SB 2619 – School accountability and transparency

SB 2619 imposes stronger accountability measures on underperforming public school districts in Texas. If a district earns an “F” for two years straight, all board trustees are required to stand for re-election, giving voters the chance to choose new leadership. The bill also ensures communities are informed about superintendent candidates by mandating that their past academic performance be publicly posted. It enhances transparency by requiring school boards to post trustee contact and term info online and submit it to the state. Crucially, it prohibits state-approved trustee training providers from pushing political agendas. The bill also calls for school performance percentile rankings to help evaluate leadership objectively. For districts taken over by the state, a required return to elected governance within two years prevents prolonged bureaucratic control. From a fiscally conservative standpoint, this bill encourages local accountability, prevents ideological misuse of public training dollars, and limits long-term state intervention. It respects taxpayer rights by fostering transparency, merit-based hiring, and minimizing top-down control of local schools.