As Texas moves forward with taking over Connally Independent School District in the coming year based on years of low performance at two schools, parents are seeking answers to the future of their children’s school system.
“Where does that leave our kids and the little ones that’s behind (them)?” said Shi-Eisha Thirkill, mother of a current Connally Junior High student.
Connally Elementary School and Connally Junior High School both received five consecutive years of F ratings under the state’s A-F accountability system, triggering the state takeover. State Education Commissioner Mike Morath announced the intervention Dec. 11, and Connally has not challenged it.
The district has 2,266 students, with 80.5% considered economically disadvantaged, according to texasschools.gov.
While the full timeline of the takeover process remains unclear, other details are becoming clearer.
What is a school takeover?
The state has taken over 11 school districts since 2000 due to academic or financial management issues.
A 2015 state law requires the TEA to intervene in or close campuses with low ratings under Texas’ A-F accountability system. That resulted in the 2023 takeover of Houston ISD, the state’s largest district.
In an intervention or takeover, the TEA suspends the elected board of trustees and appoints a board of managers to make decisions for the district. The TEA appoints a conservator to oversee the district.
In October, Morath announced he will appoint a board of managers, conservator and new superintendent for Fort Worth ISD, and announced similar steps Dec. 11 for Connally, Beaumont and Lake Worth ISDs.
What is a conservator and board of managers?
A board of managers takes over the responsibilities of the elected board of trustees and works with the conservator to improve academics, operations and governance. The board controls the district budget and is able to call for a bond election.
The board of managers is assisted by a state-appointed conservator, and the TEA also appoints a superintendent.
Meanwhile, the elected board of trustees remains in place, with school elections on a regular schedule. But board members are limited to an advisory role until they are restored to power with the end of the intervention, according to the TEA.
Who can apply to be on the board of managers?
Applicants must be able to pass a background check and be available for 40 hours per month for onboarding and 15 hours per month after that. The TEA is looking to interview candidates who are student-centered, collaborative leaders, strategic thinkers and growth-focused, according to the TEA.
While the TEA aims to install a board that resembles the existing board of trustees, it will consider applicants from outside the district boundary if it can not find enough qualified candidates inside of it. The board of managers can be as small as three individuals, according to Connally ISD’s webpage on state intervention.
Applications are due on Jan. 31, 2026.
How will the state takeover affect Connally ISD?
In the coming months, the TEA will appoint the board of managers and conservator. Parents will likely not see changes until after the conservator is appointed.
“While a conservator will begin work in the district in January, there will be very little impact to the day-to-day campus operations or student experiences until the start of the Fall 2026 semester,” Connally ISD spokesman Michael Donaldson said in email to The Waco Bridge on Wednesday.
“Even then, the degree to which the incoming leadership changes our operating procedures, routines, and policies can only be determined once they are appointed by the state in the Spring 2026 semester.”
What are ways parents/families can stay informed?
The TEA will hold a meeting for families on Jan. 22 at a time and location yet to be announced. In addition, the district has a website page about the takeover.
How long will Connally ISD be under state control?
School takeovers can last for multiple years. After the board of managers is appointed, the TEA will evaluate a district’s progress over the course of two years and decide whether to extend the takeover or transition out of it.
If the TEA decides to renew, the board of managers and conservator will remain in place for another two years. If the TEA decides to relinquish control, the elected board of trustees is restored to power in phases over a two-year period, according to the TEA.
Marlin ISD, east of Waco, has been under state control for eight years. After improvements in test results, the TEA began in February 2024 to release control to the elected school board, and that process is expected to be complete Jan. 31, according to the Texas Tribune.
What caused TEA to intervene at Connally ISD?
Connally ISD received five years of consecutive failing ratings at two campuses. The takeover was triggered after Connally Junior High and Connally Elementary received five consecutive failing ratings in the A-F system.
The junior high school received its fifth F rating for the 2024 school year, and the elementary Connally Elementary School received its fifth F for the 2025 school year. The district received an overall D rating for 2025.
“Connally ISD has demonstrated a chronic inability to support students to learn and achieve at high levels,” Morath stated in a letter to the district Dec. 11. “Across all grades and subjects, only 24% of students in Connally ISD are meeting grade level. This is 26 percentage points below state average.”
The A-F Accountability Ratings use three metrics to measure campuses and districts: student achievement, student progress and closing the gaps.
For elementary and middle schools, standardized test results play a crucial role in the ratings. In order to improve passing rates, the district implemented the Eureka math curriculum last year and Bluebonnet reading language arts curriculum this year. Despite preliminary data showing scores improved, TEA moved ahead with intervention on Dec. 11.
“While I am incredibly proud of the progress made, I fully recognize that additional work remains,” said Connally ISD Superintendent Jill Bottelberghe in a letter addressed to Connally ISD families shortly after the announcement. “It is my hope that the leaders who emerge from this transition will be able to continue the upward trajectory that has been started.”
