A Texas judge has temporarily blocked changes to the Texas school accountability rating system in response to a lawsuit from a group of more than 100 school districts, including Crowley ISD.
Superintendent Dr. Michael McFarland received word of the ruling just before the start of the board meeting, and he provided trustees with an update on the temporary injunction against Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath.
"What the judge found was that the plaintiffs, and we are the plaintiffs, showed probable cause that the commissioner acted outside of his official capacity and was not authorized to assign performance ratings for this year because he did not follow the law," McFarland said.
Click here to read the judge's order granting temporary injunction.
Crowley ISD was among the first school districts in the state to sue the commissioner over the revised Texas school accountability rating system and guidelines that districts claim were released too late in violation of state law.
The TEA temporarily delayed the release of the 2022-23 school year accountability ratings in September, two weeks before they were initially planned to come out. The temporary injunction prohibits Morath and anyone affiliated with him from assigning the new rating system until further order.
TEA says the agency will appeal the decision.
NBC 5 News interviewed Dr. McFarland about the ruling. Watch the report.
