Texas Partnerships (SB 1882), Call for Quality Schools

Under Texas Education Code Section 11.174 (often called "Senate Bill 1882"), a school district can partner with an external organization--such as a high-performing charter system--to manage a specific campus. This allows the district to access specialized instructional models and additional state resources while maintaining ownership of the school. 

The district is focusing on strategic elementary campuses where we believe we can close academic gaps most effectively. We chose the elementary level because early intervention is the "root cause" solution to long-term student success. 

While our teachers have made incredible progress with our aggressive improvement plans over the last 18 months, the TEA's release of accountability ratings in 2025 sped up the timeline. By acting now, we lead our own transformation and maintain local control, rather than waiting for the state to intervene. 

We know different actions lead to different outcomes. The district has undertaken leadership renewal and created the Office of School Leadership to support campus leadership over the past year. Unlike previous efforts, this partnership is part of a new "Call for Quality Schools" that uses a different set of state-approved vendors and a more rigorous accountability model. 

Yes. The schools within the 1882 partnerships remain Waco ISD schools, and students remain Waco ISD students. They will still have access to district-wide programs, athletics, and fine arts. 

Charter partnerships bring specialized instructional models designed to maximize learning time and provide high-intensity support. Parents can expect a focus on core academic mastery, innovative classroom structures, and a culture of high expectations. 

The planning and negotiation phase is happening now. Any official changes to campus operations will begin with the start of the 2026-2027 school year.

Our staff is the heartbeat of this district. Every staff member will have a job. 

Actually, it does the opposite. Recently, the district has had to divert internal resources and leadership capacity to help struggling schools, which unintentionally strained other campuses. This partnership relieves that pressure, allowing the district to focus its resources more effectively across all schools, and give all students the attention they deserve.

No. This is a Waco ISD-led initiative. The Call for Quality Schools allows us to choose a partner that will help Waco ISD campuses with low accountability ratings rapidly improve. 

We have spent the last year restructuring our organization and reforming instruction. This partnership is the next logical step in protecting the district from state intervention and ensuring every student has a high-performing school in their neighborhood.