During the September meeting of the Montgomery ISD school board, trustees approved utility easement agreements with Entergy Texas, for the district’s CTE & Ag Science Center. The 189,000 square foot facility located along Lone Star Parkway between Buffalo Springs and Plez Morgan Drive is currently under construction. The center will serve both Montgomery High School and Lake Creek High School students and is expected to open for the 2025-2026 school year.
“Signing off on this easement agreement for utilities at the CTE & Ag Science Center is another essential step in getting this facility ready to go for our kids,” Board President Matt Fuller said. “We are grateful for the support of our partners at Entergy as we complete another important milestone in opening this facility that our community made possible through the 2022 bond.”
Trustees also approved an easement at Keenan Elementary for improved emergency access and a future sidewalk to connect Keenan and Oak Hills Junior High School.
MISD Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education Dr. Chris Summers provided an update on state accountability and student performance on the spring 2024 STAAR test. “Test scores released in August indicate Montgomery ISD students surpassed the state in the percentage of students rated ‘Approaches’ or ‘Meets’ on all tests in grades 3 through EOC. We surpassed the state in the percentage of students rated ‘Masters’ on all but two of the STAAR tests in grades 3 through EOC,” Summers said. “This is evidence that our students, teachers, and leaders continue to work incredibly hard and their dedication to learning and growing each year is at the heart of all we do in Montgomery ISD.”
Dr. Summers also shared that last month, several school districts filed a lawsuit against the Texas Education Agency (TEA) over the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) scoring and the validity of the test administered in spring semester of 2024. The suit alleges that the use of artificial intelligence to grade written responses and new rules narrowing access to alternative STAAR tests negatively impacted students. School districts that are part of the suit also take issue with TEA not utilizing a third party to peer review the STAAR redesigned test. With a 2023 lawsuit against the Texas Education Agency (TEA) currently in the appeal process, this is the second consecutive lawsuit that has been filed against the organization due to allegations over STAAR test redesigns and the new accountability system. A-F accountability ratings for districts and schools, for both 2023 and 2024 are pending the outcome of the lawsuits.
In 2017, with the goal of increasing transparency into the performance of schools and school districts, the A-F accountability system was established by the Texas legislature. The accountability system uses STAAR test results, performance, graduation rates, and college and career readiness to score the school districts. In the 2023 lawsuit against TEA, more than 100 school districts opposed new standards that weren’t in place before, including the way College Career and Military Readiness (CCMR) is weighted in accountability. Under the former accountability standards, school districts could receive an A rating with a CCMR score of 60 or above. Under the new accountability standards, school districts would need a CCMR score of 88 or above to earn an A rating.
“While we understand the importance of measuring the success of our schools, we also know that our MISD students are so much more than a test score,” MISD Superintendent Dr. Mark Ruffin said. “A student’s educational experience in MISD is characterized by a safe learning environment in supportive school communities. Our students are encouraged to pursue their passions through engaging classroom lessons, a variety of extracurricular activities to develop skills outside the classroom, and opportunities for success beyond graduation. There are many facets to consider when we talk about student growth. Our kids are far more than what is reflected on a single assessment given on a single day.”
“As a school board, we place value in self-accountability, looking at student growth across multiple measures of data to inform academic progress,” Board Vice President Laurie Turner said. “We always encourage parents to consider classroom assessments and feedback provided by their student’s highly qualified teachers.”
Also during the meeting, Lincoln Elementary School was presented with an award from Solution Tree, recognizing their recent distinction as a Model Professional Learning Community at Work. Darren Grissom, Solution Tree State Director, presented Principal Kerri Ashlock and several Lincoln Elementary staff members with a PLC Model School flag and certificate.
“We are so proud of Principal Ashlock and the work she and her team continue to do at Lincoln Elementary School,” Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Education Carrie Fitzpatrick said. “They have embraced the PLC model to positively impact student outcomes and have built a culture centered around the shared responsibility for each student’s learning and growth. We are so pleased to celebrate this well-deserved recognition with them.”
Trustees also shared their appreciation for MISD teachers Melinda Wilson and McKay Cuccia, for accepting new campus assignments to balance classroom sizes at MISD elementary schools. “We are grateful to both of these educators, for the flexibility they’ve shown in moving to a new campus after the school year had begun,” Fitzpatrick said. “Mrs. Wilson and Ms. Cuccia are dedicated teachers who have demonstrated a willingness to do what is best for our MISD students, and we appreciate them both.”