The Killough campus has received the Academic Excellence Award for the seventh year in a row from the Texas Business and Education Coalitition [TBEC].

The TBEC said in its letter to the district that this is the most prestigious award a Texas school can be given. The award is given to schools that demonstrate three years of consistent, high performance in all subjects compared to other schools of similar size. Less than 4 percent of the 8,000 public schools in Texas will receive this honor.

To continue efforts toward Killough’s sustained academic excellence, teachers and students are preparing for the end-of-course [EOC] exams, which will be given for the first time at the end of the year. Killough Principal Pam Flores said the bell schedule will see an adjustment in the spring to help prepare the students for the tests.

“We are moving to an hour lunch in January to provide our students an opportunity to enjoy school-wide clubs, take care of school business, go to tutoring for class, spend time in the library, and do homework,” Flores said.

In the past, Killough did school-wide “Farmer Time” and after-school camps to give students extra tutoring for TAKS. Flores said that teachers are making a conscious effort to teach in a compelling way.

“The most important thing that teachers do to prepare students for life and tests is the level at which they teach every day,” Flores said. “They teach engaging, interesting, and rigorous lessons.”