After failing to meet the minimum state standards for four consecutive years, the Texas Education Agency has approved a plan to turn the school around. The Austin Independent School District’s board of trustees gave its own approval to a partnership with the Texas Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Coalition earlier in the year, and now that the TEA has signed off as well, $1.3-million will be pumped into the school in an effort to have the T-STEM Coalition make the necessary improvements.
Mendez has been facing sanctions and possible closure for not meeting the minimum standards, but this decision will pump the brakes on any consequences the school may face for two years.
The extra money will include an increase to per-student spending by about $1900, however Mendez already spends more than most other campuses across the entire district. The extra money means the school will be spending more than $13,000 per student for at least that two year span.
The turnaround plan will also put an emphasis on boosting enrollment, which has been another major issue Mendez has dealt with. For the 2017-2018 school year, enrollment hovered right around 66{d9298e16fbff8ff2d9e84a8934eb00b21cf3ccd1154c522a6781c70a3ad80f68}.
