IDEA Permian Basin staff, pictured here at the Founders Retreat, are working hard to prepare for the official launch of IDEA Travis in Midland next August.
H O W H O U S E B I L L 4 2 0 5 P A V E D T H E W A Y FOR AN IN-DISTRICT CHARTER SCHOOL
This June, Texas’ 86th Legislature passed an important bill aimed at providing greater options to school districts that are struggling with student performance. Authored by State Rep. Tom Craddick, House Bill (HB) 4205 allows a campus slated for closure to be re-purposed to serve existing students if it is operated under a contract with a high-quality non-profit organization with a track record of success. 36
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IMPACT WINTER 2020
THE BILL ALSO STATES THAT THE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
must meet several criteria including enrollment of at least 10,000 students, a successful history of operating charter schools and an overall performance rating of B or higher for the previous school year. The push to introduce HB 4205 gained traction earlier this year when Travis Elementary in Midland, Texas, received failing marks from the Texas Education Agency for the fifth consecutive year, one of the longest streaks in the state. At the time, the Texas Education Code stated that when a school fails for more than three years after it has begun a turnaround plan, the state requires closure of the campus or state takeover of the entire district and appointment of a board of managers.
