MCLENNAN COUNTY, Texas (KXXV) — The Texas Education Agency announced the state agency is taking over Connally Independent School District, 25 News confirmed.
Mike Morath, TEA Commissioner of Education, tells 25 News' Bobby Poitevint that they delivered the letter, notifying Connally ISD of the takeover Thursday afternoon.
In the letter obtained by 25 News, it reads that two of the five Connally ISD campuses earned a fifth consecutive unacceptable academic accountability rating for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years. This requires the TEA Commissioner of Education to either order the closure of those two campuses or appoint a board of managers to govern the district.
"I am hereby ordering the appointment of both a board of managers to govern the district and a conservator," Morath said in the letter.
The two campuses at the center of the state takeover are Connally Junior High and Connally Elementary.
According to the letter, Connally Junior High earned an 'F' in 2023, an 'F' in 2024, and a 'D' in 2025, and Connally Elementary earned three consecutive 'F' ratings for 2023, 2024, and 2025.
State law requires that the commissioner appoint a superintendent, which Morath says in the letter he will decide at a later time.
An informal review is scheduled for Dec. 17 at 1:45 p.m.
25 News has reached out to Connally ISD for a response to this letter, below is the district's full statement:
"Connally ISD has received word from the Texas Education Agency that a conservator will be appointed to advise and oversee operations within our district. Additionally, the TEA shall appoint a Board of Managers to provide governance of our district.
Once a Board of Managers has been installed, TEA Commissioner Mike Morath shall appoint a superintendent to lead the district.
Since becoming superintendent in July of 2023, Superintendent Jill Bottelberghe has dedicated an immeasurable amount of effort towards improving our schools. We have already seen substantial gains in academic achievement thanks to the plans and protocols that she has put into place. Her leadership has been pivotal in laying the foundation for our district’s ability to grow and succeed in the long term, and for that we are eternally grateful. Ms. Bottelberghe remains fully committed to these improvement initiatives and will continue to oversee them as the district’s superintendent until the TEA appoints a replacement.
While we are supremely proud of the progress that we have made, we recognize that there is still work that needs to be done.
We are incredibly thankful for the time, effort, and sacrifices that our elected Board of Trustees have made over the years. It is clear that they truly care about the students and employees of Connally ISD with all their hearts. It is our hope that the appointed Board of Managers will work to not only improve our district’s academic performance, but also serve our community with the same passion and sincerity as our Board of Trustees has.
Local input matters when governing a school district. We strongly encourage the community members of Connally ISD to apply to serve on the Board of Managers so that their voice and perspective can be heard. Stakeholder meetings will occur in the coming weeks to provide additional information about this process.
The district remains focused on moving forward with improvement initiatives so that we may continue to see growth in student academic outcomes, behavior, and social development.
We are committed to doing all that we can to provide the students of Connally ISD with an outstanding education that equips them with the tools for success. We look forward to working with all stakeholders to set and uphold the Cadet Standard."
A media representative for CISD said "No decision has been made yet on whether or not to appeal."
This is a developing story and will be updated on air and online.
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