The Texas Education Agency released its 2026 Accountability Ratings Friday, and southern Denton County districts are staking their positions near the top.
According to the TEA, 1,202 districts and 9,105 campuses were rated in 2026.
In southern Denton County, Argyle ISD scored the best with an overall ‘A’ grade and a score of 92 – which it maintained from last year’s ratings.
“This achievement reflects the dedication and hard work of our students, staff and community,” said the district in a post to social media.
According to the state school report cards, all of Argyle ISD’s campuses received ‘A’ ratings except the Argyle 6th Grade Center, which received a ‘B’ rating.
Hilltop Elementary was the only campus in the district to receive a ‘B’ rating last year.
For more information, visit the Argyle ISD page on the state grading site.
Denton ISD returned to a ‘C’ rating after moving up to a ‘B’ in 2025.
The district dropped four points from 2025 to 2026, moving from a score of 80 to 76.
In Lantana, Blanton Elementary maintained an ‘A’ rating, but Harpool Middle dropped to a ‘B,’ with Adkins and E.P. Rayzor maintaining their ‘B’ ratings from last year.
However, Denton ISD recognized a few of its lowest-performing campuses that saw improvement over the last year.
Providence Elementary, Martinez Elementary, Alexander Elementary, Paloma Creek Elementary and Evers Park Elementary all had failing grades in 2025 (F, F, D, D, F).
According to Denton ISD, the district moved interventionists and instructional coaches into these low-performing campuses and saw an improvement in this year’s grades.
Providence improved to a B with a 24-point gain, Martinez improved to a C with a 15-point gain, Alexander improved to a C with a 13-point gain, Paloma Creek improved to a C with a 9-point gain and Evers Park improved to a D with a 4-point gain.
“The success of Providence Elementary came from a collective commitment to changing outcomes for every student. We established a clear vision and focused our teachers on high-quality instruction, purposeful data use and consistent progress monitoring,” said Melissa Bates, principal of Providence Elementary. “This growth represents the hard work, resilience and dedication of our teachers, students, families, and entire Providence community. We are proud of how far we have come, and we are even more committed to continuing the work so that every student has the opportunity to thrive.”
Denton ISD Superintendent Susannah O’Bara said the improvements go to show what teachers can do with proper support.
“Denton ISD is committed to providing high-quality instruction for every student in every classroom. That standard does not change with a letter grade,” she said. “This year’s results show what happens when teachers are well supported, and our focus remains on ensuring all students continue to grow.”
The district’s high schools (Denton High, Guyer High and Ryan) all earned a ‘B’ rating except Braswell High School, which fell one point short with a score of 79.
Denton ISD’s board of trustees recently passed an item that will give teachers around the district raises in an effort to attract and retain top teaching talent, as well as support all other district staff members.
For a full list of Denton ISD campuses and their ratings, visit the TEA’s grading site.
Lewisville ISD improved a couple points from last year to a score of 83, which is good enough to keep them at a steady ‘B’ rating.
Only one school had an ‘F’ rating, Delay Middle School, with eight others scoring ‘D’ ratings.
Both Flower Mound High and Marcus High maintained the ‘A’ ratings they achieved last year, as did Hebron with its ‘B’ rating.
The Colony dropped from a ‘B’ to a ‘C’ last year, and maintained that rating for 2026. However, Lewisville High School improved from a ‘D’ rating last year to a ‘C’ this year.
Mill Street Elementary, which has since transformed into the Vernell Gregg Early Childhood Center next year, was one of the eight campuses given a ‘D’ rating.
For a full list of Lewisville ISD schools and their ratings, visit the TEA’s grading site.
Wrapping up southern Denton County was Northwest ISD, which gained back the point it lost in 2025. In 2026, the district scored an 82, good enough to maintain its ‘B’ rating.
James M. Steele Early College High School once again led the district’s high schools with an ‘A’ rating. Byron Nelson High School and V.R. Eaton maintained ‘B’ ratings as Northwest High received another ‘C’ rating.
Only three campuses received ‘D’ grades and none received ‘F’ ratings, including Alan and Andra Perrin Elementary, which improved from an ‘F’ last year to a ‘D’ in 2026.
For a full list of Northwest ISD schools and their ratings, visit the state grading site.
The Texas Education Agency grades Texas public schools every year on what students are learning in each grade and whether or not they are ready for the next grade. It also shows how well a school prepares their students for success after high school in college, the workforce, or the military, according to its website.
According to the agency, 24% of both districts and campuses increased in rating compared to 2025. 585 campuses across Texas improved from below an A to an A rating in 2026. In total, 85% of campuses that received an A-F rating statewide achieved acceptable academic performance (C or above).
“This year’s A-F ratings illustrate the progress Texas public schools are making and acknowledge the hard work of our educators while illuminating areas of needed improvement to ensure that all students have access to a high-quality education,” said Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath. “Through our commitment to transparency and accessibility, parents and the public can explore the ratings and associated resources to clearly understand the performance of their schools.”
