A Houston-area charter that had been staring down a state-ordered shutdown is staying open, at least for now, after school leaders and the Texas Education Agency cut a deal that pauses revocation while the campus hits new academic and financial marks. The reprieve gives students and staff a chance to pull up scores, but the timelines the agency laid out do not leave much room for error.
Legacy the School of Sport Sciences opened in 2018 and serves grades six through 12 at a single Spring campus, with enrollment under 500 and a focus on careers in athletics, sports medicine, and sports media. According to Legacy the School of Sport Sciences, and federal education data, a majority of students are economically disadvantaged and Black, and the school lists its campus at 2727 Spring Creek Drive in Spring. Both the school and the National Center for Education Statistics describe Legacy as a small specialty charter centered on athletics-related career pathways.
TEA Holds Revocation in Abeyance, Sets the Clock
In a letter to the school, Education Commissioner Mike Morath wrote, "given our fundamental disagreement… i am holding the revocation in abatement as the charter holder has agreed to meet specific academic and financial performance standards by certain dates." As reported by the Houston Chronicle, the agreed order lays out several immediate changes and short-term benchmarks Legacy must hit to keep its charter.
What the Agreed Order Demands
The terms touch both scheduling and accountability. Middle school students must shift to a five-day week next year, while high schoolers will be offered an optional four-day week. The school also has to submit a plan this summer detailing how it will earn a B academic rating. On top of that, Legacy must post at least C ratings in both academics and finances in the 2026–27 school year or lose its charter with no appeal.
The order also blocks any expansion until the campus secures two consecutive B academic ratings, according to reporting that reviewed the agreed order and the commissioner’s letter. The Houston Chronicle detailed the timelines and conditions the TEA attached to putting the revocation on hold.
Why the State Moved to Revoke, and How the Community Pushed Back
The TEA’s move came out of its "three-strikes" policy, which allows charter revocation after three consecutive unacceptable academic or financial ratings. Legacy received an F academic rating in 2018–19, an F financial rating in 2021–22, and another F academic rating in 2022–23, triggering the revocation process. School leaders argued that the pandemic-era gap and intervening financial ratings complicated whether those marks should be considered consecutive.
As the fight played out, students, alumni, and parents sent in videos and letters urging the state to give the school another chance. According to school leaders, that show of support, along with documentation of campus progress, helped push the agency toward negotiating the agreed order instead of immediately pulling the plug. Those dynamics are laid out in reporting by the Houston Chronicle.
What Comes Next
School leaders now have until this summer to file their plan to reach a B rating and then must produce at least a C grade in both academics and finances during the 2026–27 school year to avoid final revocation. They also told reporters they will lean into recruitment and retention efforts to win back students who left during the appeal process and to stabilize enrollment ahead of the agency’s key review dates.
