Texas Education Commissioner to Decide Takeover of Two Austin Schools Amid Poor Scores

Persistent academic failure at two Austin public schools has placed the district of about 70,000 pupils at risk of the most severe state sanction: a takeover. Education Commissioner Mike Morath can either order the schools closed or install a board of managers he selects, removing the locally elected trustees and superintendent. Texas has used this tool increasingly since 2023, with districts like Fort Worth and Houston already seeing their leaders replaced.

The 2015 statute allows intervention after five straight failing grades, and the appointed board assumes authority over budgets, tax rates and policy decisions for typically two to six years. While some districts have partnered with charter operators to avoid takeovers, Austin officials’ recent proposal with a nonprofit was rejected. Research on such takeovers shows mixed results, with improvements in some locales but little evidence of lasting academic gains overall.