because there was no improvement
The district is on pace to reclaim local power after receiving a B in its accountability grade in 2022. When the term of the board of managers ends on January 31, 2026, Marlin ISD will revert to full, independent government. Billy Johnson and Rosalyn Dimerson, two elected trustees, joined the board of managers this week, marking the beginning of that process..
According to a press statement issued this week by TEA Commissioner Mike Morath, “This transition signifies an important milestone for Marlin ISD.” “MISD has significantly improved its governance and academic programs. I have faith that Marlin ISD’s governing body will keep the district moving forward and make it possible for the elected trustees to successfully resume their roles.
2020 hire Darryl Henson, the superintendent, expressed gratitude for returning to a locally elected board.
“We implemented outstanding academic systems that monitor each student’s academic progress in just two years,” Henson stated. “We ensured that our educators had support in both their subject area and daily instruction. We achieved tremendous academic success with that amount of effort and, more crucially, the help of our teachers and students.
[What transpires when a school system such as Houston ISD is taken over by Texas]
This shift will clarify how the TEA restores district autonomy following a state takeover. The largest school system in the state, Houston ISD, had its board of trustees and superintendent dismissed by the agency last year due to years of subpar academic performance at one high school. It also named Mike Miles the new superintendent and constituted a board of management to supervise the district. The TEA investigated the district’s former administration for claims of fraud and conflicts of interest earlier this month, leading to the removal of the school board and superintendent from La Joya ISD.
Families were upset with Marlin ISD, a small school district with roughly 880 students that is close to Waco, last year when administrators revealed that only five of the 33 graduates had completed the prerequisites to graduate, and the ceremony was rescheduled. More recently, a few parents have argued that the district should continue to be governed by the state and have disputed with the district on grading issues.
“Having elected community members on the school board is always a great idea, but in the case of Marlin, after what happened to my children last year, I don’t think they will be able to turn the school around so that students will achieve at levels that most students in the area
