With 11 All-State musicians, a third-place finish at the UIL State One Act Play Contest and hundreds of students earning individual honors, Midway ISD Fine Arts had plenty to celebrate during its annual update to the Board of Trustees in August.
But one number helped put the district’s success into perspective.
Midway’s 11 Texas Music Educators Association All-State musicians placed the district among the top 30 school districts in Texas for total 6A All-State selections — alongside districts several times Midway’s size.
Of the 135 districts with at least one student selected to a 6A TMEA All-State ensemble, Midway ranked No. 25 in total selections. With approximately 8,700 students, Midway was the only district in the top 30 with enrollment below 10,000.
When Fine Arts Director Jennifer Martin compared All-State selections with approximate district enrollment, Midway’s 11 selections represented about .126% of district enrollment — slightly higher than any other district on the list.
“To have 11 All-Staters with 8,700 students in our district is really remarkable,” Martin told trustees. “We really are overrepresented at the state level.”
Nine of Midway’s All-State musicians came from choir, with one each from band and orchestra. The achievement came during a year of leadership transition in both choir and orchestra, with longtime Midway educators stepping into their first years as head directors.
The music honors were just one part of a year filled with state-level accomplishments across Midway Fine Arts.
Midway High School’s UIL One Act Play advanced all the way to the 6A State Contest, finishing third in Texas. Visual arts students also had a record-setting year: 10 high school students qualified for State VASE — a school record — with six earning Gold Medals, while four middle school students earned Platinum Medals at Junior VASE.
Across programs, students earned 42 UIL Texas State Solo and Ensemble Contest Gold Medals, 26 UIL ensemble Sweepstakes awards and honors in theatre, dance, visual art, band, choir and orchestra. More than 500 Fine Arts students received recognition for individual superior achievement during the year.
Midway also earned the 2026 Best Communities for Music Education designation from the NAMM Foundation, continuing the district’s longstanding national recognition for its commitment to music education.
Building Fine Arts From Kindergarten Up
Martin emphasized that the success seen at the secondary level begins much earlier.
Every Midway elementary student receives both art and music instruction as part of the district’s TEKS-based curriculum. At the secondary level, students can continue through extensive offerings in visual art, band, choir, orchestra, dance, color guard and theatre.
“This work — whether it’s VASE, One Act Play or TMEA — starts back in kindergarten with what our amazing teachers are doing with them,” Martin said.
That progression is designed to do more than prepare students for performances and competitions. Martin told trustees that studying the arts develops critical thinking, discipline, perseverance and grit while giving students opportunities to create, perform, collaborate and learn what it takes behind the scenes to prepare for important moments.
More Than 200 Students Bring Anastasia to Life
One of the largest examples of that collaboration came in January with Midway High School’s production of Anastasia.
More than 200 students participated across two casts and choruses, orchestra and band musicians, technical crews and visual arts. In fact, more students worked behind the scenes than appeared on stage.
The four performances drew 3,311 ticket sales, while ticket revenue and program advertising allowed the production to cover its costs and generate a modest profit to help support future middle and high school musical productions.
This year, the musical spotlight moves to the middle school level, with High School Musical Jr. planned for November.
Investing in Teachers and Programs
Midway is also expanding opportunities for the educators behind those student successes.
Fine Arts completed its Teacher Incentive Allotment pilot year in 2025-26 and begins its first official data collection year in 2026-27. Preliminary student-growth data is promising, Martin said, with a number of teachers showing growth measures that could put them on track toward a future TIA designation.
The first Midway Fine Arts teachers could earn designations in spring 2028. Those designations remain with qualifying educators for five years and provide additional compensation.
Martin described Midway’s inclusion of Fine Arts in TIA as another area where the district is ahead of many districts statewide.
Community investment is also reaching students through the voter-approved 2025 Bond. Fine Arts instruments, equipment and uniforms are already in use, while additional projects are moving forward, including Performing Arts Center seating replacement and elementary stage lighting and sound improvements.
Looking ahead, Martin said Fine Arts will focus on high-quality instruction, a culture of positivity and excellence, building on program strengths and engaging the community.
Innovation. Commitment. Excellence.
Those three values, Martin said, will guide the department as it builds on a longstanding Midway tradition — creating opportunities for students not simply to perform at a high level, but to learn, grow and find their place along the way.
