The Dumas Independent School District's overall score on the latest Texas Education Agency accountability ratings rose from 81 to 85, keeping the district at a B. Three district schools earned an A: Dumas North Elementary (90), Dumas High School (95) and North Plains Opportunity Center (95). Dumas South Elementary dropped from an A to a B, with a score of 86. Cactus Elementary, which earned an F last year, now has a D, and Dumas Junior High, which earned a D, now has a C.
Dumas Intermediate School's overall score fell from a B to a C. Its score in the closing-the-gaps category dropped from a B to an F, at 55. The state said that places the school in the bottom 5 percent of Texas schools in that category, and the school will automatically receive state help in creating and carrying out a recovery plan. Superintendent Caynan Strickland said meetings had already started on the work.
Strickland told the Board of Trustees on Monday that he was happy with the progress so far, and that work would continue. The scores cover the 2025-2026 school year and are based on STAAR test results from the spring, among other measures. Region 16 Education Service Center also named the DISD Board of Trustees the 2026 School Board of the Year for the region, which includes the Panhandle.