Texas has announced it will take over another school district, making it the second district in April to be placed under the state’s control for failing to meet its academic standards.
The Texas Education Agency — the state agency tasked with overseeing local school districts — stated it would replace the elected school board and superintendent at Beaumont ISD near Houston.
The announcement on Wednesday, April 29, comes days after TEA took the same action against Lake Worth ISD in North Texas.
In total, TEA has taken control of three Texas school districts so far in 2026, with the first being in March at Fort Worth ISD.
Here’s a look at the two newest school districts placed under the state’s control in April and why.
What does a TEA takeover mean?
Under Texas law, a school district is overseen by a school board called the board of trustees. The trustees are elected by their peers in the school district and have the final say on matters such as hiring, regulations, and pay.
The board also hires the district’s superintendent, who reports directly to the board and oversees the district’s day-to-day operations.
Under state law, the state education commissioner can intervene in the leadership of school districts if they are underperforming or fail to meet accreditation, academic performance or financial standards. This process also occurs when a district receives failing accountability grades from the agency for five consecutive years.
If the commissioner finds that a takeover is needed, they can place the district under a conservatorship, in which the board and superintendent remain in place while it works toward improvement.
If improvements have not been made or if things continue to worsen, the commissioner can fire the leaders and temporarily appoint a board of managers. When done, the state-appointed board and superintendent resume immediate control and work towards correcting the school.
According to state law, the board is appointed for two years but may be extended by the commissioner if the school does not meet acceptable standards.
TEA takes over Beaumont ISD
Mike Morath, the Texas Education Agency commissioner, visits Booker T. Washington Elementary School, on Wednesday, Sep. 3, 2025, in Wichita Falls.
On Wednesday, April 29, TEA Commissioner Mike Morath announced the appointment of a seven-member board of managers and the selection of a new superintendent to lead the Beaumont Independent School District (BISD).
For context, BISD is located in Beaumont, Texas, east of Houston.
“For more than a decade, persistent academic struggles have held students back from reaching their full potential. Today’s actions reaffirm our commitment to the children of Beaumont by putting them first,” said Morath in a statement. “I am deeply grateful to the community members who have volunteered to serve on the Board of Managers and for their willingness to lead with children at the center of every decision, as we work together to deliver the best possible education for Beaumont’s students.”
This takeover comes after the TEA announced its intent to appoint a board of managers for the district in December 2025, following consecutive failing accountability ratings.
According to TEA, one of BISD’s campuses has not earned an acceptable performance rating since the 2013-14 school year, while another school has never met an acceptable standard since opening in the 2011-12 school year.
For BISD to exit the state’s control, TEA said it must meet the following three criteria:
Ensuring the district has zero multi-year unacceptable campuses.
Improving student proficiency for all students in Reading and Mathematics.
Using the Lone Star Governance Continuous Framework, the School Board must achieve a “Meets Focus”.
This is also not the first time the state has had to intervene at BISD. In 2014, a former commissioner had to appoint a board of managers to address financial mismanagement and compliance issues by the board of trustees at that time.
According to TEA, the intervention was successful, resulting in clean financial audits and a return to elected board governance, which began in 2018 and was completed in 2020.
TEA takes over Lake Worth ISD
Mike Morath, the Texas Education Agency commissioner, observes and interacts with fifth grade students during a visit to Booker T. Washington Elementary School on Wednesday, Sep. 3, 2025, in Wichita Falls.
Earlier in the month, on April 23, TEA announced the appointment of a five-member board of managers and the selection of a new superintendent to oversee the operations of Lake Worth Independent School District (LWISD).
“Lake Worth ISD students deserve a school system that prepares them for success in college, career or the military,” Morath said in a statement. “The newly appointed Board of Managers and superintendent bring the experience and commitment necessary to improve academic outcomes, strengthen district systems and build a strong foundation for long-term success in Lake Worth ISD.”
LWISD is located in Lake Worth, Texas, which sits on the northwestern outskirts of Fort Worth.
For LWISD to exit the state’s control, TEA said it must meet the following three criteria:
Ensuring the district has zero multi-year unacceptable campuses.
Improving student proficiency in Reading and Mathematics — including for students with disabilities and emergent bilingual students.
Using the Lone Star Governance Continuous Framework, the School Board must achieve a “Meets Focus”.
According to TEA, Morath had announced the state’s intent to appoint the board of managers on Dec. 11, 2025.
Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional papers in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him: mrosiles@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USATNetwork: Texas Education Agency takes over Beaumont, Lake Worth ISDs