WFISD trustees hear elementary and middle school performance updates, press for clearer measures of tutoring and interventions

Wichita Falls Independent School District trustees on Wednesday heard presentations from school leaders about student performance, interventions and plans to measure effectiveness.

Dr. Lee, the superintendent, reviewed district attendance and operational updates and said the district expects word on a Texas Education Agency conservator assignment "in the next 2 to 3 weeks," a development he said will affect reporting cycles and oversight. He also noted district facility work and a $10,000 donation to the WFISD Foundation from a new Amazon distribution center.

At Franklin Elementary, Principal Ashley Burak described the campus as a long-standing "C" campus that is showing growth on STAR assessments. "A 1 and like 1 is a whole year and so like we are at 1 point 1.67 so that's over a year and a half's worth of growth," Burak said, summarizing schoolwide growth metrics. She told trustees Franklin's projected socioeconomically disadvantaged share is about 50% (down from 52.3% the prior year), the campus has a sizeable special-education population, and leaders have added targeted reading and math teachers plus tutoring support to protect instructional time.

Dr. Jackie McCartney, interim principal at Ryder Middle School, described the challenges and opportunities of a newly configured middle school serving roughly 1,232 students, about 800 of whom are new to the campus. He presented interim assessment results that he said show generally positive outcomes: "73% of our students are at least at approaches or better" in sixth-grade reading interim measures, with other grade-level figures also reported. McCartney outlined a reading intervention that uses 15 minutes in common electives for targeted skills, IXL for individualized practice, and after-school tutoring supported by district tutors and local university partners.

Trustees pressed for detail on how interventions will be evaluated. Board members asked whether tutors are assessed for impact and whether short-term "boot camp" programs produce measurable improvement. McCartney described the boot camps as targeted, limited-time efforts intended to push students in the academic "bubble" over a proficiency threshold; he said teachers keep groups intentionally small and that the district is arranging transportation when needed to increase participation. Trustees were told teachers and curriculum leaders use weekly PLCs and unit-assessment data to monitor fidelity and results.

Board members also sought clarity about how new student populations and shifting attendance zones affect year‑over‑year comparisons. District leaders cautioned that some year-to-year comparisons are imperfect when a campus has a substantially different student body this year, and said they will continue evaluating programs and reporting back to the board.

The board did not take policy action on these reports; trustees will continue oversight and review of metrics and interventions at future meetings. The next regular meeting was set for April 13, according to the superintendent's report.