La Joya ISD ACE Campuses Lead District Turnaround, Rank Among Largest Academic Gains in Texas
La Joya, TX - One year after La Joya ISD launched an aggressive turnaround effort at two of its lowest-performing elementary schools, the results are placing both campuses among some of the most improved schools in Texas.J
Juan N. Seguin Elementary and Evangelina Garza Elementary, La Joya ISD’s two Accelerating Campus Excellence (ACE) campuses, posted the two largest accountability rating gains in the district in the 2026 Texas Education Agency accountability results. The ACE model is a school turnaround strategy used by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to rapidly improve academic performance and student outcomes at struggling or high-need campuses.
Juan N. Seguin Elementary made a dramatic 28-point gain, moving from an F to a B and recording the largest improvement of any La Joya ISD campus. The turnaround ranked 21st among the largest campus gains statewide, placing Seguin in the top 0.25% of Texas campuses for improvement.
Evangelina Garza Elementary followed with a 20-point increase, moving from an F to a C and improving two letter grades. Its gain ranked 118th statewide, placing the campus among the top 1.5% of Texas campuses for improvement.
The results come after La Joya ISD restarted both campuses under the ACE model for the 2025-2026 school year as part of a district strategy to accelerate academic improvement and provide students with greater access to high-quality schools. The Board-approved action was designed to bring targeted leadership, high-quality instruction, strong campus systems and additional resources to schools requiring significant academic improvement.
“These results demonstrate what is possible when we pair high expectations with the right systems, strong leadership and an unwavering focus on instruction,” said Dr. Derek Little, Deputy Superintendent for La Joya ISD. “Our ACE teachers and campus leaders embraced the challenge of accelerating student learning, and our students responded. To see both campuses make the two largest gains in our district - and to see those gains stand out statewide - is an incredible testament to their work. This is meaningful progress, but it is also a foundation. Our responsibility now is to build on it and continue creating the conditions for every student to thrive.”
The gains are also reflected in STAAR performance. From 2024 to 2026, Juan N. Seguin Elementary increased the percentage of students reaching Meets Grade Level or above by 31 percentage points in fourth-grade mathematics, 14 points in third-grade mathematics and six points in fourth-grade reading.
Evangelina Garza Elementary recorded gains of 15 percentage points in third-grade mathematics, 12 points in fourth-grade mathematics and 14 points in third-grade reading during the same period.
The turnaround at the two ACE campuses contributed to broader academic gains across La Joya ISD. In the 2026 accountability results, 20 of 34 campuses improved their overall accountability scores, 15 campuses improved their letter grades, and 82% of district campuses earned an A, B or C rating, up from 69% the previous year.
La Joya ISD initially approved the ACE restart after both campuses received F ratings, identifying the need for urgent action to improve student outcomes. The ACE model centers on accelerating academic growth through strengthened instructional practices, strategic staffing, high expectations, data-driven decision-making and intensive support for students and educators.
The progress at Seguin and Garza marks an important step in La Joya ISD’s broader commitment to ensuring more students learn in high-performing schools and advancing the district’s vision that Educational Excellence is the Right of Every Student.
