The Texas Senate has passed Senate Bill 1962, put forward by Senator Paul Bettencourt, with the aim of reinstating the A-F Public Education Accountability System. The bill seeks to prevent the use of taxpayer money for legal battles that have previously hindered the release of public school accountability ratings. The bill is seen as a measure to increase transparency and track progress in student achievement across the state.

Senator Bettencourt stated, “What gets measured gets fixed — and that’s exactly what SB 1962 is about. This bill ensures that every Texas parent knows how their child’s school and ISD are performing.”

Since the inception of the A-F system in 2017, legal challenges have delayed the ratings' publication. The ratings were first made public in 2019. However, in 2023, around 100 school districts attempted to prevent the release of these ratings again, but the 15th Court of Appeals ruled against them. In 2024, Kingsville ISD, along with 30 other districts, filed another lawsuit. Senator Bettencourt responded by urging these plaintiffs to cease their legal efforts against the Texas Education Agency.

Bettencourt emphasized the need for accountability, highlighting the improvements seen under Superintendent Mike Miles in HISD, where D and F ranked campuses were reduced significantly, and A and B rankings increased. "We’re putting an end to taxpayer-funded lawsuits designed to shield failure like the 'F' ranking of the lead plaintiff Kingsville ISD," he asserted.

Senate Bill 1962 will now proceed to the Texas House, where it is set to be reviewed by the Public Education Committee chaired by Representative Buckley.

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