Pearce Middle School opens for 1st day of class
Monday was the first day of class for students in Austin Independent School District. There were changes for students, district-wide, but students at Pearce Middle School encountered the greatest change.
There were no questions about summer vacations in their middle school classrooms on the first day at Pearce, it was straight to business.
The Texas Education Agency closed Pearce during the summer for low TAKS test scores. The school re-opened under a new reproposing plan that was announced earlier this month.
Pearce Middle School Principal Trana Allen was excited to see the children's faces and said that the kids themselves were happy about coming back.
"I asked them if they were coming back because they were made to come, and they said Pearce is their school and they can't wait to get here," Allen said.
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Neighbors, families and even students are glad to have a school in their community to attend.
"We get a school in our neighborhood and we don't have to go across town to another school," Sixth grader Tiara Bean said.
Some community members were a little hesitant about trying the school again, after the summer closure.
"I hope they have better academics than they did last year, but I have faith in them because they pulled through a long way last year," parent Juanita Bean said.
Others in the neighborhood are confident Pearce will be successful.
"Based on what happened last year, we can only expect the best. Because the improvements were there, and we saw no reason to close the school, so we're happy the school was able to remain open," parent Deanna Mercer said.
New AISD Superintendent Meria Carstarphen is also confident that the school will be able to turn around and excel this school year.
"Pearce will be the school that it can be, which is an exemplary school, and they just need time to finish their turn-around so we're going to do that this year, " Carstarphen, said.
School officials' goals are not to just meet, but to exceed state accountability standards, and with a new staff and students ready to learn, they hope to achieve that.