Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD demonstrated academic improvement across every rated campus in the Texas Education Agency’s 2026 preliminary A-F Academic Accountability Ratings, with the district improving nine points overall and earning a C rating. While accountability ratings provide one measure of academic performance, the district emphasizes that a single score or letter grade represents only a small snapshot of the work taking place every day in PBTISD classrooms.
PBTISD increased its overall accountability score from a 67 (D) in 2025 to a 71 (C) in 2026. All four rated campuses also improved their scores, including nine-point gains at Crockett Middle School, Zavala Elementary, and Austin Elementary.
The preliminary 2026 ratings include:
Behind each rating are students learning new skills, teachers responding to individual needs, educators analyzing data and adjusting instruction, and campuses working together to create stronger learning opportunities for every student. The progress reflected in the 2026 ratings provides encouraging evidence that those efforts are making a difference.
Three PBTISD campuses recorded nine-point gains from the previous year. Crockett Middle School increased from a 70 to a 79, while Austin Elementary and Zavala Elementary each increased from a 59 to a 68. Pecos High School also showed improvement, increasing from a 72 to a 73.
The gains at Austin and Zavala are particularly significant as both campuses continue establishing academic performance following PBTISD’s elementary grade-level reconfiguration in 2023. Changes to the grade levels served at each campus altered the student populations and accountability measures associated with the schools, creating new baselines from which campus teams have worked to build consistent academic growth.
Acting Superintendent Chris Henson said the progress is encouraging not simply because of the change in ratings, but because of what those gains represent for students.
“Accountability ratings are one snapshot of a much bigger picture of what happens in our schools every day,” Henson said. “A letter grade cannot fully capture the dedication of our teachers, the growth of an individual student or the countless moments of learning that happen throughout a school year. What these results do show us is progress. To see improvement at every rated campus in one year gives us great promise for where our students are headed and reinforces that the work happening across PBTISD is moving us forward.”
The Texas A-F Accountability System evaluates districts and campuses using measures that can include student performance on state assessments, academic growth, graduation rates and College, Career and Military Readiness.
Those measures provide districts with important information about academic performance, but PBTISD evaluates student success through a broader lens. Student growth happens throughout the year and can be seen in classrooms, career and technical education programs, fine arts, athletics, extracurricular activities, college and career preparation, leadership opportunities, and the development of skills students will carry with them beyond graduation.
“Our teachers know that student growth does not happen overnight,” Henson said. “It is built lesson by lesson, skill by skill and student by student. We are proud of the progress reflected in these results, but we are even more proud of the work behind them. Our responsibility now is to build on that momentum and continue creating opportunities for every student to grow and succeed.”
PBTISD recognizes that meaningful academic improvement requires sustained effort. The district will continue supporting teachers with instructional resources, professional learning, collaboration and data-driven practices while maintaining high expectations for student achievement.
The district also recognizes the role families and the greater Pecos community play in supporting student success. Consistent attendance, family engagement, community partnerships and encouragement outside the classroom all contribute to creating conditions where students can thrive.
“Our focus will always be bigger than a rating,” Henson said. “We want our students to leave PBTISD prepared for whatever comes next, whether that is college, a career, military service or another path they choose. These results are encouraging because they show growth, and growth gives us something meaningful to build upon.”