Manor ISD board names Third Future Schools as 1882 charter partner for Manor Middle School

The Manor Independent School District Board of Trustees voted Feb. 18 to select Third Future Schools as the districts 1882 charter partner to operate Manor Middle School beginning with the 2025-26 school year.

The vote followed a presentation by Superintendent Doctor Sarmani explaining that state accountability rules put Manor Middle School at risk of an intervention if unacceptable ratings persist. Under Texas law and Texas Education Agency (TEA) procedures, an 1882 charter partner is one option the district may pursue to avoid a TEA takeover.

The boards action gives the superintendent authority to begin contract negotiations with Third Future Schools; those negotiations must be concluded and returned to the board for a final vote at the March board meeting, the superintendent said. If executed, the charter partner would take official control of Manor Middle School on July 1, 2025, for the 2025-26 school year.

Why it matters: The move is part of the districts response to repeated low accountability results at the middle school. Choosing an 1882 partner triggers a formal contract process and changes the management structure of the school, with direct consequences for staff and students.

What the board and administration said: Superintendent Doctor Sarmani reviewed the timeline showing several years of low ratings and noted the districts responsibility to act before TEA could impose more severe interventions. The administration recommended Third Future Schools after reopening the selection process in December; the superintendent said a prior applicant was later determined by TEA to be ineligible as an 1882 turnaround partner.

The administration told the board it had met with staff and the community and described preliminary staffing plans supplied by Third Future Schools: custodial, cafeteria, nurse and police positions would remain Manor ISD employees if Third Future is selected; other campus staff would have the opportunity to apply for positions with Third Future Schools, and any staff not selected or who chose not to transfer would be offered positions elsewhere in Manor ISD.

Board action and next steps: Trustee Lowry moved the motion to name Third Future Schools as the 1882 partner; Trustee Rodriguez Barnett seconded. The motion passed unanimously. The superintendent will negotiate contract terms and return to the board at its March meeting for final approval. The board resolution to select a partner does not itself finalize contract terms or operational details.

Implementation notes and limits of authority: The superintendent emphasized that final staffing, budget and operational authority will be specified in the contract negotiated between Manor ISD and Third Future Schools and that some items (for example, state approval and contract language required by TEA) are outside the boards unilateral control.

Provenance: Excerpts of the boards discussion and motion appear in the meeting transcript during the administrations presentation and the formal action (discussion begins when the superintendent frames the risk of TEA intervention and the need for an 1882 partner; the motion and vote are recorded later in the action item ledger).