On the heels of the El Paso Independent School District receiving a "B" in statewide accountability scores from the Texas Education Agency, superintendent Dr. Brian Lusk said there is still room for improvement.
The 2026 report using A-F accountability ratings shows that 61% of the state’s roughly 9,000 public school campuses earned an A or B rating, up from 59% last year; 396 high-poverty campuses received an A rating this school year, according to the data released on Friday, Aug. 14.
"Accountability ratings help the public get a sense of how a district could be performing," Lusk said. "It's not the only thing and it's part of the bigger picture. Our families want to know that our children are safe, happy and get along with their peers. They
want them to trust their teachers and like the schools they attend."
Texas’ A-F accountability system evaluates public school campuses, districts, and charter schools across three areas: student achievement, school progress, and the extent to which schools close achievement gaps. High schools, districts, and charter systems are also measured on how well they prepare graduates for college, a career, or the military.
EPISD school move to 'B' after failures
In the 2025-26 accountability ratings, two specific El Paso Independent School District campuses jumped from an "F" to a "B" rating. They were Guillen Middle School and Murphree PK-8.
In Guillen's case, they had three consecutive years of "F" ratings. The turnaround is credited to a comprehensive campus redesign utilizing the Accelerated Campus Excellence model, which included higher academic expectations, targeted tutoring and requiring staff to reapply for their positions.
"We're proud of our schools and their communities to move from an 'F' to a 'B' and when a school is in a failing position, it's hard to change direction sometimes. These school teams and principals have collectively moved these schools in a way most districts ever see," Lusk said.
The district can also boast five of its 13 high schools having an "A" rating, with Lusk giving credit to the staff and educators working towards the same goal. They included Burges High School, Franklin High School, Maxine Silva Health Magnet High School, Transmountain Early College High School and Young Women’s STEAM Research & Preparatory Academy.
Lusk was quick to give credit to the staff and faculty of those schools.
"Our kids and teachers are amazing, and our communities are committed to doing right by our kids," Lusk said. "In spite of the conditions at times, they're still achieving. We have 32 buildings that are 60 years old or older. That's almost half of our buildings. Even though the conditions aren't optimal, our kids are resilient."
EPISD did not have any of its schools receive a failing score.
EPISD's bond vital to 'A' score overall
Lusk noted that districts that invest in their students and infrastructure have historically performed better on accountability scores. For that reason, the postponed bond project will bolster EPISD's efforts to achieve an overall "A" rating in the upcoming TEA ratings.
"When we've had the opportunity to meet with different organizations in the city, once they understand the collective vision for the long-term EPISD goals, it becomes clear it's for the betterment of our kids. I'm excited that some of our schools made significant progress. Our instructional approach will only make us stronger throughout the year," Lusk said.
Following the approval of financial exigency, El Paso Independent School District's first new bond package in a decade was postponed by its board of trustees to be on the ballot on May 27.
The vote to do so at the Aug. 11 meeting of the EPISD Board of Trustees was explained as needing more time to rebuild trust with the community and make the case for improving outdated buildings.
Initially scheduled to appear on the ballot on Nov. 3,the measure was defeated due to soft community support, with an estimated 60% opposing the bond package. Among the keys prominently discussed by the public and trustees was rebuilding public trust following financial exigency.
Kristian Jaime is the Top Story Reporter for the El Paso Times and is reachable at Kjaime@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: EPISD schools go from 'F' to 'B' in 2026 TEA ratings. How they did it
