MARLIN, Texas — Weeks after the Texas Education Agency revoked the Marlin Independent School District's accreditation and no longer recognized Marlin ISD as a public school district, Mayor Carolyn Lofton is taking matters into her own hands.
The mayor along with community volunteers began a Saturday school program out of the Marlin Faith, Hope and Charity center. The program started on Feb. 29 and is open - free of cost - to students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.
"We are working with students who need extra help and preparing them for the upcoming STAAR exams," Lofton said. "We are also doing supplemental training like reading, writing, spelling."
Shirley King, who runs the Faith, Hope and Charity center, said she and the community need to do everything they can to make sure Marlin schools stay open.
"If we lose the school we lose the community," King said. "We need to encourage them, and make sure they know the sky is the limit because the children are the future."
Mayor Lofton made it clear that she will continue to hold Saturday school until she feels the students are prepared for the future.
According to the TEA, Marlin ISD has been an "F" school district for quite some time.
They failed the state academic accountability ratings for eight years in a row, but this does not necessarily mean the school district is closing.
Marlin resident Patrick Magourik has a daughter who is a student at Marlin ISD. He began to worry about the future of her education after he heard that the district failed to meet state standards for the eighth year in a row.
"My daughter goes to school here. I've lived here all my life. I don't want to see my daughter go to another school," Magourik said. "I want her to graduate from Marlin High School just like I did."
The TEA sent a letter to parents indicating the district received a 2019-2020 accreditation status of "Not Accredited-Revoked."
Lofton said she is still trying to figure out what this will mean for students.
“It doesn't look good,” Lofton said. “I think with just reading that, a lot of people are having issues with that. They are panicking about it."
City officials announced in January that a charter school will be pursued as an option for students if the district closes. They hired former Waco ISD superintendent, Marcus Nelson, as a consultant to help them figure it out.
"Without a public education, your community dies,” Lofton said. “Families don't want to live in a community that has no school system. They have children. They need to be educated, so they move to districts that do."
Marlin Superintendent Jean Bahney said parents who have seniors in high school should not worry. Bahney said last year they were not accredited and students graduated, received their diploma and received scholarships to college.
In an email, Bahney said Marlin ISD requested an informal review of last year's data and the accreditation assigned. The Texas Education Agency granted that review.
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