Overview
- On Wednesday the district held a convocation at Dickies Arena that drew roughly 11,000 employees as schools prepare to open for the 2026–27 year on Aug. 10.
- The Texas Education Agency intervened in March and installed a Board of Managers and Superintendent Peter Licata after sustained low performance and a campus that received five consecutive F grades was closed.
- Licata acknowledged teacher anxiety at the convocation and said leadership will focus on two-way communication and building a new culture while implementing rapid reforms.
- Since January more than 1,000 staff have left through firings, retirements or resignations even as teacher vacancies fell from about 200 in May to roughly 20 by late July.
- The district has labeled 19 low-performing sites the ELEVATE campuses, shifted to regional administration, adopted a stricter scripted curriculum, and now awaits final state A–F ratings on Aug. 14 that will be a key test of the takeover’s early impact on accountability and local control.