Pearce Middle School to Stay Open Education Commissioner Orders Johnston High School Closed Austin ISD Will Proceed with Proposal to Repurposeı Johnston Campus
Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott today notified the Austin School District that he is ordering the closure of Johnston High School, effective with the 2008-2009 school year. Commissioner Scott also provided the Austin School District with the opportunity to submit a plan to repurpose the facility with the start of the 2008-2009 school year, which begins August 25. The Districtıs proposed repurposing plan for Johnston must meet specific criteria established in Commissionerıs rules, and must be approved by the Texas Education Agency.
District to Propose Repurposing Plan
Superintendent Pat Forgione said a plan for the repurposed campus
would be presented to the Austin School Board on Monday evening, June 9, and if approved, would be forwarded immediately to TEA for review. District officials scheduled a meeting for 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 5, at Johnston, to discuss with the community the goals of the application to repurpose the campus. An additional meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, June 12, at 6:00 p.m., to update the community with additional details of the proposed repurposing. ³I very much appreciate all the thought and consideration that Commissioner Scott and the staff of TEA have provided for Johnston students and this school community,² Dr. Forgione said. ³I also appreciate everything that Senator Kirk Watson has done to help us move towards a new vision for public education in East Austin.
³The repurposing plan that we will present to Austin School Trustees on Monday evening will allow us to move toward the new vision of the first-rate education that we want students to receive at the Johnston campus,² Dr. Forgione said, ³pending the final decision of the Commissioner.² Response to Commissioner Scottıs Decision
Senator Watson said of the Commissionerıs announcement, ³This is good news for the students at Johnston. Commissioner Scott has worked with us over the last year, and now has provided us with an opportunity to repurpose Johnston High School, ensuring that we will have a high school that serves East Austin. This decision allows the Johnston community to continue planning for a new vision for the education of our students.² ³The Board of Trustees is fully committed to working closely with the Johnston community, and the Texas Education Agency, to make this repurposing plan a success for our students,² Board President Mark Williams said. ³Commissioner Scott has worked closely with District officials and Senator Watson for a number of months, to help us reach the best course of
action for Johnston students, and I look forward his continued involvement in the months ahead.²
"I want to be the first to invite Commissioner Scott to visit the
newly-repurposed Johnston High School in the fall," said District 2 Trustee Sam Guzman, who represents the campus. "The Commissioner has demonstrated how deeply he cares about the Johnston community. I know that this was a difficult decision for him to reach. The Board of Trustees and the Johnston community are committed to achieving greater things for our students." Commissionerıs Rationale
Despite some impressive gains on the 2008 Texas Assessment of
Knowledge & Skills tests, Commissioner Scott advised Austin School
officials that TEA staff had determined that Johnston would again be rated Academically Unacceptable when state accountability ratings are issued on August 1. ³The closure of Johnston High School will be a challenge for the community that it serves, but my greatest concern is for each studentıs education. State law requires that the students assigned to Johnston be provided a more effective learning environment,² Commissioner Scott said. To meet repurposing requirements, the Johnston facility must house a
completely different instructional program and bear a new name.
Additionally, at least 50 percent of the students previously served at
Johnston must be reassigned to other campuses; and the campus administrator and at least 75 percent of the instructional staff must also be reassigned.
Pearce Middle School
Although there is evidence of academic improvement at Pearce Middle School, based upon the 2008 TAKS, Commissioner Scott also advised District officials the campus would again be rated Academically Unacceptable this year.
While the campus will remain open, under current leadership, the
Commissioner ordered the District to contract for professional services to help improve student achievement in under-performing subject areas at Pearce, as well as provide for additional professional development.
The District was also directed to secure private tutorial or
instructional services to assist Pearce students.
