Officials at Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD revealed that the district’s summer program had no effect on student achievement scores, signaling a need to rethink student support structures.
The HEB ISD school board was presented with a report on student academic outcomes during a meeting earlier in the month. The data revealed that the district’s $409,000 summer school program did not have the desired impact on math and reading scores. The summer program was offered to K-5 students. In 2023, those who attended did not perform better than those who did not.
Lauren Allen, HEB ISD’s research and data analysis coordinator, recommended that the district change course rather than pour more taxpayer money into a program that is not paying off.
“There are other intervention systems during the school day that have a more positive impact on student achievement,” claimed Allen, according to the Fort Worth Report.
She suggested spending taxpayer money to purchase materials in different subjects that students could use throughout the school year.
Agreeing that rolling out initiatives to boost student achievement scores throughout the school year could prove more beneficial, Matt Romero, HEB ISD board president, called attention to programs that aim to build up students’ self-esteem.
In the meantime, Romero suggested waiting for more data in order to make proper adjustments to the district’s student support structures.
HEB ISD’s accountability report from the Texas Education Agency for the 2021-2022 school year showed that 63% of its students scored at grade level on their STAAR exams. This beats the statewide average of 48%, as well as the lackluster 41% put up by Dallas ISD, a district that has seen falling student enrollment numbers, likely in part due to persistent issues regarding academic performance, allegations of mismanagement, and more, as covered by The Dallas Express.
During the 2021-2022 school year, Dallas ISD’s board of trustees adopted a $2.2 billion budget, spending roughly $15,188 per student. For comparison, HEB ISD spent approximately $250 million, or roughly $10,931 per student, that same year.
HEB ISD will soon see a significant upgrade to six of its campus facilities, after voters approved a roughly $1 billion bond package in November. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the undertaking will include replacing two Cold War-era campuses, L.D. Bell High School and Trinity High School, both of which have been flagged for significant infrastructure issues.
