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Trustees approve negotiations with Third Future Schools for Hershey Middle turnaround partnership
Summary
The board approved entering negotiations with Third Future Schools and authorized submission of an 1882 grant application to pursue a partnership at Hershey Middle School aimed at improving academic outcomes and avoiding state intervention under the Texas Education Code.
The Wichita Falls ISD Board of Trustees voted 5‑0 to authorize district staff to enter negotiations with Third Future Schools and to submit an application for an “1882” partnership grant to pursue an operating partnership for Hershey Middle School (formerly Kirby), a campus that has recorded multiple years of low performance.
David Humphreys, executive director for school administration, described the 1882 partnership model discussed in training with the Texas Authorizing Leadership Academy and explained that an approved partner operates a campus within a district’s oversight: the partner would have responsibility over campus personnel, curriculum, calendar and daily operations while the district retains oversight via a performance contract that sets academic and financial measures.
“The partner school has full autonomy on the day‑to‑day running of the campus… the district holds the partner accountable through a performance contract outlining academic and financial performance measures,” Humphreys said. He and Superintendent Dr. Donnie Lee stressed that students would remain Wichita Falls ISD students and would continue to be enrolled in district systems and eligible for extracurricular activities.
The district noted financial incentives tied to the grant application: if accepted, the grant would provide funds to support implementation and could provide a two‑year exemption from certain accountability consequences for campuses with consecutive low ratings. Humphreys said Third Future is currently the only approved partner in Texas for the 1882 pathway and that the district had visited Third Future campuses, citing examples where the operator moved campuses from F ratings to B ratings.
A representative from Third Future Schools described the organization’s experience: “We currently have 11 campuses across three states. We started our first 1882 partnership in 02/2020,” the representative said, describing their professional development calendar, community partnerships and options for transition if a campus returns to district operation after a partnership period.
Board members expressed strong support for pursuing the partnership, emphasizing urgency because Texas Education Code requires state intervention — including appointment of a board of managers or campus closure — after multiple consecutive years of unacceptable performance. Trustees asked about extracurricular participation, staff contracts and what happens after a three‑year contract; presenters said students would remain district students and that staff under contract would be placed within the district or considered for partner roles.
The board voted to authorize negotiations with Third Future Schools and to proceed with the 1882 application process, and staff scheduled town‑hall meetings and public information pages to share details with parents and staff prior to formal application submission.
