SAN ANTONIO — Southside Independent School District made history Monday with one of its elementary schools officially becoming the first campus in the district to earn an A-rating.
Heritage Elementary earned the 95-point A-grade based on the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) 2022 academic accountability report. For several years, Heritage Elementary has received an F-rating, according to Elise Puente, who’s starting her ninth year serving as principal of Heritage Elementary.
The big news was announced during a morning assembly where Puente, equipped with flashing rainbow-roller skates, rolled into a packed gymnasium alongside the so-called "skate capacitor," which fits with Southside’s Back to the Future theme.
“We did it boys and girls and our teachers. We are only one of two campuses in the state of Texas that went from an F to an A,” Puente said in front of students and staff.
The TEA halted the STAAR test and accountability system in part because of the COVID pandemic forcing children to learn remotely.
Puente creds the historic A-rating to the immense dedication of teachers and support staff throughout the pandemic.
“With COVID, we’ve had larger than normal learning gaps with students and our teachers have really stepped it up and been committed to help our students close those learning gaps,” Puente said.
Southside ISD now ranks among the top districts in region 20, which includes SAISD, NISD, NEISD and a number of other school districts.
TEA’s 2022 report card shows Southside having earned an 88-point B-rating, which is an improvement from a C in 2019.
Southside ISD Superintendent Rolando Ramirez hopes the latest ratings shows prospective student and families how transformative the district is in helping youth succeed.
“Anybody outside of the boundaries of Southside and anybody here in the community that may be attending another school district, Southside is the place to be and that rating is a reflection of the great work that our staff do,” Ramirez said.
Northside, North East and San Antonio ISDs maintained their B-ratings, according to the 2022 TEA report.
Edgewood and South San Antonio ISDs continue to hold onto C’s while Somerset ISD’s academic progress elevated the district from B to A.
Making sure Heritage Elementary earns an A from here on out is the next challenge faced by Puente, staff and students.
“For us, we have to maintain this A rating, so it is going to be very difficult, another difficult year. But I have no doubt we will be able to maintain the A rating, doing everything we need to do to help our students be successful,” Puente said.
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