What happened: The Midland ISD Board of Trustees met Tuesday, Feb. 17, to review the district’s annual Texas Academic Performance Report, discuss student achievement trends and intervention strategies, consider enrollment and boundary monitoring, and vote on whether to adopt a state-authorized daily period for prayer or reading religious texts.

Key points:

  • Academic performance: District leaders reported steady academic progress overall, though several campuses received unacceptable accountability ratings. South Elementary received an F rating, while Bunch, De Zavala, Alamo, Goddard, Abel, Jones, IDEA, and Travis all received D ratings.
  • Student performance: Officials reported that all academic targets are currently on track except third-grade math, where new intervention strategies were implemented midyear. These include small-group instruction, Saturday classes, and monitoring of students just below proficiency levels.

Trustee Matt Friez noted that district data shows incremental improvement, but expressed concern about the number of junior high students performing multiple grade levels behind. District staff said students who do not meet STAAR expectations in seventh grade will be placed in eighth-grade intervention math courses. Staff also said the district is working to identify struggling students earlier in elementary grades.

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  • Enrollment: Superintendent Stephanie Howard said boundary adjustments began three years ago after more than a decade without changes, which had left some campuses over capacity and others significantly underutilized. The district will continue monitoring enrollment and may bring additional boundary recommendations in future years.
  • Daily prayer: Trustees voted 6–1 to decline adoption of a policy that would create a daily designated period for prayer or reading religious texts under Texas Senate Bill 11. Trustee Angel Hernandez voted against the denial. State law requires school boards to hold a recorded vote, but does not require adoption.

District administrators recommended declining the policy to preserve instructional time. They emphasized that declining the policy does not restrict religious expression, which remains permitted under existing board policy, including voluntary student prayer, student religious organizations, and reading religious texts during non-instructional time.

Trustee Sara Burleson said the district already allows religious expression and raised concerns about implementation logistics and accommodating multiple religions. Trustee Matt Friez said he supported the intent but described the bill as operationally difficult and unnecessary given existing First Amendment protections. Board President Josh Guinn said the district’s role is academic instruction and emphasized the importance of separating religious instruction from public education.