The Texas Education Agency will move forward with a state takeover of Connally Independent School District after years of low accountability ratings, a decision district leaders say comes just as recent changes were beginning to show results.
The takeover will place Connally ISD under state control, beginning with the appointment of a conservator in January. The TEA will later replace the district’s elected board of trustees with a board of managers and appoint a new superintendent.
District officials say the transition will be gradual, with little immediate impact on students.
“Through next semester, there will be very little changes that are actually going to impact the campus level or the day-to-day operations,” said Michael Donaldson, Connally ISD’s director of communications.
Donaldson said families are unlikely to see significant changes until the fall 2026 semester, once new leadership is fully in place.
The state’s decision follows multiple years of struggling test scores. According to Education Commissioner Mike Morath’s letter to the district, Connally Junior High School and Connally Elementary School each received their fifth consecutive failing accountability rating, triggering mandatory state intervention.
But Donaldson said the district had already begun making changes aimed at improving outcomes.
Since 2023, Connally ISD has hired a new superintendent, implemented a uniform, districtwide curriculum and increased its focus on campus culture, student behavior and attendance.
“We were not only making effective choices to produce improvement in our schools, but we were seeing results,” Donaldson said.
Early and interim data showed signs of improvement, he said, but not quickly enough to avoid a takeover.
“We were up against a clock,” Donaldson said.
As a former classroom teacher, Donaldson said that reality has been difficult for educators.
“To know that while we were making progress, you can’t undo the burden of the clock — it can be very disheartening,” he said.
Under the TEA’s plan, the conservator will advise district leadership and have the authority to override decisions if necessary. A board of managers will later assume governance duties currently held by Connally’s elected board of trustees.
Donaldson said the district is encouraging local residents to apply to serve on the board of managers.
“Local governance and local input matters,” he said.
The state-appointed leadership will remain in place for a minimum of two years. At that point, the education commissioner will assess whether sufficient academic progress has been made. If so, the district could begin a transition back to local control over the course of two election cycles. If not, state management could be extended in additional two-year increments.
A similar process began in Marlin ISD in 2016. That district is expected to complete its transition back to local control in 2026.
Despite the uncertainty, Donaldson said Connally staff remain focused on students and long-term improvement.
“I want us to have a school that is stronger than it is now,” he said. “Almost 2,000 kids in our district — those are the point. That’s why we keep working.”
Applications for the state-appointed board of managers are open until January 31, 2026.
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