La Joya ISD responds to TEA rating with strategic turnaround plan

LA JOYA, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Texas Education Agency recently released a new list of accountability ratings for each school district and campus across the state. The 2024–2025 academic year ratings, ranked from "A" through "F," are based on student achievement, school progress, and closing the gaps.

La Joya ISD, home to 36 campuses and over 22,000 students. They received a "C" rating after being ranked a "B" for several years.

Dating back to 1926, La Joya ISD is a district rooted in history. After receiving a "C" rating for the first time in four years, the State of Texas and the district are making strides toward improving that grade.

In February 2024, the TEA appointed a new board and superintendent for La Joya ISD after an investigation recommended the action due to fraud and conflicts of interest, which resulted in criminal charges for former officials.

The newly appointed superintendent, Marcey Sorensen, says the district takes the rating decline very seriously and began making changes last year that will continue to take effect.

Among these changes are a new instructional framework for educators, targeted efforts to address student learning gaps, and the implementation of a five-year strategic plan. This plan was developed with input from students, parents, staff, and community members to identify the skills students need most to succeed.

Sorensen says now that the plan has been laid out, it's time to put it into action.

“We’re going to hold ourselves accountable to deliver the very words on the page. Words on the page aren’t enough, and so we’ve got to execute with excellence, and we have to demonstrate to the community that we’re going to fulfill what we promised,” Sorensen said.

She adds that the district has been very transparent with parents and staff regarding the rating and the steps being taken to improve. The district is grateful for the community’s support and patience as they carry out this plan.

In addition to the district’s overall rating, two campuses received an "F" rating: Evangelina Garza Elementary and Juan Seguin Elementary. Sorensen says the district responded quickly by implementing a turnaround strategy called the ACE model. She explains that this approach includes a curriculum designed to accelerate student learning and close achievement gaps. The district hopes these changes will lead to significant improvement at both campuses.

The strategic plan will be implemented this school year, and the district will receive an updated rating in August 2026. For more information on TEA rankings, visit txschools.gov.