Everman ISD outsources two campuses with TEA takeover threat looming

A Colorado-based third-party operator is set to run Townley Elementary and Baxter Jr. High — with its own curriculum and mostly its own teaching staff.

EVERMAN, Texas — Two Everman ISD schools will be run by a Colorado-based nonprofit next year after the district board voted to outsource operations at two campuses whose continued failing accountability score performance could put the entire district at risk of state takeover. 

The district will pay Third Future Schools millions of dollars to take over Townley Elementary and Baxter Junior High schools for the next three years. The TEA gave Townley F grades in 2023 and 2024 and a D in 2025. It gave Baxter F grades all three years. Five years of failing grades puts the district at risk of state takeover. 

“We’ve tried to get the better outcomes,” said Everman ISD Superintendent Felicia Donaldson. “However, we still haven’t gotten the results that we want to get. So it’s time for us to do something new. This is that new.”

Third Future will come in with its own curriculum, a longer school day, an extended school year and mostly its own teachers. In other schools it has taken over across the state, the nonprofit retained just one in five existing teachers. Everman said it does not yet have an estimate for how many of its staff members will stay at the school under Third Future. 

At a recent parent meeting answering questions about the changes, Everman ISD and Third Future both faced skeptical community members. 

“I don’t know how this is going to be the magic solve-all,” said Kim Gissel, whose grandchildren attend Townley Elementary. “It’s a huge change for staff and for the students. They’re not used to this.”

Third Future promises to improve the schools’ accountability score to at least a B — ideally within a single year. 

In exchange for outsourcing the schools, the TEA grants the district a two-year reprieve from a state takeover and sends it additional dollars to funnel to the third-party operator. 

A TEA takeover would likely mean the superintendent and her school board would be replaced by state-appointed leaders. 

Donaldson said that did not factor into the decision.

“This decision was solely a student-centered decision,” she said. “This is not an easy decision, but it’s a decision I’m confident will get us the results that we need to get for those campuses and for those students.” 

The district plans additional parent meetings in the coming months as Third Future prepares to take over the two schools.