Texas public schools opened the 2026-27 year carrying two fresh rounds of state recognition — one measuring academic performance, the other measuring how well campuses support military families.
The Texas Education Agency announced on September 3, 2026, that 329 Texas public schools earned the Purple Star Campus Designation for 2026-27, a state recognition for campuses that demonstrate strong support for military-connected students and their families, including help with the frequent moves and school transfers that come with a parent’s military service. The designation has grown steadily since the state introduced it, and this year’s list marks one of the largest cohorts yet.
That announcement came about three weeks after TEA released its 2026 A-F Accountability Ratings on August 14, giving parents and district leaders a fresh, statewide look at how public school systems and individual campuses performed against the state’s academic and financial accountability standards. The ratings followed the release of Spring 2026 STAAR results earlier in the summer — grades 3-8 results came out June 15, with end-of-course exam results following on June 10 — giving families a full academic picture before the new school year began.
Enrollment trends remain a background story worth watching alongside the ratings. Texas 2036, a nonpartisan research group that tracks state education data, has reported that Texas public school enrollment has dipped below 5.5 million statewide, with one recent analysis finding public schools lost around 76,000 students in a single year — a trend researchers link to a mix of falling birth rates, growth in charter and private school enrollment, and the state’s expanding use of education savings accounts.
TEA has also continued rolling out oversight and safety measures this year. In June, the agency launched an Educator Misconduct Dashboard and a companion Student Protection Resource Center, giving parents and districts a public tool to check on disciplinary history tied to Texas educator certifications. Separately, TEA placed 21 individuals on its “Do Not Hire” registry in a May announcement, part of the same broader push toward transparency in educator conduct.
What it means locally: parents can now cross-reference their child’s school on three separate state tools — the new A-F ratings, STAAR results, and the Educator Misconduct Dashboard — before the fall parent-teacher conference season gets underway. Military families relocating to Texas this year also have a fresh, dated list of Purple Star campuses to check against a potential PCS move.
Sources: Texas Education Agency Newsroom, news releases dated September 3, August 14, June 15, June 10, June 2, and May 8, 2026; Texas 2036 education research.
