BEAUMONT, Texas — Three Beaumont Independent School District campuses returned to class Wednesday under new leadership.
School board members have partnered with Third Future Schools to help bring Texas Education Agency ratings up at Jones-Clark Elementary, Smith Middle School and Fehl-Price Elementary.
The charter school promises a place of learning with limited distractions.
Class sizes are smaller, including just a desk, an 80-inch interactive video board and of course, good teachers to guide and engage students.
On the first day, students were already hard at work learning and writing about the boy who cried wolf and making predictions.
"I also saw in a third grade science classrooms where they were talking about biotic, versus a biotic living and non living organisms. So, starting the day with a really strong start. I think it sets the tone for a really strong school year and just let's us know that our students are going to be on track," said Beaumont ISD Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Schools, Anetra Cheatham.
Third Future Schools' Superintendent Zach Craddock says they hope to change all three schools unrated campus scores to a C rating by the end of the school year.
"Our goal is you know after 185 days of good solid instructional days. I want to see, I know what the papers and community wants to see is a C rating. They want to see a minimum of a C that first year. That's my goal. That's my goal is a C rating. I will shoot for a B," he said.
Third Future Schools' ultimate goal is to earn at least a B+ rating for each campus by the 2026-2027 school year.
Third Future Schools is a network of public charter schools serving 4,500 of students across Colorado, Texas and Louisiana.
Leadership Academies was previously being used at Jones-Clark and Smith.
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 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.
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