What happened: The Midland ISD Board of Trustees met for more than six hours on Tuesday, Dec. 16, to discuss targeted improvement plans for underperforming Abel Junior High, Long Elementary, South Elementary, and IDEA Travis.

They also approved a clean annual financial audit, discussed lower-than-anticipated enrollment and future budget challenges, adopted amended Senate Bill 1882 performance goals for partnership campuses, received updates on 2023 bond construction projects, and elected new board officers, including Josh Guinn as president.

Key points:

  • Financial outlook: The board approved the district’s annual comprehensive financial report, which received a clean audit opinion with no major problems or misuse of funds. MISD ended the fiscal year with $111 million in unassigned fund balance, enough to cover approximately 7 months of operating expenses, exceeding TEA recommendations.

However, administrators warned of ongoing financial pressure. Enrollment projections for the 2026–27 school year estimate a decline of roughly 1,100 to 1,200 students. The state’s portion of school funding depends on enrollment, so fewer students means less revenue. MISD is estimating $84 million in recapture (also known as Robin Hood) payments and the expiration of several federal funding sources.

Midland ISD’s approved budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year is $508.2 million.

  • Board governance: Trustees discussed the need for more transparent board governance processes, particularly around large capital projects. District leadership is developing an informed consent policy that would require more precise documentation, additional sign-offs, and board awareness before significant financial commitments proceed.

The board also reorganized officers following nominations and votes. The board elected Josh Guinn as president, Michael Booker as vice president, and Sarah Burleson as secretary.

  • Academic progress: Superintendent Stephanie Howard reported that students in kindergarten through eighth grade exceeded national growth benchmarks in both reading and math. Reading growth reached 61% and math growth reached 62%, compared to a typical national growth rate of 50%. Districtwide attendance improved to 93.6%, up from 92.5% last year.

  • 1882 partnership campuses: The board approved amended and renewed performance goals for four Senate Bill 1882 partnership campuses, Midland College Pre-K, Young Women’s Leadership Academy, Ben Milam International Academy, IDEA Travis. Outside organizations under contracts with Midland ISD operate 1882 campuses.

Under state law, Senate Bill 1882 allows school districts to partner with charter operators, colleges, or nonprofits to run campuses while remaining accountable to the district for academic performance. These agreements set specific goals schools must meet to continue operating under the partnership.

  • Campus improvement plans: Trustees reviewed improvement plans for Abel Junior High, Long Elementary, South Elementary, and IDEA Travis. The state requires improvement plans when schools fall below state accountability standards or show inconsistent academic results.

Read The Permian Press’ overview of the plans, which emphasized systems, staff training, and data monitoring rather than identifying specific curriculum or classroom-level instructional method changes.

  • 2023 bond projects: District officials reported that 2023 bond projects remain on schedule and under budget by approximately $13 million. Read The Permian Press’ overview of the update, which came months after the City of Midland approved $18.2 million for road, water, and sewer infrastructure surrounding two new MISD high schools. The district did not include these projects in its $1.4 billion bond package.