Marlin ISD is responding to alarmed parents after a letter was sent out earlier this week explaining the district’s accreditation status.

In recent weeks, the Texas Education Agency issued its 2019-2020 accreditation status for districts across the state. The agency revoked the accreditation of the Marlin Independent School District, the district’s superintendent said in a letter to parents.

The district says nothing has changed since Marlin ISD received its 2018-2019 “not Accredited-Revoked” accreditation status for performance during the 2017-18 school year.

“A status of Not Accredited-Revoked means the district exhibits deficiencies in performance that have led to the revocation of the district’s accreditation status,” said Marlin ISD Superintendent Dr. Jean Bahney.

The TEA no longer recognizes Marlin ISD as a public school, Bahney further stated.

In 2011, the school district was assigned a rating of “academically unacceptable.”

From 2013 to 2019, the district received a rating of improvement required.

Bahney said the school district is implementing a literacy plan to regain its accreditation.
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Updated response to our story from Marlin Superintendent, Dr. Jean Bahney:

This past week, Marlin ISD sent a letter to the parents of students in the district informing them of the 2019-2020 accreditation status which is “Not Accredited Revoked.”

The status of Marlin ISD was assigned based on campus and district performance on the state accountability measures that occurred during the 2018- 2019 school year.

Marlin ISD had received an “F” in 2019 at the District level and at the elementary and middle school campus levels.

During the current year, 2019-2020, Marlin ISD has taken measures to increase student achievement in areas of early literacy, the implementation of core reading materials which emphasize phonics and word structure, the use of literacy/reading core instructional strategies, instructional specialists for both reading and math,campus-wide behavior plans, professional development with ESC Region 12 and additional consultants through professional learning communities, implemented Neuhaus reading strategies for struggling readers at the elementary level, and redesigned intervention activities.

The Board of Managers implemented higher Board expectations and added progress measures for the grades K-3 for the 2019- 2020 school year.

Marlin ISD requested an informal review of last year’s data and the accreditation assigned. The Texas Education Agency has granted this review.

Despite the recent concerns, the status of Marlin ISD remains the same as it has since Marlin ISD received its 2018-2019 “Not Accredited-Revoked” accreditation status for performance during the 2017-2018 school year.

— KWTX 10