San Marcos CISD Principals Present Recovery Plans for Two Struggling Schools

Principals at San Marcos High School and Mendez Elementary School submitted formal improvement plans to the San Marcos CISD board of trustees on Oct. 19, addressing specific academic deficits identified in recent state data.

San Marcos High School Principal Eileen Grose noted that the campus graduation rate fluctuated sharply, dropping to 39.2% in 2022 before recovering to 83.8% in 2023. The administration now targets a range of 90.5% to 95% by spring 2027. To achieve this, the school will update its graduation tracker and assign off-track students a specific staff contact and recovery plan. Counselors and administrators will conduct transcript and credit audits, while individual graduation committees will monitor senior progress. The plan also includes outreach to students who miss school or leave the campus, along with matching interventions to specific barriers. Grose stated that every student deserves a clear path to graduation and an adult who helps them follow it.

Mendez Elementary School faces a different challenge, having received a 63, or 'D,' rating from the Texas Education Agency in the 2026 A-F Accountability Scores. This represents a 26-point drop from the school’s 2025 overall score of 89. Principal Suzanne Perkins said the goal is to reach a 'C' rating or higher by 2027 while closing achievement gaps. The campus will implement weekly administrative check-ins and dedicate time for teams to review student data. Math, English/Language Arts, and Science departments will hold monthly vertical planning meetings to ensure consistency across grade levels. Additionally, the school will conduct Multi-Tiered Systems of Support reviews every six to eight weeks to verify that intervention students receive necessary assistance.

The elementary plan includes specific growth targets for STAAR testing. The school aims to raise Reading/Language Arts scores from 36% meeting grade level to 50%, and Math scores from 41% to 55%. Growth metrics are also targeted, with Reading/Language Arts moving from 58% to 69% and Math from 57% to 66%. Perkins emphasized that behind every number are children and families counting on the staff. She expressed confidence that focused instruction and close progress monitoring will show the growth students deserve, noting the school’s belief in its teachers and community.