Lancaster ISD seeks approval to plan ACE restart at Lancaster Middle School, citing GWC turnaround results
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Summary
District leaders proposed planning to restart Lancaster Middle School as an ACE campus, aiming to replicate the improvement seen at G.W. Carver (GWC) that moved from an F to a projected B; planning would start immediately if the board approves and staff will seek School Action Fund grant funding.
Lancaster ISD leaders asked the board Aug. 13 to approve planning to restart Lancaster Middle School (LMS) under the district’s ACE turnaround model.
Presenters said the ACE model focuses on strategic staffing, instructional excellence, an extended school day, social‑emotional supports and strong parent-community partnerships. Presenter Mrs. Ayala noted the district saw rapid gains at a prior ACE campus, G.W. Carver (GWC), which moved “from an F rating to a projected B rating in under 2 years.” Staff recommended using the same core ACE elements, with a planning year that would identify stakeholders, form a design team and create a staffing profile.
Funding: staff said they would pursue the School Action Fund (SAF) grant under the 2025 cycle to support a restart; the SAF option they described allows an existing campus to be transformed through new leadership, staffing and a rigorous turnaround model. The presenters said an ACE restart can include restaffing up to 80% of a campus (with caps to avoid undermining other campuses), offer financial incentives to attract teachers, and add an enrichment/extended day that teachers and students favor.
Board members asked about the data and timeline. Presenter Ayala said the district evaluates multiple data points — student achievement, teacher quality, attendance and discipline — when considering a restart and would share those data with the board as part of the planning work. Superintendent Pereira said some components of the ACE staffing profile had already been used to hire a principal and some administrators at LMS ahead of formal board approval and that district staff are “way ahead of the game” compared with the earlier GWC start.
Ending: The board heard the plan and was asked to approve planning. If approved, staff said planning would begin immediately and will return to the board with a detailed plan and grant application timelines.