Killeen and Copperas Cove school districts join lawsuit against TEA

KILLEEN, Texas (KWTX) -Two central Texas school districts announced Tuesday that they will be joining the lawsuit against the Texas Education Agency.

Killeen ISD and Copperas Cove ISD held school board meetings to decide whether they plan to join the lawsuit that challenges the Texas Education Agency’s decision to retroactively change performance ratings for the 2022-23 school year.

Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath is named as the defendant in the petition.

During the meeting at Copperas Cove ISD, the board voted, 6-0, to retain legal counsel and challenge the State’s new accountability system’s implementation.

“The State has not followed the guidelines set forth in legislation and we are not going to allow the good work of our students, teachers and community to become a political ploy without a fight,” CCISD superintendent Dr. Joe Burns said. “This has been handled unfairly and not met the deadlines that were outlined in House Bill 22, which first changed this process in 2017.”

At the Killeen ISD meeting, the board took nearly two hours, but decided to make plans to join the lawsuit, voting 5-0 with two members absent.

“Our teachers and staff have worked really hard to see academic achievement be accessible for our students and have truly embraced the growth and development in our community.” Superintendent Dr. Jo Ann Fey states, “And it is a shame that the state of Texas does not recognize that.”

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