Wellman-Union CISD celebrates ‘A’ ranking from Texas Education Agency
District secures record five distinction designations, ranks among top 1% in Texas
LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Wellman-Union Consolidated Independent School District has earned an “A” rating from the Texas Education Agency, marking the highest overall academic accountability score in district history with a 92.
That rating is based on the 2025-2026 school year, and is calculated based on school progress, or how students compared to the prior year; “closing the gaps”, which measures whether performance gaps exist among different groups of students; and student achievement, which is largely based on the STAAR test.
Previous Coverage: TEA releases 2025/2026 Accountability Reports for Lubbock-area schools
With only 245 students between pre-K and 12th grade, district administrators and educators say they’re able to provide individual education to ensure students are on track.
“I start every year by asking what a student wants to do with their life. Then I think through the entire year, ‘How can I relate that to you? How can I really help you get to where you want to be?’” Spencer Williams, the secondary mathematics teacher, said.
Wellman-Union also secured five of seven possible academic distinction designations from the state, the district’s best-ever showing. The district received recognition for outstanding performance in reading/language arts, mathematics, science, postsecondary readiness and top 25% comparative closing the gaps.
According to a press release from the district, the combination of a 92 “A” rating and five distinction designations has been achieved by less than 1% of school districts in Texas.
Ashley Swain, a third-grade teacher, says they begin working with children early to set them up for success.
“Just building their confidence and letting them know everybody makes mistakes, everybody fails now and then, so we figure out what we did wrong and how to fix it,” Swain said. “It’s really awesome to see them light up and realize, ‘oh, I thought that was hard but [now] I get it.’”
While the “A” rating is an accomplishment, administrators and educators say they are still pursuing perfection.
“Our staff is excited, but several of them were disappointed in our 92, they’re thinking the work isn’t done. We still have so much more that we want to accomplish,” Kyna Wheeler, the secondary principal, said.
“We see eight points we could gain; we see more distinctions we could grab,” echoed Williams.
Administrators say Wellman-Union CISD is committed to continuing its tradition of academic performance, regardless of how a student performs on exams like STAAR.
Cam Arendall, a Wellman-Union senior, said he has seen and experienced that support firsthand.
“I felt really supported. If you need anyone, you can go talk to them. Anything you need, you can go,” Arendall said. “I feel like they’re striving for the student to make growth. They’re focused on the STAAR test, but not like on the report, just on your growth.”
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