"A lot of work to do though, a lot more work to do, it's not the finish line, it's our starting point," Spring ISD superintendent Kregg Cuellar said.
Spring ISD has struggled academically, according to state ratings. Two years ago, the district was rated a D and had 11 F-rated campuses. In the 2025-26 school year, the district climbed 11 points to a C rating and dropped to two F-rated campuses.
"We all worked very hard, especially our students, especially our teachers," Cuellar said.
Cuellar said the progress began when they pared back the number of curricula the district was using, from over 600 to around 20.
"I personally feel that the new resource that we adopted, specifically in mathematics, really helped bolster math," Cuellar said.
Cuellar said Spring ISD is now using the state-created Bluebonnet curriculum in math, which he credits for helping Dekaney High School, a formerly F-rated campus, reach a C rating.
Dekaney ISD received an F rating for four consecutive school years, putting the district on the cusp of state intervention eligibility. While the Texas Education Agency has never threatened the district with a takeover, the state can step in once a single campus fails for five consecutive years.
Spring ISD is also expanding a new daily, end-of-class assessment program. Now, at the end of every class, students are quizzed to make sure what they are learning in class is sticking.
"Not really a test where you are graded for it, but it really tells the teacher, and it tells the student in real time that they were able to master that period's learning. And if a teacher sees that there is an area or opportunity for growth, then they can intervene immediately to provide that child some intervention," Cuellar said.
This practice is now being used district-wide to catch students before they are left behind.2
Cuellar said they are also focusing on making sure school leadership and administrators are in classrooms more to provide coaching and guidance to teachers. TEA data show Spring has a young teacher population, with 41% of teachers having just one to five years of experience.
These are all steps, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said last week, that are inching Spring in the right direction.
"You don't want to see the state intervene; this is not what we wish to do, but what happened is because we are public about the performance requirements, local governing teams, local school boards, local superintendents, they shift resources around, they focus managerial attention, and they deliver improvements for kids," Morath said.
Spring ISD also started an optional Saturday school last year. Now, on Saturdays, every Spring ISD campus is partially staffed and open to students, offering additional instruction, academic support, and extracurricular activities. About 3,000 students use it each week, according to the district.