Key takeaways
- Burnet and Webb middle schools received their fifth consecutive Austin ISD F ratings in Texas’ 2026 accountability results.
- Dobie Middle School received a D, ending its run of consecutive failing ratings.
- The fifth F ratings give Texas education officials a path to take necessary actions.
Burnet and Webb Reach Critical Accountability Mark
Two Austin Independent School District middle schools received their fifth consecutive failing rating in the latest Texas school accountability results, putting the district closer to possible state intervention.
Burnet Middle School and Webb Middle School both received F ratings for 2026. The results follow four consecutive F ratings for the campuses in previous accountability cycles. Dobie Middle School, the third Austin campus facing the same risk, received a D and broke its streak of failing ratings.
The Austin ISD F ratings are based on Texas’ public school accountability system, which uses student performance and other academic measures to assign campus grades. The three schools have remained under close state scrutiny because of their repeated low ratings.
The new results do not mean the state has immediately taken control of Austin ISD. They begin a process that could lead to major changes in how the district is governed.
State Intervention Now Becomes Possible
Texas law sets a five-year threshold for campuses that repeatedly receive failing accountability ratings. When a campus reaches five consecutive F ratings, the education commissioner must choose between closing the campus or replacing the district’s elected board with a state-appointed board of managers.
That means Burnet and Webb have now reached the level that can trigger state action. The latest Austin ISD F ratings could lead to decisions about whether the schools close, whether the district receives another form of oversight, or whether a state-appointed management structure takes control.
The situation developed after Austin ISD tried several measures to improve the three schools. In March, district trustees approved a partnership with the Texas Council for International Studies to manage Burnet, Webb and Dobie as part of an effort to improve academic results and avoid state intervention.
The Texas Education Agency rejected the district’s request for special protections under the state’s SB 1882 partnership program in May. That decision left the three schools subject to the regular accountability process and the risk of further state action following the Austin ISD F ratings.
Austin ISD Ended Its Planned School Partnership
Austin ISD and the Texas Council for International Studies later ended their management partnership for the three middle schools in July. The district said it would operate Burnet, Dobie and Webb directly as the new school year began.
The district also pointed to academic gains at the three campuses. Preliminary 2026 testing data showed that all tested students at Burnet and Dobie passed the Algebra I state assessment, while 85% of tested students at Webb passed. The district described those results as part of broader improvement efforts.
Earlier STAAR results also showed gains in math and reading at all three schools, but overall performance remained low enough to leave the campuses at risk of another failing accountability grade.
The new Austin ISD F ratings now leave Burnet and Webb facing the most immediate consequences. Dobie’s D rating gives that campus a temporary break from the five-year F sequence, while the district’s attention shifts to the state process involving the two campuses that reached the fifth consecutive failing mark.
Austin ISD has not been taken over at this point. The final outcome will depend on the actions taken under Texas’ accountability rules following the new ratings.
Visit Future Education Magazine For The Most Recent Information.