BEAUMONT, Texas — Beaumont Independent School District is holding town hall meetings to discuss the new leadership of three of their campuses for the 2023-2024 school year.
School board members are partnering with Third Future Schools to help bring their scores up, but before they do this they're cutting ties with Phalen Leadership Academies.
This program was being used at Jones-Clark Elementary and Smith Middle School.
The last time the state rated Jones-Clark Elementary and Smith Middle School was during the 2018-2019 school year. These campuses were given an F rating.
The following school years, the campuses were not rated.
Fehl-Price Elementary was later added as another Beaumont ISD school that will be led by Third Future Schools.
Since 2019, Fehl-Price Elementary was operated by ResponsiveED.
The last time the state rated Fehl-Price Elementary was during the 2018-2019 school year. This campus was given a D rating.
The following school years, the campus was not rated.
On June 27, 2023, a town hall meeting will be held at Smith Middle School and on Zoom, beginning at 6 p.m. That meeting can be accessed here.
Families with students at any one of these schools can get answers to questions they have at the meetings, according to Beaumont ISD Director of Community and Media Relations, Jackie Simien.
Simien says the locations of the town hall meetings are being rotated and available on Zoom as a convenience to all affected families.
RELATED: Two Beaumont ISD charter schools change leadership to help student performance, improve TEA ratings
The goal with bringing in this new company is to raise the bar academically and improve student success.
"Academic performance it's hard to say that there is one particular gap for these students, we know that reading fluency comprehension is an issue," Chief Innovation Officer for Beaumont ISD, Anetra Cheatham previously told 12News.
Beaumont ISD board members are promising students and parents that this new partnership will raise the TEA rating from an F to a B+.
"It is a highly differentiated system that is aligned with Beaumont's philosophy with how we want to close the gap for our students," Cheatham said. "It's personalization and differentiation. In their education model students have the opportunity to do rigorous work."
The organization was chosen based on their track record of impacting schools in both Texas and Colorado.
"So, we saw a multiple fronts where they were the best fit for our campuses here at Smith and Clark," Cheatham said.
Beaumont ISD expects their TEA rating to improve by 2027.
If by 2027, Third Future Schools doesn't meet a C rating, the district will have to change their current school model again.
Fehl-Price Elementary was later added as another Beaumont ISD school that will be led by Third Future Schools.
Since 2019, Fehl-Price Elementary was operated by ResponsiveED.
The last time the state rated Fehl-Price Elementary was during the 2018-2019 school year. This campus was given a D rating.
The following school years, the campus was not rated.
Beaumont ISD officials believe the new partnership will improve student success.
Cheatham previously told 12News, she is welcoming this change.
"Quality, rigorous instruction in addition to that they have a little bit longer. They will have 185 school days, which means kids will have an additional time to get caught up. We know sometimes we just need more time," Cheatham said.
For elementary students at Fehl-Price Classical Academy, the first change will be reverting back to the districts original name, Fehl-Price Elementary.
This will allow Pre-K students on campus.
With the closure of Lucas Pre-K School, Fehl-Price will have to make room
"There is actually room on the campuses to take in Pre-K so it will not cause overcrowding. Gives teachers time to go over their classes for the start of school," said Associate Administrator for Elementary Campus, Dr. Anita Frank.
Cheatham says the change will mostly affect the teachers on campus.
"They will have to reapply, to be considered for the new roles for next year, but again, it has proven to be a smooth process. We expect that to continue," Cheatman said.
RELATED: Two Beaumont ISD charter schools change leadership to help student performance, improve TEA ratings
Third Future Schools was chosen based on its track record of impacting schools in both Texas and Colorado.
"It's personalization and differentiation," Cheatham previously told 12News. "In their education model students have the opportunity to do rigorous work, so we saw multiple fronts where they were the best fit for our campuses here at Smith and Clark.
GET NEWS & WEATHER ALERTS | Download the 12News App to your mobile device
