Leakey ISD leaders cite Bluebonnet curriculum challenges; district to visit Alpha AI campus for possible pilot

Elementary Principal Katie Loughner told the board the Bluebonnet math curriculum has posed implementation challenges: interim assessments were shorter than expected, pacing moves quickly under a spiraled approach, and teachers are concerned students may advance before mastering concepts.

Loughner described interim-assessment use for regrouping and intervention and noted not all Region 20 schools are using Bluebonnet. Superintendent Chris Yeschke said interims will continue to prepare students for a redesigned STAAR scheduled for 2027–28 and provided context that assessments will include beginning, middle and end-of-year administrations.

Yeschke also announced a planned Jan. 16 visit to an Alpha AI campus in Brownsville to review an individualized, AI-driven instructional model. The presentation described vendor claims including a money-back guarantee phrased in the transcript as "Twice average growth or no payment," per the vendor materials cited by staff, and listed potential costs (Austin campus: $40,000/year; Brownsville campus: lower costs and scholarship access). District staff wrote a grant to pilot Alpha AI as a Tier 3 intervention and noted the first semester could be free with regular costs of roughly $2,000 per student per class if scaled. The district will review the site visit findings before any commitment.