Pasadena ISD holds required public hearing on 2023-24 performance report, cites gains in readiness and certifications

PASADENA, Texas — At a Feb. 25 meeting, the Pasadena Independent School District Board of Trustees held a public hearing on the district's 2023-24 annual performance report as required by the Texas Education Code.

Donna Summers, the district's executive director of program support and achievement, told the board the Texas Education Code (39.362) requires the district to post components of the annual performance report, including campus improvement plans, federal report cards and financial actual reports. "This evening, we are fulfilling the requirement of Texas Education Code 39.362 to hold a public hearing related to our annual performance report," Summers said.

Why it matters: The annual performance report compiles accountability materials parents and the public can use to compare campuses and track district priorities. Summers said the district posted the report to the Pasadena ISD website and that staff will keep three years of records available online as required by state law.

Key findings and board reaction: Summers highlighted several positive measures for the class of 2023. "All of our student groups, including special education and emergent bilinguals, achieved at least 80% college and career military readiness," she said, a jump she described as nearly 20 percentage points from two years earlier. Summers also reported kindergarten readiness rose 7.5 percentage points to 63.6% districtwide and increased to 73.4% for children enrolled in prekindergarten for at least 80 days.

The presentation noted Pasadena ISD student groups exceeded state and regional targets in several accountability components even though the state did not issue campus accountability ratings in 2023 and 2024. Summers also emphasized staff retention: the district's campus leaders average seven years of experience and classroom teachers average roughly 10 years; Summers said the teacher turnover rate is about 15.7%, compared with a statewide figure of 19.1%.

Board members asked procedural and retention questions. One trustee asked how long TEA retains posted reports; Summers replied the state maintains three years of records. Trustees and staff praised the role of all-day pre-K and attendance initiatives in the kindergarten-readiness gains.

What happens next: Summers said a printable version of the annual performance report will be available at the district's Central Office and that the communications team is migrating materials to a new website location where the public can access the files. The public hearing fulfilled the statutory posting and public-notice requirement; no formal board action was required beyond holding the hearing.

Source: Presentation and Q&A during the board's Feb. 25, 2025 meeting; report components and direct quotes attributed to Donna Summers.