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Lubbock ISD board hears "Quality Seats" analysis flagging enrollment decline and middle-school strains
Summary
At a workshop presentation, district staff told trustees that enrollment declines are now affecting all grades and small middle schools are losing programs and course offerings; the board said it will use Vision Week survey results and community focus meetings to plan next steps.
Ken Casarez, Lubbock ISD's chief innovation officer, told the Board of Trustees that the district's annual Quality Seats Analysis shows enrollment declines have spread across grade levels and are "becoming unsustainable." He said factors outside the district's control (lower birth rates, housing development outside district boundaries) combine with parent choice and charter growth to reduce school-age population and strain offerings at smaller campuses.
Casarez said the district now projects about 64% of students will be on A/B campuses under the newer accountability system, short of the district's 80% North Star target. He highlighted middle schools as a particular concern: "Many middle schools continue to see low STAAR proficiency rates," he said, and cited domain-level declines in math at multiple campuses.
The presentation reviewed actions already taken using the School Action Fund and other grants, including redesigns, magnet schools and blended-learning pilots. Casarez pointed to Cavazos Middle School as an example where targeted funds and leadership have produced projected rating improvements, and he recommended further use of grants, tiered supports and external partners to sustain gains.
Trustees asked about teacher qualifications, grant sustainability and community input. Casarez reported that nearly 34% of district teachers hold TIA designations and that the district had received 602 TIA designations (with 275 new designations recently), noting uneven distribution across campuses. He said the district had collected Qualtrics survey responses during its Vision Week effort (about 800 responses, ~80% parents as of the update) and will use that data alongside future focus meetings to inform decisions.
Board members and principals who participated in the workshop said the analysis will guide further conversations on facilities, program offerings and how to prioritize funds and supports. The district plans to present Vision Week results and continue engagement with families before pursuing structural program changes or boundary shifts.
