Southwest ISD presents 2024–25 TAPR: district remains accredited; staff report three campus incidents including one firearm possession

At a public hearing of the Southwest ISD Board, district staff reviewed the 2024–25 Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR) and explained the elements parents and the public will find when the district posts the report online.

Lisa, who opened the TAPR presentation, told trustees the TAPR is produced by the Texas Education Agency using district student information and state assessment data and that it includes accountability ratings, subgroup breakdowns and staff and program information. She said the report covers multiple domains including STAAR performance by level, school progress/growth, participation counts, attendance and graduation rates, college/career/military readiness indicators, and staff and program data.

Why it matters: the TAPR is the public record TEA compiles about district and campus performance and helps the board, staff, and public evaluate where campuses are meeting state expectations and where targeted supports are required.

District safety data: Mary Lou Hernandez, presenting the required report on violent and criminal incidents, said, “for the 2024–2025 school year, we had a total of three violent or criminal incidents — one for possession of a firearm at one of our middle school campuses and two for serious misbehavior while placed at our district alternative education program.” A board member questioned the count and Hernandez acknowledged and said she would correct the earlier misstatement.

What the TAPR will include: staff reiterated the TAPR will report accountability ratings (A–F) for the district and each campus, performance rates (approaches/Meets/masters), subgroup disaggregation by ethnicity and economic status, participation and exclusion codes, chronic absenteeism and graduation rates, and first-year postsecondary outcomes compiled by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Lisa said a glossary explaining terms and calculations is available in English and Spanish.

Availability and next steps: staff said the district's TAPR will be posted to the district website within two weeks of the meeting and that paper copies will be available at the district central office and at each campus. Trustees did not vote on the TAPR itself — the presentation fulfilled the statutory public-hearing requirement and staff invited follow-up questions and contact for assistance.

The board moved on to other agenda items after the presentation, including financial reports and construction updates.