In the 2019 STAAR accountability rankings, the school districts in Region One achieved an “A” or ‘B”. Not a single “C”, “D” or “F” in sight and it’s a very proud day for Region One schools to have obtained these results.
Region One consists of school districts from across South Texas all the way from the Port Isabel area to Laredo and consists of 474,000 students and 26,000 teachers. Region One serves 37 school districts and 10 charter school systems in the seven-county areas of Cameron County, Hidalgo County, Jon Hogg County, Starr County, Webb County, Willacy County, and Zapata County.
This is not a one time fluke either. Over the past 6 years, Region One schools have been the highest performing schools in the state of Texas. It is an amazing turnaround from 30 years ago when Region One was among the lowest-scoring in the state. To have this turnaround is nothing short of a miracle and great testament to local officials, the public and the state working together to move forward and where Region One is now leading the way.
With Region One being one of the most poverty-stricken areas in the state, and nation, to be able to have these results shows the dedication to making sure our children and students are better prepared and educated for the future.
This not only reflects positively for the current crop of students, families, school districts, and local officials but the area in general and what it means for the future as they grow up and move into the workforce and help to really drive the economy forward and out of poverty. This is where it needs to start at the ground level with education and everyone seems to get that.
This needs to be a lesson for other areas as well to show how to pull yourself out from under whatever conditions they may be in and to be able to move forward. If Region One can do this there should be no reason any other areas couldn’t do it. The conditions couldn’t be more difficult and direr and yet year after year for the past 6 years, Region One has been ranked at the top.
Miraculous couldn’t be more appropriate for what has gone on in Region One school districts and communities and what commitment there has been to make a better life for the children.
