[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",5972855,"mediaKeyId","5855587-003aa2bc00096800304a1107eb652207","parentId",5855587,"title","KIPP Texas reports district‑wide growth but says student achievement still trails peers; reading and writing get focused attention","audioSeconds",1941,"startMs",2061000,"endMs",4002000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5855587-003aa2bc00096800304a1107eb652207&start=2061&end=4002","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5855587-003aa2bc00096800304a1107eb652207/thumbnail_2061000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5972855/Texas/KIPP-Texas-reports-districtwide-growth-but-says-student-achievement-still-trails-peers-reading-and-writing-get-focused-attention","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5972855-234700e3c6fa17ffed7d57f7b31630dd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770620969&Signature=a7sm9OdggAr5aDSYNcrhl-GXpijs-IGLt020iM09VLlN2lPt1pt1mnZIZdiamOxG5JfPzXlX8PABP94AWn6vcvbv9FSJSAiqT7ytW5anasJkCVtGfIgsLdVNce0vUBaZJtjSrL6NSWxH8SM1ItFUsC7EHKFBw27j3Ew~WpY7x~-4kKw49ryXKlyrXk8BMowQbbDHKX1yfSn0tPu2O3MNk5ViDpFIER2mUPtTOQgpi12jE6Pm2dl7OQxDdtgo~nmLtMGo1wuzD-jMZXlzmMZe~W0Me-mPpS55nseBu4f9NHrV03gb2faGE1HDaZbnjYQ~8EY1DhAzyiJNgjlszPyE~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","KIPP TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS","date","2025-09-29T17:30:26Z","article","Saba Ali, chief executive officer of KIPP Texas, opened the academic report at the Sept. 25 board meeting by saying, “We’re proud of our growth, and we need to improve our student achievement.” Academic leaders presented three years of accountability trends, described targeted interventions where performance has lagged, and outlined the strategy for year two of a multi‑year academic plan.

Why it matters: KIPP Texas is a large charter management organization; modest changes in system performance affect college readiness and long‑term outcomes for thousands of students. Management reported that 38 of 54 schools increased at least one letter grade between school years 2023 and 2025, and that the share of A/B schools rose from 21% in 2023 to 57% in 2025. At the same time, leaders said overall achievement still lags peers and remains the organization’s primary focus.

Key results presented: Saba Ali and Rona Simmons, chief academic officer, said the district’s overall accountability rating rose 11 points over the past three years. Transformation schools outperformed the rest of the network, increasing an average of 13 points compared with 5 points for other schools. KIPP Texas reported it now has five D schools and zero F schools; 7 schools declined overall between 2023 and 2025.

Reading and writing focus: leaders said reading gains have been supported by a multiyear early‑literacy strategy (including DIBELS monitoring in K–2), but writing performance is the clearest remaining constraint on the state reading/writing combined metric. Rona Simmons said students’ writing scores were low on the state prompt — “out of a 10 on the writing portion of the reading test, our students averaged about 3.5 points” — and that improving students’ ability to “write to respond” is the quickest route to raise the combined score. To address grading burden and provide consistent feedback, KIPP Texas is piloting an AI‑assisted scoring tool for writing and launching writing academies for teacher leaders this year.

Other academic actions: the network will continue to scale the teacher evaluation and coaching system piloted in transformation schools, sustain math academies, and add targeted supports for grade levels and schools where declines are concentrated. Staff said remediation for students who “do not meet” is an explicit focus; about 37% of students are in the upper tier of “does not meet” and could be moved with focused intervention.

Board discussion and next steps: board members asked whether the same approach will be followed in year two; leaders said the strategic approach will continue with targeted refinements. Management also described how instability in school leadership was associated with declines at several campuses and said the network is directing instructional excellence resources to those sites. The board requested follow‑up monitoring and regular reporting on the grade‑level cohorts showing decline.

What remains open: leaders did not project exact timelines for when full parity with top CMOs will be achieved and did not provide peer‑by‑peer comparative writing data (state public reporting merges reading and writing in the published metric). Management committed to monthly and quarterly monitoring and to sharing more detailed cohort and grade‑level data with the board.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","KTX Board of Directors Meeting 09/25/25","oneSentenceSummary","Saba Ali, chief executive officer of KIPP Texas, told the board on Sept. 25 that the network has gained 11 accountability points over three years but still must accelerate student achievement to match top CMOs.","taxTitle","KIPP TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS, School Districts, Texas","taxId",14160,"location","Texas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5972860,"KIPP Texas recommends closing seven schools across three campuses to address sustained enrollment declines",1180,4255000,5435000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5855587-003aa2bc00096800304a1107eb652207&start=4255&end=5435","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5855587-003aa2bc00096800304a1107eb652207/thumbnail_4255000.jpg","/articles/5972860/Texas/KIPP-Texas-recommends-closing-seven-schools-across-three-campuses-to-address-sustained-enrollment-declines","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5972860-4549939a4410599ce922a569050e2611/orig.mp4?Expires=1770620969&Signature=XFjep15B42Y5Dsct8XjItPlWnsGV8kf0waf95V-v~KOEdpxahndaOgrDWD5uTLcXEHzxO5c2yDaiB3Ggya6nqEPSdthg2fc6Kz9MF2G6x1Oxdn4w68SXwjFyoA4Y0gOX8LZnI1aRNoOzah1PqdEpNwSKfCVqqcauDpgGtRzsxpxHIPLLtprWJy85YFQh3b0LukfP1iRZR1d4Y4~FP39Ms-1YKLRZS-sDptvvsOSv-a0CKa4OD-1uh~Am2LvVD18M7Uh2Hqew5kE5wCImjsFz5-lG8fsPKCUM0x7O910xht2dhlG88vuud2GiXwXJ5BvgvQbtBT14AK5Evwd6gLsSHg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","KIPP Texas Chief Executive Officer Saba Ali told the board on Sept. 25 that management is recommending the closure of seven schools across three campuses in Austin and San Antonio after the 2025–26 school year, citing multi‑year enrollment declines and an unsustainable subsidy burden on the system. The board received the recommendation and scheduled public community meetings in October and a formal vote for a special board meeting in December; no closures will occur before the end of the current school year.

Why it matters: KIPP Texas said the closures are intended to disrupt what staff described as an “unhealthy cycle” — low enrollment that produces underutilized buildings, reduced revenue, and cuts that eventually affect academic programming systemwide. Management said earlier interventions and a clearer portfolio strategy are meant to stabilize finances and protect classroom instruction.

At the meeting, Ali identified the campuses and schools included in the recommendation: Commerce Campus in San Antonio (KIPP Un Mundo Primary and KIPP Camino Academy), Austin Ridge Campus (KIPP Alegría Primary and KIPP Academy of Arts & Letters), and Austin South Campus (KIPP Obras elementary, KIPP Beacon Prep middle, and KIPP Brave High School). Ali told the board, “Our recommendation is to close 7 schools across 3 campuses in Austin and San Antonio after school ends at the end of this school year.” She also said a 100% of affected KIPP students will be offered reenrollment to another KIPP school within their region.

Management presented a phased process that led to the recommendation. Staff said they used a mix of enrollment trends, wait‑list and demand data, building utilization (functional capacity), neighborhood demographic forecasting and financial modeling to classify campuses into categories such as “near‑term concern” or “longer‑term challenge.” Staff said roughly 30% of KIPP Texas campuses are significantly underutilized and that the system has exhausted central budget reductions that do not affect campuses directly.

Board and staff directions: the board was not asked to vote on closures on Sept. 25. Instead staff described next steps: regional community meetings in October (with Spanish and ASL interpretation and translated materials), a November board meeting to review themes from community feedback, and a special December meeting where the board will vote on any closure actions. Staff said they are developing transportation plans and talent retention options for affected employees and emphasized that schools will remain open through the 2025–26 school year regardless of the December vote. Jenna Moon, chief of staff, said bringing the recommendation to families in September was intended to preserve parental choice ahead of October enrollment cycles.

Questions from board members focused on numbers and supports. Board members asked how many students would be affected and what reenrollment rate staff expect; staff said they will provide more detailed enrollment and transportation modeling in closed session and in subsequent community materials but indicated they do not expect to reenroll 100% of displaced students. Staff also said they will redeploy instructional supports and talent resources before and during any transition to preserve the current school year’s instructional quality.

Background and constraints: staff emphasized that the organizational health review is focused on enrollment and financial sustainability, not academic accountability. Management separately highlighted recent academic gains across the portfolio but said enrollment-driven subsidy pressure required a portfolio-level response. Bain acted as a consultant in the analytic work, and staff said they would reassess impacts after any Phase 1 actions are implemented.

What’s next: staff will hold community meetings in October and report themes back to the board in November. The board will consider a vote in December. If the board approves closures, management said it will present transportation plans, detailed student‑impact and financial modeling, and talent retention proposals to the board and to affected families before summer 2026.","KIPP Texas Chief Executive Officer Saba Ali told the board on Sept. 25 that management is recommending the closure of seven schools across three campuses in Austin and San Antonio after the 2025–26 school year, citing multi‑year enrollment declines and an unsustainable subsidy burden on the system.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5972850,"KIPP Texas maintains 'superior' FIRST rating and projects a stronger fiscal year despite fundraising shortfall",530,1519000,2049000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5855587-003aa2bc00096800304a1107eb652207&start=1519&end=2049","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5855587-003aa2bc00096800304a1107eb652207/thumbnail_1519000.jpg","/articles/5972850/Texas/KIPP-Texas-maintains-superior-FIRST-rating-and-projects-a-stronger-fiscal-year-despite-fundraising-shortfall","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5972850-8879657823a1c0d8515b6c2652959d54/orig.mp4?Expires=1770620969&Signature=GeoIPQb1NMvhRrNpwKVhxDYzilNlYNk5LnB0Id2xEwmP4mxDEleR0HnvrPxk3AIZrJ150sCYl~oKjtmtOSHiYoVBqQgsHzRZ-E8yHcf9Xt9noJdHbcpnYXhRNh~6HmSkqlS~ThTZnYPQruMFn10Ad8eRzZMrdSojE4nZToZ19ugbE2t1HXEZQn8UoyvGEH72f~j1sjmwa~oDp~gjMrrFPrOo88gYFHgb3cGAc5sZ-kSVM1ApP-wyd-neIdjQjmsvZHAQF1Ee3rxmcK92vZ3jRfIJEvPRhFRZGzqh7sWta9AQOlPumuFHn1D8h~z7DbILjG0h2rSdk758Y7pEfIDGTg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sanhan (chief financial officer) and senior finance staff briefed the board on Sept. 25 on the organization’s fiscal performance, external audit status and the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST) score. Finance staff said the most recent FIRST rating is 90 out of 100 (classified as “superior”); they expect coding corrections and year‑end results to push the score to about 94 in the next published cycle.

Fiscal highlights presented: staff reported a projected FY25 EBITDA of about $46 million, which exceeds the $44 million threshold that supports a 1.2 times debt service coverage ratio. Management said it expects to deliver approximately 1.3 times debt service coverage on year‑end results. Enrollment was close to targets — staff said the system was within 40 students of its target (about 99.9% of goal) — and attendance was reported at 94.5% year‑to‑date.

Fundraising and compensation: KIPP Texas raised $9.4 million in fundraising for FY25 against a $12.0 million goal. Management highlighted a one‑time $8.0 million staff retention incentive already issued to employees; finance staff said early analysis shows the incentive likely contributed to a modest increase (about 1 percentage point) in staff retention. Overall staff retention was reported at 78% (77% for teachers) and 69% retention for special education teachers, with the retention incentive under analysis.

Audit and compliance: auditors’ field work was nearly complete and staff expected no audit findings. Management noted that an issue described earlier in the audit required increased substantive testing but that the team passed the testing. Staff also disclosed publisher required information as part of FIRST reporting — the superintendent’s employment contract is posted on the KIPP Texas website and total reimbursements disclosed were approximately $2,400.

Budget outlook and timing: management reiterated an FY26 budgeted deficit of $18 million (unchanged from the June budget) and said the gap is expected to materially decrease once HB 2 revenue summaries are published in mid‑October; staff will update the finance work group on Oct. 30 and the full board in November (with the audit brought to board for approval on Nov. 13).

Board discussion: board members asked about coding corrections that affected the FIRST score, the status of the audit testing, and the interplay between fundraising shortfalls and operating plans. Finance staff credited forecasting discipline and said the organization reduced reliance on one‑time funds and expects to meet long‑term sustainability targets.","Sanhan, chief financial officer for KIPP Texas, told the board on Sept. 25 that the organization maintained a 'superior' FIRST score of 90 and expects a rebound to the mid‑90s as coding issues are corrected and year‑end results close.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5972845,"KIPP Texas updates staff handbook to reflect recent state laws; TEA intruder audits show no findings",103,6376000,6479000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5855587-003aa2bc00096800304a1107eb652207&start=6376&end=6479","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5855587-003aa2bc00096800304a1107eb652207/thumbnail_6376000.jpg","/articles/5972845/Texas/KIPP-Texas-updates-staff-handbook-to-reflect-recent-state-laws-TEA-intruder-audits-show-no-findings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5972845-36e09d4cbbecf62da5a84c07e06591c8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770620969&Signature=MxdnDTJl4hSkV4EhwSNcZ6~A6UMvjutPm8WmKffQeZp2Qgx9uMpSIP544og9o12JSzhGR1A4TvXVV-VMv~JHuzkzzPmsN3nlN4Io~xDgaoP09f5RV6X7qjTy-XJhoztqrDigz23xYPx-f0ZE1WvToJ412Jqfe7ueu-te92frb7Ot3S7SWWDyPW9qD8cmOzbE9j2B8uvqtM28g9HZZCrRhVJOG6DDKxK8ulfGQDgJaIiYSb03NySjz2i7KXSxxOsqaq-fwf-Lf8hLYz9rhWYeMSLO~2Pwm49qrpgBoSgDDAfTuODJQWVjQ-w-TXvCub9y4VwCUaM9YkIq2MIYz7N4gQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Helen Spaulding, legal counsel for KIPP Texas, briefed the board on proposed updates to the staff handbook that the board will be asked to approve on the consent agenda. Spaulding said the changes fall mainly into two categories: language required by recent legislation and clarifications to align policy with operational changes.

What changed: Spaulding said updates include removal or revision of language related to diversity/equity/inclusion to reflect Senate Bill 12 requirements, updated parent‑notification language tied to that statute, a set of updates tied to Senate Bill 571 around employee reporting obligations, an update to vacation payout language to align with internal leave policies, revised Title IX contact information, and cleanup of internal transfer, mileage reimbursement and severance provisions. Spaulding said staff are also finalizing a streamlined staff grievance policy.

Safety and security: Laura Howard, chief operations officer, told the board that three TEA intruder detection audits completed so far in the 2025–26 school year resulted in zero findings. Howard also said the safety and security committee added a special education administrator, Jocelyn Harmon, to ensure compliance with HB57 guidance and to enhance committee expertise.

Board process: Spaulding noted the staff handbook changes will be in the consent agenda for board approval; the board approved the consent agenda unanimously on Sept. 25. Board members asked for confirmation of the core values changes, which Spaulding summarized as a current focus on three values: “Chase excellence,” “Persist with purpose,” and “Bring joy.”","Legal counsel presented staff handbook changes driven by recent legislation (Senate Bill 12 and Senate Bill 571 among others) and procedural updates; operations reported three TEA intruder detection audits completed with zero findings.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

KIPP Texas reports district‑wide growth but says student achievement still trails peers; reading and writing get focused attention

KIPP Texas recommends closing seven schools across three campuses to address sustained enrollment declines

KIPP Texas maintains 'superior' FIRST rating and projects a stronger fiscal year despite fundraising shortfall

KIPP Texas updates staff handbook to reflect recent state laws; TEA intruder audits show no findings