Students at Stafford Middle School hung a new "B Rated" banner on campus Saturday, Aug. 29. The display marks a two-letter-grade jump in one year on the Texas Education Agency's accountability scale.

Seventh and eighth graders helped put the banner up, according to the school's official X account. The post credited students for the campus's rating improvement and tagged the Stafford Municipal School District (SMSD).

The TEA released 2025-26 accountability ratings for Texas public schools on Friday, Aug. 14. State law requires annual A-F ratings by Aug. 15 each year. Schools are graded on three measures: student achievement, school progress and closing the gaps. Elementary and middle school ratings lean heavily on STAAR test results.

The improvement had been building. In a September 2024 newsletter, SMSD highlighted notable STAAR score gains from spring 2024 testing and said it expected improved accountability ratings. The district said at the time it anticipated higher ratings than neighboring districts.

The school celebrated the B rating on its X account on Aug. 12, two days before the TEA's official release. The specific prior-year letter grade has not been published by the district, though the school says it climbed two grades to reach the B.

Superintendent Dr. Adam Stephens leads the roughly 3,530-student district, which serves families across Fort Bend and Harris counties. No public statement from Stephens about the banner event or the rating appeared in district records as of Sept. 1.

Stafford Middle School's climb outpaced the statewide trend. Across Texas, 24% of campuses improved their rating compared with 2025 results, according to News 4 San Antonio. Overall, 85% of campuses earning an A-F grade scored a C or better.

Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said the ratings "illustrate the progress Texas public schools are making and acknowledge the hard work of our educators."

The district has not posted the date of its next regular board meeting.