Two Austin ISD Middle Schools Hit the Fifth-F Threshold — Now What?
Austin ISD leaders confirmed Thursday that Burnet and Webb middle schools have received their fifth consecutive “F” accountability rating from the Texas Education Agency (TEA), crossing a legal line that now requires the state to intervene in some form. What that intervention will actually look like — and when — is still an open question.
The headline numbers
Burnet and Webb posted preliminary accountability scores of 58 and 59, respectively, both squarely in F territory. Under Texas law, once a campus racks up five straight failing ratings, TEA Commissioner Mike Morath is required to take one of two actions: close the campus outright, or take over the entire district by replacing the elected school board with a state-appointed board of managers.
Superintendent Matias Segura has declined to speculate on which path the state will choose, but he’s tried to reassure families that the district isn’t going anywhere in the meantime. “We are going to be here tomorrow, the teachers are going to show up … AISD will continue to be here; we have been here for 145 years,” he said.
A third campus dodges the bullet — for now
A third school, Dobie Middle School, was on the same knife’s edge heading into ratings day. It had racked up four consecutive F’s dating back to 2019, and a fifth would have made it three campuses simultaneously eligible for state action. Instead, Dobie improved to a D rating this year — enough to reset its consecutive-failure clock, though still far from where the district wants it.
The district’s counter-narrative: broad improvement
Austin ISD is leaning hard into the fact that Burnet and Webb are the exception, not the rule, this cycle.
District-wide, AISD’s overall rating rose to a B, up from a C the previous year. Segura pointed to a broader turnaround: 35 schools improved by a full letter grade this year, and the district now has roughly twice as many A/B-rated campuses as D/F-rated ones — a reversal from two years ago, when the opposite was true.
A/B campuses climbed from 43 in 2024 to 57 for 2026–27, while D/F campuses dropped from 48 to 25 over the same stretch — a shift driven partly by school consolidations and closures.
That improvement came with a cost, though: some of the drop in D/F-rated campuses reflects the 10 schools AISD closed at the end of the 2025–26 school year, seven of which had been under state-mandated improvement plans. One of those, Paredes Middle School, was shuttered in July after the district anticipated it, too, might be headed for a fourth straight failing score — a rating that was confirmed this week.
Notably, a TEA rule bars districts from closing a campus during a school year in which it could receive its fifth consecutive failing rating — which is why Burnet and Webb couldn’t be closed preemptively the way Paredes was.
How AISD got here
Burnet, Webb, and Dobie have been on the state’s radar for years, drawing the most intensive district intervention of any AISD campuses. Earlier this year, the district’s elected board voted to hand control of all three schools to a nonprofit partner, Texas Center for Innovative Schools (TCIS), as part of an “1882 partnership” — a state-sanctioned arrangement that would have paused the schools’ accountability ratings while the nonprofit worked to turn them around. TEA rejected that turnaround plan, and the partnership was later called off, leaving the schools to face this year’s ratings on the district’s own terms.
Ahead of results this week, the district instead pursued its own fixes: new campus leadership at both Burnet and Webb, and scheduling changes aimed at strengthening daily math and language-arts instruction. Segura said he personally spent time at all three campuses over the summer and feels the district is better positioned heading into 2026–27.
“It’s really frustrating that I’m a part of a community where there was this threat and despite this really draconian potential outcome looming the whole time, we still failed to serve students who needed support.” — Nikkie Shubitz, parent of Austin ISD student
What happens next
Austin ISD has the right to formally appeal any campus’s accountability rating, and district officials say they intend to do so for Burnet and Webb. The state’s appeal deadline is September 11. If the ratings stand after appeal, Commissioner Morath will decide between closing the two campuses or moving to take over district governance entirely — a decision TEA has handled differently in past interventions around the state, and one that officials say could take months to finalize.
For now, Austin ISD finds itself holding two very different stories at once: a district posting real, measurable gains on paper, and two individual schools whose struggles have now triggered the most serious consequence in Texas’s school accountability system.
(Episode from August 13, 2026)
Sources:
- Austin ISD moves closer to state takeover after two schools receive fifth failing ratings — KUT Radio
- Austin ISD moves closer to state takeover after 2 schools receive fifth failing ratings — KSAT
- Two AISD Schools Got Fifth F Scores. State Intervention Could Follow. — Austin Chronicle
- Can AISD Steer Clear of State Takeover? — Austin Chronicle
- AISD middle schools could trigger Texas takeover law — Austin Current
- TEA rejects Austin ISD turnaround plan for 3 failing middle schools — KVUE
- 2 Austin ISD middle schools receive ‘F’ rating for 5th consecutive time — FOX 7 Austin
- Texas Education Agency — District & Campus Ratings
Austin City Council adopted a $6.6 billion budget for fiscal year 2026-27 on a divided 9-2 vote Wednesday, but the win came with pushback: Mayor Kirk Watson and Council Member Marc Duchen broke ranks to vote no, warning that the plan’s tax hike and rising fees will squeeze Austinites already struggling with affordability, even as other council members and City Manager T.C. Broadnax defended it as a hard-fought compromise that protects vulnerable residents and core services.
Austin’s police union felt insulted by Councilwoman Fuente’s social media post:
Austin utility customers could see higher monthly bills beginning this fall as the Austin City Council considers rate and fee increases for nearly all city-provided utilities.
A stolen Fort Worth ambulance chase ended in a fatal shooting Thursday morning after the suspect intentionally rammed several vehicles on I-35.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), troopers were alerted at 6:30 a.m. that the stolen EMS vehicle was traveling southbound through Williamson County. After a multi-county pursuit, a DPS trooper shot and killed the driver, forcing an hours-long closure of the interstate’s upper deck.
Austin Police detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Kevin Eduardo Aguilar Yak in connection with a collision at the of E. Riverside Drive and Royal Crest Drive in December of last year. (Austin Police)
A city audit reported between 2019 and 2023, more than 6,000 “crimes against property” took place within 50 feet of Austin city parks, with 80% of those incidents being stealing or car theft.
Hutto authorities answered a call for a heavy truck roll over at the intersection of FM 1660S at Highway 79, on the railroad tracks last night.
Austin firefighters battled an abandoned house fire on West Parmer Lane Thursday.
Yesterday, health officials confirmed Hays County’s first human case of West Nile Virus this year. Eight mosquito pools have also tested positive across the county. (KUT 90.5)
In Manor, a boil water notice remains in effect for the affected areas:
• Wild Horse Creek
• Hamilton Point
• Lagos
• Downtown Manor near Parsons Street and Bastrop Street
All potable water and drinking fountains on the north side of the Great Lawn at Zilker Park will be shut off today due to a water main rupture.
Dittmar Pool is closed through the end of the summer swim season due to a valve mechanical issue.
Construction along Springdale Road will detour Bus Route 2 to Airport Boulevard and Shady Lane for the next few months. Temporary stops will be available.
The legal saga over Project Connect returned to a Travis County courtroom on Thursday.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport will soon offer a non-stop flight to Paris.
THIS WEEKEND IN THE ATX
Four large wildfires of note today:
The largest fire this past week has been in Stephens County where over 3200 have burned.
WEATHER
Thursday was Austin’s hottest day of 2026 so far, hitting 104 degrees at Camp Mabry and 102 at the airport.
THURSDAY’S HIGH / LOW TEMPERATURES
AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAMP MABRY
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
El Niño continues to strengthen and will likely be historic.
A small single-engine aircraft crashed Thursday afternoon in Caldwell County. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained only minor injuries and was treated and released at the scene.
Guadalupe County authorities responded to a domestic violence call early Thursday that resulted in an officer-involved shooting.
Tyson Foods announced that it is restructuring its U.S. beef operations amid historically tight cattle supplies.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller responded:
Texas Animal Health Commission officials received confirmation of anthrax in a Spanish goat on an Edwards County premises.
Gov. Greg Abbott is advocating for an “old school” approach, prioritizing the use of physical books, handwriting, and face-to-face instruction over reliance on laptops and tablets
San Antonio-area lawmakers are calling on six Bexar County municipalities to end their partnerships with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, saying the agreements could undermine public trust and pull local police away from their primary duties. (Texas Public Radio)
The 5th Circuit Court Of Appeals has restored SB 1 – the 2021 Texas law that establishes strict registration requirements for mail-in voting registration, and other voting obstacles. The NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund and other voting rights and disability advocates are condemning the decision. Meanwhile data about Texas’ new private school voucher program – where it can be deciphered through a veil of “transparency theater” – shows that a large number of kids offered vouchers are turning them down, finding it impossible to locate a private school appropriate to their needs that they can afford, even with the voucher.
Nearly century-old federal restrictions on certain short-barrel firearms and silencers were lifted Thursday in several states, including Texas, after the Trump administration declined to file an emergency appeal challenging a federal court order. (Texas Tribune)
The soldiers who died in an Apache helicopter crash earlier this week have now been identified.
SPORTS
MLS: Austin FC qualified for the quarterfinals of Leagues Cup 2026 with a shootout win over Club América on Thursday night at Q2 Stadium, claiming two points off a 6-5 triumph in penalties after a 1-1 draw. The Club will now face Toluca FC in the quarterfinals and awaits the announcement of the date, time, and location of that match. (Austin FC)
ON THE SCHEDULE
NFL: The Houston Texans opened their preseason with a thud Thursday night, falling 27-7 to the Los Angeles Chargers at home after being held scoreless over the final three quarters of the game.
Houston actually struck first, with Davis Mills leading a 75-yard touchdown drive on the opening possession for an early 7-0 lead. But Los Angeles took a 10-7 edge into halftime and then took over from there, with backup quarterback Trey Lance leading the way for the Chargers.
PRESEASON GAME 2
MLB: On a night when the Texas Rangers desperately needed to stay within arm’s reach in the AL West, their offense went ice-cold. Jacob deGrom suffered a rough outing as Texas was shut out 7–0 by the Los Angeles Angels, while the division-leading Houston Astros were idle.
AL WEST STANDINGS
| Rank | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Away |
| 1 | Houston Astros | 62 | 60 | .508 | — | 30–29 | 32–31 |
| 2 | Texas Rangers | 60 | 62 | .492 | 2.0 | 32–27 | 28–35 |
| 3 | Seattle Mariners | 57 | 65 | .467 | 5.0 | 33–29 | 24–36 |
| 4 | Los Angeles Angels | 48 | 74 | .393 | 14.0 | 28–34 | 20–40 |
| 5 | Athletics | 47 | 74 | .388 | 14.5 | 21–39 | 26–35 |
ON THE SCHEDULE
NBA: Both the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets released their complete 2026-2027 schedules.
Both teams have games in Austin this season.
22 DAYS UNTIL TEXAS FOOTBALL
Fall Camp UPDATES | What’s the LATEST with Texas?
We’re going back to the 1970’s and taking a trip to Six Flags Over Texas.
