Kennard ISD Shows Strength in Three Accountability Areas
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
KENNARD — Kennard ISD’s latest state report card shows B-level performance in three of the major areas used to calculate its overall accountability rating.
The district received an overall score of 79, earning a C rating. However, Kennard scored a B in Student Achievement, a B in School Progress and a B in Relative Performance.
Kennard’s report is different from those of larger districts because the state evaluates it as one combined PK-12 campus. The single rating covers the district’s elementary and high school students rather than assigning separate letter grades to each campus.
The 2026 report lists Kennard’s scores as:
* Student Achievement: 82, or B
* School Progress: 81, or B
* Academic Growth: 62, or D
* Relative Performance: 81, or B
* Closing the Gaps: 73, or C
* Overall: 79, or C
The state’s accountability system uses STAAR and end-of-course results along with several different measures of student performance. Student Achievement reflects how students performed academically. Academic Growth examines year-to-year progress, while Relative Performance compares a district with other schools serving similar students. Closing the Gaps looks at the performance of different student groups.
Kennard’s Student Achievement score of 82 was one of the strongest parts of the report. The district also scored 81 in Relative Performance, indicating B-level performance when compared with similar campuses.
School Progress, which combines the state’s progress measures, also earned a B with a score of 81. That score provides another positive measure of how Kennard students and staff are performing across the district.
The report also identifies areas where Kennard has room to build. Academic Growth was scored at 62, or D, while Closing the Gaps received a 73, or C. Those measures give the district specific areas to address as it works to improve the overall rating.
Kennard had received a B rating in each of the previous four accountability years, from 2022 through 2025. Although the overall 2026 rating was lower, the district continued to post B-level results in student achievement, school progress and relative performance.
For a small district serving students from kindergarten through high school in one combined campus, the report card reflects the work taking place across the entire school system. The strongest results came in the areas measuring achievement, progress and performance compared with similar schools, while the growth and student-group measures provide direction for continued improvement.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
