Spring ISD trustees review midyear student gains, delinquent-tax update; approve storm‑pay and personnel actions

Spring Independent School District trustees met Feb. 6 for a work session that combined a detailed review of midyear student achievement with operational briefings and several formal board actions.

Board President Durant called the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. Trustees heard a multi-part academic presentation — the district's Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR) highlights and a December midyear (MOY) map-based update — that showed measurable cohort gains in early grades and middle school but persistent weaknesses in mathematics and college‑and‑career readiness indicators. The board also received a report on delinquent-property-tax accounts the district has turned over to outside counsel, and took votes on district business including a resolution authorizing pay for employees for two inclement-weather closure days.

The midyear data presentation, led by the district's academics staff and assessment team, emphasized growth measured in MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) and the district's internal progress measures tied to Lone Star Governance goals. Kesa Taylor, the executive director presenting the TAPR highlights, and district leaders described three-year cohort tracking showing improvements as students move from one grade to the next: for example, a sixth-grade cohort that rose in reading performance from third through fifth grade, and a ninth-grade cohort that showed gains across approaches, meets and masters levels.

But the board and staff flagged continuing concerns. District-level MAP-to-STAAR correlations prepared for trustees indicated that, based on the district's December MOY MAP results, an estimated 70% of students in grades 3'8 would be at the STAAR 'approaches' level in reading if tested at that time, with roughly 41% projected at 'meets' and 14% at 'masters.' Mathematics projections were lower. Superintendent Dr. Lupita Hinojosa and academics leaders framed the MAP results as an actionable signal: the district has already shifted interventions earlier and expanded professional learning, with principals reporting expanded PLC time, Saturday tutoring, and targeted intervention programs.

"We started providing Saturday school and after-school tutorials in September. We did not wait until February to start our intervention period," one district leader said, describing steps campuses have taken to accelerate learning.

The board discussed…