AUSTIN – Chronically poor academic performance and health and safety issues are causing Texas Commissioner of Education Shirley J. Neeley to order the annexation of Mirando City Independent School District to its neighbor Webb Consolidated Independent School District.  This marks only the second time in the past six years that a commissioner has taken such severe action against a school district.

The annexation is effective July 1.         

“I am taking this action after a great deal of deliberation and thought.  Mirando City ISD has had ample opportunity to improve its academic performance but it has been unable to do so.  The school district has been rated academically unacceptable for three of the past four ratings. Its facilities are abysmal,” Neeley said.

“Ultimately, I asked myself ‘would I send my daughter or my grandchildren to this school.’ My answer was, ‘Absolutely not.’ Children deserve better than this,” Neeley said.

Mirando City ISD is a kindergarten through eighth grade school district in Webb County, along the Texas-Mexico border.  The district has for years sent its high school students to Webb Consolidated ISD.

In the most recent state school ratings, Mirando City had a passing rate of 57 percent on the reading Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills for all grades tested, a 14 percent passing rate on the TAKS mathematics exam and 67 percent passing rate on the writing section.

Its facilities rate on par with its academic performance.  Until recently, there were open cesspools by the school cafeteria yet this is a property wealthy school district.

“I realize that closing a school district is a severe blow for a small town but we’ve got to get these children to a safer, more academically sound environment,” Neeley said.

Because Texas, like all southern states, remains under the Voting Rights Act, Neeley in March asked the U.S. Department of Justice’s permission to merge the two districts.  That permission was received April 15.  Both districts were given the official, final notice of the annexation this week from the Texas Education Agency.

A state conservator, Dr. Eliseo Ruiz Jr., has been working with Mirando City to provide oversight to the district and will continue to do so until June 30. On July 1, an ombudsman appointed by the commissioner will be made available to mediate decisions and actions related to the annexation.

Because of the concern that the Mirando City students could impact the state accountability ratings of Webb Consolidated, Neeley said Webb, currently a recognized district, will be allowed to take advantage of a hold harmless provision through the appeals process for the 2006 accountability ratings.  The ombudsman will make a recommendation about whether to extend this provision through the 2007 ratings. 

The last time a commissioner of education ordered a district to be annexed to another district was in 1999 when financially troubled Asherton ISD was annexed to Carrizo Springs ISD.