More Than Two Dozen SETX Schools on State List for Lower Performance

31 schools in Southeast Texas, including 13 in Beaumont, are on a Texas Education Agency list of campuses rated lower performing because of TAKS scores or an "academically unacceptable" rating.

Students in those schools and about 800 others in Texas will be allowed to apply for transfers to other campuses during the next school year.

Schools on the list had more than 50 percent of their students

fail the TAKS in any two of the last three years or had an

"academically unacceptable" rating in any one of the last three

years.

Under the Public Education Grant program, schools that accept

transfer students receive an extra 10 percent in funding per pupil.

The list includes:

BISD

*Austin Middle

*Bingman Elementary

*Central High School

*Fehl Elementary

*Guess Elementary

*Homer Drive Elementary

*M.L. King Middle

*Odom Middle

*Ozen H.S.

*Pietzsch-MacArthur Elementary

*Smith Middle

*South Park Middle

*Vincent Middle

PAISD

*Dowling Elementary

*Edison Middle

*Memorial High School

*Washington Elementary

WEST ORANGE-COVE

*Oates Elementary

*West Orange-Stark High School

*West Orange-Stark Middle School

HARDIN ISD

*Hardin High School

*Hardin Intermediate

*Hardin Junior High

BURKEVILLE

*Burkeville High School

*Burkeville Middle School

JASPER

*Jasper High School

NEWTON

*Newton Elementary

BROOKELAND

*Brookeland Elementary

DEWEYVILLE

*Deweyville High School

HIGH ISLAND

*High Island Elementary

HULL-DAISETTA

*Hull-Daisetta High School

AUSTIN (AP) - Students at 831 Texas public schools will be

allowed to transfer to other campuses next school year because

their schools were among the lowest rated in the state, the Texas

Education Agency said.

Schools on the list had more than 50 percent of their students

fail the TAKS in any two of the last three years or had an

"academically unacceptable" rating in any one of the last three

years.

Under the Public Education Grant program, schools that accept

transfer students receive an extra 10 percent in funding per pupil.

Houston led all districts with 89 schools on the list, while

Dallas came in second with 74. More than 10 percent of the state's

schools made the list, but the total number decreased from 924 last

year, according to the TEA.

Education officials said tougher performance standards

implemented in recent years have caused problems for some schools.

This is the third year in a row that least 10 percent of schools

made the list of low performers.

"Math and science were the most common reasons for a school to

be unacceptable," said Debbie Ratcliffe, a spokeswoman for the

TEA.

Education officials estimated that as many as 500,000 students

are enrolled at the 831 schools.

The number of students who take advantage of the transfer option

is expected to be low, because the program doesn't provide funding

for transportation to a new school. Fewer than 3,000 students have

used the program to move to transfer since it was implemented in

the late 1990s.

The Senate Education Committee has called on lawmakers to

encourage participation in the transfer program by funding

transportation.

Officials have said transportation is a major obstacle for

students and parents who are considering transferring under the

program.

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On the Net: Texas Education Agency list of eligible schools,

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/taa/perfreport121207a.pdf

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(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)