Premont ISD, in Premont, Texas, faced years of academic and financial troubles. In 2011, when the school district was finally on a path to improvement, the state ordered Premont to be closed and absorbed into a nearby district. Yet a new superintendent was determined to save Premont and try to ensure every student under his supervision would receive a quality education close to home. This report maps the decisions made, the state’s response and the community’s reaction to the near demise of its school district. / text