The Lubbock Independent School District is touting its second year in a row of improvement in the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) A-F academic accountability ratings.
After improving in 2025 from a “C” rated district to a “B” rating of 80%, the district has continued its upward trend, scoring an 82% rating in the 2026 ratings.
The district credits its continued improvement at several schools in the district, including Monterey High School, which earned an “A” for the first time in the school’s history, capping Principal Justin Newman’s first year leading the campus.
“Because of the dedicated work of our students, staff and teachers across the district, we can proudly say that we now have three A-rated high schools in our district – the most in one
district in our region,” said Superintendent Kathy Rollo. “While we know we still have plenty of work to do at several of our campuses, this achievement is proof that our district is steadily progressing toward our goal of educating all of our students at A- and B-rated campuses.”
Lubbock High School – which earned an A in 2025, the district’s first traditional high school to do so since the ratings were created – and the district’s A-rated magnet secondary school, Talkington School for Young Women Leaders, maintained their top status this year. Coronado High School increased their rating by 8 points to an 89% rating. Estacado High School improved its C rating from 74% to 79% this year.
At the middle school and elementary levels, six schools earned an A rating:
- Honey Elementary
- Miller Elementary
- Wester Elementary
- Whiteside Elementary
- Roscoe Wilson Elementary
- McCool Academy
Eleven schools at these levels also earned a B rating this year, including:
- Bayless Elementary
- Brown Elementary
- Hardwick Elementary
- Maedgen Elementary
- Ramirez Elementary
- Roberts Elementary
- Smith Elementary
- Waters Elementary
- Wheelock Elementary
- Williams Elementary
- Hutchinson Middle School
Overall, Lubbock ISD has 21 schools on the A and B list, with more than 50% of the district’s schools showing growth in student achievement. These campuses make up 62% of the district’s students, nearly 14,000 of the district’s more than 23,000 students.
More about the TEA A-F Accountability System for Texas schools
Established by the 85th Texas Legislature in 2017 through H.B. 22 and updated in 2023, the TEA’s A-F Accountability System aims to provide clear and consistent information on how schools are performing in three key areas: student achievement, school progress and closing the gaps. It is meant to ensure that all students, regardless of background, have access to a high-quality education that prepares them for success after graduation.
“We know our teachers and staff do so much more than can be captured in these ratings – they are meeting our students and their families where they are to ensure that every child has the chance to learn and grow as part of our district,” Rollo said. “But these ratings provide one of the clearest indicators that we are moving in the right direction, and that, despite the challenges we may face, Lubbock ISD continues to improve while staying true to our mission of nurturing, developing and inspiring every child, every day.”
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock ISD touts improvement in new TEA school accountability ratings
