Decatur ISD has announced changes at an elementary campus which has received multiple “D” accountability ratings from the state. Those changes include a new interim principal.
In a letter sent to parents of students who attend Carson Elementary Thursday, the district outlined a plan meant to increase academic performance at the campus.
Carson has received “D” ratings from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in the 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 school years.
Accountability ratings are based on the results of State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) testing. Texas public school students are required to take the STAAR test beginning in third grade, with results used to gauge both individual and campus-wide academic performance year over year. The TEA ratings factor in academic achievement, progress and how effectively schools close learning gaps among student groups — such as those of different races, ethnicities and economic backgrounds.
“While the campus’s 2026 overall accountability score improved to 69 — with gains across all domains compared to 2025 — this level of growth is simply not enough,” Superintendent Taylor Williams said in the letter.
Lana Coffman will serve as interim principal at Carson while maintaining her role as the district’s director of assessment, accountability and federal programs, the district announced. Coffman was previously principal at Young Elementary in Decatur.
Craig Weston — who has served as principal at Carson since 2018 — will serve as assistant principal at the campus with a focus on student services support. Staci O’Bryant will continue serving as assistant principal, maintaining her roles and responsibilities with an instructional focus.
The district said the changes will remain in place for the remainder of the 2026-27 school year.
“This structure strengthens leadership attention to instruction while providing dedicated support for student services,” Williams said in the letter. “The leadership transition is one part of our response. Lasting improvement will require consistent work across the campus and continued district support.”
Earning consecutive ratings below a “C” triggers potential intervention and oversight from the TEA, according to the district. On Aug. 26, the TEA sent the district a Notice of Escalated Intervention Requirements. TEA has directed the district to develop and submit a campus Turnaround Plan by Nov. 20. The plan must be presented at a public hearing and approved by the school board before it is submitted to the commissioner of education for final approval.
TEA begins counting consecutive “D” ratings as unacceptable for intervention purposes with the third “D,” meaning the official consecutive unacceptable rating for the campus is at two, according to the district. Each additional “D” increases the count until the campus earns a “C” or higher.
“While Carson’s current official count is two unacceptable ratings, the notice also explains that five consecutive unacceptable ratings at any campus require either campus closure or a state-appointed board of managers governing the district,” the letter stated.
The district said the planned changes are meant to set the campus on a sustainable path toward academic health and student success and avoid reaching the threshold where management by the state is necessary.
“As we look to the future, it is important to highlight the meaningful work already happening at Carson,” Williams said in the letter. “These dedicated efforts enabled our school community to grow five full points on the STAAR test in just one year — an incredible growth indicator that underscores the hard work of Carson students, teachers, staff and families. Coupled with intentional academic shifts taking place across campus, we see promising progress on the horizon.”