Decatur ISD names Coburn lone finalist

Shortly before 10:30 Wednesday night, Decatur ISD trustees selected their next leader for the district.  Trustees named Lewisville ISD Chief Schools Officer Joseph Coburn the lone finalist for the superintendent job. By state law, the district has to wait 21 days to extend a contract and hire Coburn. Nov. 6 is the end of the 21 days and School Board President Charlie Tibbels said a called meeting will be held near that date.  Trustees named Coburn the finalist after finishing up the second night of interviews with the top two candidates earlier in the evening. view article  

Beck to retire as Early school superintendent

EARLY — Facing Early superintendent Wes Beck’s retirement at the end of the school year, Early school board members will consider taking action Monday related to a superintendent’s search.  A “possible action item” on the agenda for the 6 p.m. meeting gives the board the authority to consider calling for Requests for Proposals from superintendent search firms “and/or (making) other decisions” regarding the search process. Beck, a 40-year education veterans, has been superintendent in Early since 2014. view article  

House Speaker Dennis Bonnen says, “No laws were broken.” Legal hurdles remain.

Bonnen has been eager to dismiss speculation that he did anything illegal during a June 12 meeting with conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan. But a probe into the event is ongoing.  It was, according to his critics, “hurtful,” “vindictive” and “unbefitting of the high office he holds.” But was House Speaker Dennis Bonnen’s June 12 meeting with conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan illegal? view article  

Preventive Law: Public Information on Personal Devices:  What School Districts Need to Know

Texas Senate Bill 944, which went into effect on September 1, 2019, amends Chapter 552 of the Texas Government Code (the Code) by clarifying the requirements for preservation and production of public information on the personal electronic devices of governmental officers and employees. The question is whether and to what extent the law has actually been changed. While the primary tenet embodied by Senate Bill 944—the requirement to preserve public information and foster governmental transparency—has not been significantly altered, the real-world processes for both school district employees and the district itself have undergone a meaningful change.

November 2019 Bond List

Bond Election Data collected by TexasISD.com for public school bonds in the upcoming November 2019 election cycle.

May 2019 Bond List

Bond Election Data collected by TexasISD.com for public school bonds in the upcoming May 2019 election cycle.

How Frisco Administrators Are Spotting Vaping on Campus

As part of a new anti-vaping campaign in Frisco ISD, assistant principals from all 10 high school and 17 middle school campuses underwent prevention training aimed at combating e-cigarette use among students.  "Vaping has become a national epidemic. It's certainly not something that's special to our area, it's everywhere and the more we know, the more we can educate kids and families," said Independence High School assistant principal Ryan Solano. view article  

How hard should creating a Texas income tax be? Voters will decide with Proposition 4

Creating a personal income tax in Texas isn't easy. But supporters of a proposition on the Nov. 5 constitutional amendment ballot want to make the prospect of such a tax even more remote. Currently, the Texas Constitution requires voters to approve an individual income tax in a statewide referendum, which legislators can ask for with a simple majority in the House and Senate. Proposition 4 would raise the bar, amending the constitution so that any income tax resolution would need two-thirds support in both legislative chambers before the matter goes to voters, who would ultimately decide. view article  

Early Voting in Texas’ Constitutional Amendment Election Starts Monday

Texas voters are about to weigh in on 10 proposed amendments to the state constitution, which deal with everything from retiring law enforcement animals to the state’s tax code. Voters in three state House districts will also participate in special elections to fill empty seats. Early voting begins Monday and runs through Nov. 1. Election Day is Nov. 5. view article  

San Benito:  Superintendent, school board top over $68,000 in refunds

At a public hearing Sept. 8, it was revealed the San Benito Consolidated Independent School District Board of Trustees and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Nate Carman claimed over $68,074 in reimbursement expenses during a 10-month period.  The description of reimbursements includes meals, lodging, transportation, motor fuel, and other expenditures which can include registration fees, telephone/cell phone, internet service and fax machine among others not defined. view article  

Prop 10 would allow adoption of law enforcement dogs and horses by their handlers

After Jim Skinner met Jessie in the Philippines, he couldn’t imagine his life without her. Skinner, a former Air Force security police dog handler, extended his overseas tour for an additional year and a half so he wouldn’t have to leave Jessie, his K-9. Until 2000, federally owned dogs were regularly euthanized at the end of their military careers. view article  

SUICIDE AWARENESS, PREVENTION CRITICAL TO WIMBERLEY ISD 2019-20 SCHOOL YEAR TRAINING

September 6, 2019, Wimberley ISD employees are certified QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Gatekeepers—trained to recognize when someone may be having a mental health emergency, to ask them directly about it and to persuade them to get help and then to refer them to help. Jenny Kenley, a Licensed Professional Counselor who specializes in the area of suicide prevention trained WISD employees as part of their in-service training in August. view article  

Beaumont ISD details disaster disruption

In the first regular board meeting since Tropical Depression Imelda flooded out two schools in the Beaumont school district and closed the entire district for five days, the school board reviewed the estimated cost of damage and discussed next steps. Students missed between five and 17 instructional days as a result of closures from flooding, and 41 students districtwide did not return after the flooding, according to numbers presented at the meeting. view article  

Leander ISD begins process of bringing security upgrades to last 10 schools

Leander ISD’s board of trustees took the next step to bring major security enhancements to its last 10 schools lacking them at a regular meeting Oct. 17. Trustees voted 6-1 to select two architectural firms to design the security upgrades. Scheduled to be completed in summer 2020, the enhancements will mark the final step in a seven-year endeavor by LISD to make all its 43 schools substantially safer, according to LISD officials. view article  

Clint ISD: Trustee wife to apologize to student after allegedly making derogatory comments

Clint Independent School District trustees decided that board trustee Fred Martinez’s wife must give a written apology to the student who she took a Mexican flag away from. According to parents, Rebecca Martinez was at a high school football game and began yelling derogatory comments to the student waving the flag. “If she doesn’t apologize, she will be banned from coming to any school activities until May of 2020,” said Juan Cruz, the general council at Clint Independent School District. view article  

Flour Bluff ISD hosts “Dyslexia Awareness Night” to educate parents, community

Dyslexia can bring many challenges and affect many people in the workplace or even in the classroom, but there is help for parents if they feel their child might be dyslexic. The Flour Bluff Independent School District hosted a "Dyslexia Awareness Night" so parents can learn more. view article  

Beaumont ISD release damage costs after Imelda, nearly $11 million to facilities

Beaumont ISD administrators believe its flood insurance will cover $10.6 million worth of damage to its schools. Cheryl Hernandez, the district's Chief Financial Officer, presented a report to the school board Thursday, showing how much damage BISD received.Given the destruction of Tropical Storm Imelda, the district declared a state of emergency. view article  

Dallas Mayor Johnson: ‘I cannot abide’ Bonnen’s insults of Texas cities

Last year, when I was a member of the Texas House, I supported Dennis Bonnen to become our speaker. While I had made the deeply personal decision to seek the speakership myself, I stepped aside because I believed he had the potential to unify the House and help our state address critical issues, such as school finance, that for far too long had been left unresolved. view article  

‘Equity’ Keeps Coming Up In Austin’s School Closure Conversations. But What Does It Mean?

The word “equity” has been thrown around a lot over the last month, since the Austin Independent School District announced its plan to close and consolidate 12 schools. On the first page of the district’s proposal released on Sept. 5, it says these changes are being made “with equity in mind.” But the meaning of the word “equity” means different things, depending on who you talk to. As the district moved forward with gathering community feedback and answering questions about the proposal, equity, and what it means, was at the center of the conversation. view article  

APS superintendent speaks publicly for the first time about leaving position

Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Meria Carstarphen spoke to the Atlanta Press Club at its annual newsmaker luncheon Thursday. Carstarphen has been in her role since 2014. APS recently announced it will not renew her contract past June of next year. Carstarphen had not spoken publicly about leaving her role -- until Thursday. view article  

The Woodlands Township board of directors votes 5-2 to support Conroe ISD board after superintendent visit

An unscheduled visit from Conroe ISD Superintendent Curtis Null turned the discussion at The Woodlands Township board of directors meeting Oct. 17 into a brief question-and-answer session after the board could not win a majority vote to endorse the district’s Nov. 5 bond referendum. Director Ann Snyder called Null on her cell phone to ask him if he could come to the board’s in-progress meeting to answer questions about the measure. The board had not seen a presentation for the November bond, and several members said they needed more information. Board members individually expressed support for the bond on a personal basis. view article  

East Baton Rouge School Board hires Austin search firm to find new superintendent

The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board voted unanimously Thursday to have Austin-based JG Consulting head the search to find a replacement for outgoing East Baton Rouge Parish Superintendent Warren Drake and lead the Louisiana’s second-largest public school district. The unanimity of the vote was a surprise given the other applicant was prominent Baton Rouge firm SSA Consultants of Baton Rouge. view article  

Parents Without Texas IDs Said They Were Barred From Southside ISD Campuses

Southside Independent School District parents and community members organized through COPS/Metro Alliance told the district’s board of managers on Thursday night that parents without Texas driver’s licenses were being turned away from campuses. Dozens of students and parents gathered at the Thursday night meeting, standing behind COPS/Metro leaders who delivered an emotional, and at times tearful, plea to meet with Superintendent Mark Eads and district leaders to sort the issue out. view article  

Watch: Live TribCast recording

We're livestreaming this week's TribCast recording, hosted by The Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith and featuring political reporters Cassi Pollock, Alex Samuels and Patrick Svitek. They break down the Dennis Bonnen tape released Tuesday.  Texas Tribune political reporters Cassi Pollock, Alex Samuels and Patrick Svitek will break down the Dennis Bonnen tape released Tuesday by conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan — what's in it, what the reactions are, and what it means for the Texas Legislature and the 2020 elections. view article  

Carstarphen to stay at APS helm ‘as long as I can’

Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Meria Carstarphen vowed Thursday to remain on the job to continue the turnaround work she began five years ago. view article  

Dallas ISD scuttles effort possibly partnering future ‘Baby Booker T.’ with area nonprofit

Dallas ISD wants to reconfigure South Dallas’ Martin Luther King Jr. Learning Center to become a new campus that would serve as an incubator for the arts from students in kindergarten through eighth grade. But the district’s efforts to fast-track MLK to become a “Baby Booker T.” sputtered to a stop this week, just days before a key component was going to be decided at Thursday’s board meeting. The idea was to replicate the success of the district’s prestigious performing and visual arts high school, Booker T. Washington, and potentially funnel students nurtured at MLK into that magnet school. view article  

Police: Seven-Year-Old Boy Caught Vaping In The Middle Of Class

A seven-year-old Wisconsin boy was caught vaping CBD oil right in the middle of his second-grade class last week, according to a police report. The incident happened Oct. 8 at Country Dale Elementary School in Franklin, a suburb of Milwaukee, investigators said. view article  

New From TEA

• House Bill 3 (HB 3) Implementation: Additional Days School Year10/18
• House Bill 3 (HB 3) Implementation: Reading Advisory Committee 10/18
• Blended Learning Planning Grants for Math Innovation Zones and Non-Math Blended Learning Pilots10/18
• Reporting of Industry-Based Certifications
• 2020–2021 Annual Survey of Children in Local Residential Facilities for the Neglected/Delinquent (SC9000)
• House Bill 3 (HB 3) Implementation: Blended Learning Grant Program 10/11
• Early Childhood Data System (ECDS) for Public Prekindergarten, High-Quality Prekindergarten Programs, Private Prekindergarten Providers and Kindergarten Data 10/11
• Senate Bill 1882 Texas Partnerships Deadlines and Guidance 10/11
• Upcoming LEA Deadline: Title I, Part A Comparability of Services Requirement for the 2019–2020 school year  10/11
• Texas Education Data Standards (TEDS) migration to Ed-Fi 3.010/11
• Tropical Storm Imelda Impact on Close of 2019-20 School-Start Window

Texas voters could stabilize funding for state parks with Proposition 5

Texas Parks and Wildlife officials, along with outdoor enthusiasts, are looking to lock in funding for the state’s parks during November’s constitutional amendment elections. Should it pass, Proposition 5 will change the Texas Constitution so that money generated from the existing sales tax on sporting goods can be given only to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Historical Commission. Texas' parks were initially funded by a penny tax on cigarettes, but the Texas Legislature passed a law in 1993 allowing all of the sporting goods sales tax revenues to be used for the upkeep and expansion of parks and historical sites. view article  

Dallas ISD Board Talks Class Sizes

For anyone who is a regular at Dallas ISD school board meetings, Thursday night’s meeting was probably a surprise — no hot topics, no full gallery of speakers, and no late night. The meeting clocked in somewhere around an hour. A handful of public speakers brought up a few issues like questions about the district’s accommodations for autistic students and the state of the Dallas Environmental Science Academy; superintendent Michael Hinojosa and all nine trustees gave updates; next came the 15-item consent agenda; and then it was off to the races. view article  

Clear Creek ISD to hold public hearing about moving back school start times

Throughout October, a Clear Creek ISD committee has been examining the potential benefits of students starting school later in the day, and residents will soon be able to share their thoughts and concerns. The CCISD School Start Time Committee has come up with two potential models for school start times. The first would keep start times where they are, with elementary students starting at 7:55 a.m., intermediate students starting at 8:40 a.m. and high school students starting at 7:10 a.m. The second would move start times back so elementary students would start at 8:15 a.m., intermediate students would start at 9 a.m. and high school students would start at 7:30 a.m. view article  

North East ISD has four applicants for vacant trustee seat

Four residents of the Southwest part of North East Independent School District have applied for a seat on its board to represent District 3 and replace former trustee Joseph Treviño. The applicants are Omar Leos, a Harlandale Independent School District administrator, Amy McLin, a Castle Hills city council member, Christopher Mammen, an independent consultant and Dolores Serna, a former educator. The school board has not announced a timeline for appointing the new trustee, who will serve until its next general election, in May 2020. view article  

Richardson ISD board candidates talk equity, neighborhood schools at Oct. 17 forum

Candidates competing to represent Single Member District 2 sat down together Oct. 17 to answer questions about issues facing Richardson ISD. Incumbent Eron Linn has served as trustee since 2015. He is facing challenger Vanessa Pacheco in RISD’s first-ever single-member district election—the result of a recently settled lawsuit that restructured the district’s electoral process. The forum was hosted by League of Women Voters-Richardson and moderated by Richardson City Council Member Steve Mitchell. Questions for the candidates centered on teacher salaries and retention, campus safety, the importance of fine arts, parent engagement, equity and inclusion, special education services and RISD’s neighborhood schools model. view article  

Allen ISD (Texas) Installs First BDA Life Safety System in State

When the Allen Independent School District (ISD) in Collin County, Texas, set out to complete a $97 million new-build high school to accommodate its ever-growing student population, officials were unaware of the national fire code requiring that all new-build structures incorporate Bi-Directional Amplifiers (BDA) as part of a comprehensive Emergency Radio Communication Enhancement System (ERCES). Armed with this newfound knowledge, building officials attempted to source UL listed BDA technology. Due to a lack of prior experience with life safety systems, they were unable to identify a certified fire and life safety integrator or code compliant product. view article