La Joya ISD presents Quality Seats Analysis, flags enrollment decline, chronic absenteeism and 61% building utilization

Joseph (district staff) opened the La Joya ISD presentation to the school board by saying the district joined the System of Great Schools network and will use its Quality Seats Analysis (QSA) over four years to identify where students have access to high‑quality, best‑fit seats.

The analysis, presenters said, draws on verified accountability ratings, TAPR reports, classroom walkthroughs at 15 campuses and observations of more than 60 classrooms to create an annual single‑source view of district performance. "Are we guaranteeing quality seats across our system of schools?" Joseph asked, framing the review as a tool for strategic planning.

Dr. Little, who led the academic portion of the presentation, said elementary STAR results show wide variation: nine elementary campuses outperform a cited state average of 46% meeting or exceeding standards, while more than half of elementary campuses fall below that threshold. At the high school level, two specialty schools were reported above 80% on the measures, while comprehensive high schools lagged. "What do we need to start grappling with as a system, a district and a community to ensure that just because you're at a comprehensive high school, it isn't relegating you to half the results," Dr. Little said.

Presenters also described college‑readiness measures: about 11% of high school students passed at least one AP exam, and dual‑enrollment success varied by campus. Jimmy Carter Early College High School was singled out as a positive example the district would study for replication.

Attendance emerged as a central concern. Presenters said chronic absenteeism is undermining academic progress and cited campus examples: a high‑school example (Palm View High School) was noted at 53.9% chronic absenteeism. The district described a tiered intervention model (teacher call after two absences, conferences and referrals to counseling or social work at higher tiers) and new reporting tools in Tableau that cross‑tabulate absences with risk indicators (economically disadvantaged, homeless, military‑connected) so schools can target supports and McKinney‑Vento referrals.

Discipline data showed middle schools reporting the highest share of incidents, mainly code‑of‑conduct violations such as insubordination and dress code infractions rather than violent offenses; referrals are entered in Skyward to identify trends and target interventions such as PBIS and group counseling.

A finance presenter reported average district spending per student at $11,734 and flagged special education identification at about 14.3% of students versus a state average cited at 10.5%, calling the difference a budgetary driver that may reflect over‑identification and will require further review.

Miss Miller described the teacher‑evaluation system (TTESS) used for professional growth: the district reported roughly 0% of teachers in 'improvement needed', about 5% 'developing', roughly 71% 'proficient', 23% 'accomplished' and 0.4% 'distinguished'. Presenters said calibration training and leadership coaching are underway for 2024–25 to align ratings and support teacher growth.

Enrollment trends show about a 20% decline in students districtwide over the past 10 years (presenters framed the change as a fall from roughly 29,000 students to roughly 23,000), with some campus‑level growth anomalies (Camarena Elementary opened in the period and Palm View High showed modest growth). Presenters reviewed inter‑district transfer patterns and the transfer criteria schools use to maintain admittance.

On facilities, Dr. Geary reported the district is utilizing roughly 61% of its total building capacity, with lower‑performing campuses near 58%, a pattern the team said generates energy and maintenance inefficiencies and creates an opportunity to reallocate funds toward programming and to consider re‑using successful programs across campuses.

Board members asked when the district would present deeper analyses on replicable supports at high‑performing specialty schools; presenters said a high‑school action plan will be delivered Nov. 20 and that the cabinet will conduct a community 'road show' to present findings and gather stakeholder input. Joseph closed by reiterating that the QSA will be annual and that the next steps will prioritize clarity in planning and community engagement.

The board did not take any formal votes during the presentation; presenters identified follow‑up items (the Nov. 20 action plan and community outreach) and committed to bringing more detailed, campus‑level analyses back to the board.