Alice Independent School District (ISD) is celebrating progress after receiving a B rating from the Texas Education Agency (TEA), marking significant improvement for a district that has worked hard to raise its academic standing.
"I'm so happy to see that our district is moving forward and that we have the rating. And, we're just going to build on it to get that A," said Marissa Kubala, Alice High School Principal.
Kubala, a 1992 graduate of the district, said students and teachers have been working towards this goal for a long time.
"Finally our ratings indicate what we've always known. That our teachers are amazing. That our students are hard workers. That they're intelligent and it's all come together," Kubala said.
The newly released ratings show varied performance across the district's campuses. Alice High School received a B, while William Adams Middle School and Noonan Elementary both received C ratings. Saenz Elementary, Dubose Elementary, and Schallert Elementary all earned B ratings.
Kubala explained that the high school had previously been rated as a D for several years, making this improvement particularly meaningful.
"I've seen the ups and downs. We've been at a D for Alice HS for a couple of years. Our goal collectively was to work together to make sure that everybody knew that our kids and our teachers and everybody working together were working at a high level at all times," Kubala said.
According to Kubala, litigation between other school districts and the TEA had prevented Alice ISD from receiving an official rating for the past couple of years. Now, with past and current ratings released, district leadership is looking ahead.
Superintendent Dr. Anysia Trevino welcomes the news and the district's upward trajectory.
"The momentum was definitely something was going through my mind. We moved from a D to a C to now a B. And, so, that's what was going through my mind of the possibilities and what's next," Trevino said.
Trevino emphasized that while the rating confirms students are receiving a good education, the district won't become complacent.
"But good is the enemy of great. So, we are not going to be satisfied with that B. So it is telling students we're where we want to be, but we want to be better. So, let's strive for excellence," Trevino said.
School officials attribute the improvement to better organization and collaborative efforts across the district.
"We tracked our students and we made sure that everybody who needed help got that help. And anybody who needed to move up a level higher and get those meets and masters - that that took place as well," Kubala said.
District leaders remain focused on ensuring students at Alice ISD receive the right education for their future success as they work toward achieving an A rating.
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