WHARTON — The Texas Education Agency has notified Wharton ISD of escalated intervention requirements after two district campuses reached three consecutive unacceptable accountability ratings, putting the district at a point where the state education commissioner may appoint a conservator.
The Aug. 26 letter, addressed to Superintendent Olatunji Oduwole and the Wharton ISD Board of Trustees, identifies C.G. Sivells Elementary and Wharton Elementary as campuses with three consecutive unacceptable ratings.
The notice does not mean the state has taken over Wharton ISD or that a conservator has been appointed. Instead, TEA says the district has reached a level of continued academic underperformance that allows the commissioner to consider additional intervention.
Two Campuses at Three-Year Mark
According to TEA’s intervention notice, both C.G. Sivells Elementary and Wharton Elementary received:
- 2026: F
- 2025: D
- 2024: F
- 2023: D
TEA assigns both campuses a consecutive unacceptable rating count of three.
The letter also lists both campuses as F-rated in 2019. Ratings were designated Not Rated during 2020 and 2021 because of disaster-related circumstances, while 2022 was Not Rated under Senate Bill 1365.
TEA specifically notes that those Not Rated years do not break the chain of unacceptable accountability ratings for purposes of the state intervention law.
The agency’s public 2026 accountability system shows Wharton ISD received an overall F rating with a score of 58. C.G. Sivells Elementary and Wharton Elementary each received an overall score of 48 and an F rating. Wharton Junior High also received an F with a score of 58, while Wharton High School received a C with a score of 70.
Turnaround Plan Must Continue
TEA is requiring C.G. Sivells Elementary and Wharton Elementary to continue implementing a campus turnaround plan previously approved by the commissioner.
Because TEA identifies the two schools as paired campuses, Wharton ISD is required to address both through one approved campus turnaround plan.
The district, working with its campus intervention team, is required to take actions necessary to implement that plan. TEA also says the commissioner can authorize modifications if changed circumstances make adjustments necessary to accomplish the plan’s objectives.
TEA Says Conservator Could Be Appointed
The notice goes further by formally advising Wharton ISD of the possibility of a state-appointed conservator.
TEA says that because the district has a campus with at least three years of unacceptable performance ratings, the commissioner may appoint a conservator to Wharton ISD.
According to the letter, a conservator could oversee district-level support for the low-performing campuses and implementation of the turnaround plan.
No conservator has been appointed at this time.
TEA says it will conduct a review and analysis of the district’s performance. If Education Commissioner Mike Morath determines a conservator is necessary, the agency says Wharton ISD will be notified through future correspondence.
Five Years Could Trigger Board of Managers or Campus Closure
TEA also provided what it calls a “Potential Future Escalated Intervention Advanced Notice.”
The agency warned that if any campus in the district reaches five consecutive years of unacceptable academic accountability ratings, Texas Education Code §39A.111 would be triggered.
According to TEA’s letter, reaching that threshold requires commissioner action involving one of two options: closure of the campus or installation of a Board of Managers.
A Board of Managers is substantially different from a conservator because it involves replacing the elected school board’s governing authority with a state-appointed board.
Wharton ISD has not reached that five-year threshold, according to the Aug. 26 notice. The two campuses identified in the letter currently have a consecutive unacceptable rating count of three.
TEA said its goal is for the turnaround plan to succeed, improving student learning and eliminating the need for future action under the five-year provision.
2026 Ratings Can Still Be Appealed
There is another important qualification: the 2026 accountability ratings are currently preliminary and subject to appeal.
TEA says Wharton ISD may file an appeal regarding the preliminary ratings assigned to its campuses.
Those appeals are expected to be resolved by December 2026, at which point the district will be notified of each campus’s final rating.
The intervention notice was signed by Steve Lecholop, Deputy Commissioner of TEA’s Office of Governance.
Wharton Post has reached out to the Texas Education Agency for additional clarification regarding the intervention process and whether a conservator appointment is currently under consideration.
Source: Texas Education Agency, Aug. 26, 2026 Notice of Escalated Intervention Requirements; TEA 2026 Accountability Reports. TEA’s online accountability report can be viewed through the agency’s official reporting system.
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