The Lake Worth ISD boardroom was quiet Wednesday night — no public comment, no speakers at the podium. In the audience, three elected trustees watched as the district’s new state-appointed board of managers took control and immediately made its priority clear. “This new governance team is committed to focusing unrelentingly on improving student outcomes,” new board President Tom Harris said.  The special meeting marked the first gathering under the new board of managers and superintendent installed by Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, who shifted decision-making authority away from locally elected trustees after years of low academic performance.   Managers focused on establishing the foundation for the work ahead, including electing board officers, suspending some policies and approving a short-term contract with Superintendent Ena Meyers. view article

The Texas Education Agency appointed a seven-member Board of Managers and named a new superintendent Wednesday to lead the Beaumont Independent School District, marking a major step in the state's takeover of the district. Commissioner Mike Morath named Sandi Massey as the district's new superintendent. Massey, who previously served as Chief of Schools in Houston, brings more than three decades of experience across Texas public school systems, according to a news release from the TEA. She began work Wednesday under a 21-day interim contract, pending formal approval from the newly appointed Board of Managers. view article

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Victoria Independent School District is considering closing Shields Elementary School at the end of the current school year, district officials announced, regardless of whether the district's bond proposal passes. District leaders informed Shields Elementary staff last week that the campus is under consideration for shutdown due to the facility's condition and as part of broader enrollment balancing efforts across the district. view article

Families fear closure of International Newcomer Academy as Fort Worth ISD leaders, under state takeover, weigh additional staff cuts.  Fort Worth ISD leaders are weighing whether to close a school that serves some of the district’s most vulnerable students, a decision that has sparked concern among families as broader changes unfold under a state takeover.   The district’s state-appointed Board of Managers is expected to vote April 28 on the potential closure of the International Newcomer Academy, a campus designed for immigrant and refugee students learning English   . view article

The Texas Education Agency has confirmed it is investigating Austin Independent School District related to the district’s Pride Week activities. In a brief statement to KXAN, TEA said an investigation is open but did not provide additional details because the matter is ongoing. view article

Lake Worth ISD has new leadership after Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath on April 23 appointed a new superintendent and five-member board of managers who are tasked with overseeing improving student outcomes for the 3,200-student district. view article

Dr. Ena Meyers was chosen as the superintendent to lead the district’s 3,200 students. She and a board of five managers will be tasked with improving student performance districtwide. The new leadership is expected to begin its work on May 18. view article

The Texas Education Agency launched an investigation into the Austin Independent School District for celebrating its annual Pride Week. A TEA spokesperson confirmed with KUT News the state has opened an investigation, but declined to comment since “the matter remains ongoing.” The investigation comes after conservative State Board of Education member Brandon Hall, from the Fort Worth area, raised concerns in March about AISD breaking the law and working to "indoctrinate" students by celebrating Pride Week. view article

The Austin Independent School District will likely not close more schools this fall, but will consider sweeping changes to attendance boundaries, Superintendent Matias Segura said Thursday night. During a regular school board meeting, Segura said he had “concerns about taking on consolidations” for any more schools. view article

Houston ISD will implement its controversial instructional model, the New Education System, at nine more elementary campuses next year. The model, often called NES, was at first implemented at 85 historically low performing campuses, but has now grown to include roughly half of the district's schools. view article

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights opened an investigation into the New Home Independent School District based on reports the district discontinued a special education classroom and failed to provide notice before placing students in a classroom approximately 30 miles away. view article

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights opened an investigation into the New Home Independent School District based on reports the district discontinued a special education classroom and failed to provide notice before placing students in a classroom approximately 30 miles away. view article

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights opened an investigation into the New Home Independent School District based on reports the district discontinued a special education classroom and failed to provide notice before placing students in a classroom approximately 30 miles away. The investigation will determine whether the district violated Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act by discriminating on the basis of disability. view article

With school board approval in Tuesday night’s meeting, Donna ISD is a step closer to establishing a virtual school for the 2026-27 school year that will serve students in grades 9-12. The Donna ISD Virtual School is set to expand instructional options for students with flexible, asynchronous, nontraditional teaching for students that are homeschooled, entering the workforce or who face obstacles. view article

The Texas Education Agency announced it would take over four more school districts this year, doubling the number of districts currently under a state takeover. School districts face potential state intervention if one of their schools receives five straight failing ratings in the state’s annual A-F system. view article

Fort Worth ISD’s state-appointed board of managers on Tuesday will consider a reduction in force related to school closures and the introduction of a new school model.  FWISD managers will vote on the resolution at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the District Service Center, 7060 Camp Bowie Blvd. The special board meeting also is livestreamed on YouTube.  “The reduction in force due to program change is directly tied to school closures that were approved under the district’s existing master facility plan,” spokesperson Jessica Becerra said. “We have not expanded or altered that plan; we are implementing decisions that were already in place before the current administration arrived.” view article

For Boulter Middle School, Tyler ISD is extending the 2026–27 school year and implementing a longer daily schedule at as part of a district turnaround effort aimed at improving student performance. The change has raised concerns for some families, who cite issues with communication, logistics and equity. While most Tyler ISD campuses begin Aug. 12, Boulter Middle School will start July 27 under an adjusted calendar tied to its transition to the Accelerated Campus Excellence (ACE) model, which includes additional instructional days and a longer school day. “ view article

Chancellor Brandon Creighton directed provosts to phase out the programs and ordered universities to recognize only “two human sexes.” view article

Reading teacher Christi Cooper had an important question as her second-grade students gathered around a table with a laptop, an iPhone and handwritten scripts scattered across the top. “Do you want the fuzzy one or the squishy one?” Cooper asked.  Picking the right type of microphone was important for her students before Cooper hits record on her phone. Cooper’s class at Heritage Elementary hosts a podcast called “Only Readers in the Building” where students discuss the books they’ve recently read.  The fuzzy mic is a favorite among the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD students as they record the podcast that replaces the traditional book report.  view article

Reading teacher Christi Cooper had an important question as her second-grade students gathered around a table with a laptop, an iPhone and handwritten scripts scattered across the top. “Do you want the fuzzy one or the squishy one?” Cooper asked. view article

The Lubbock Independent School District has approved and laid out a list of criteria schools need to meet before district leadership weighs in on whether to close the campus. In early 2026, Lubbock ISD's Board of Trustees approved the District Optimization Plan that laid out three criteria a school has to hit before the district engages in talks about the possible closure and consolidation of the campus. view article

The move had previously been anticipated for fall 2027.   The University of Texas at Austin appears poised to expedite a previously announced consolidation of ethnic and gendr studies coursework within the College of Liberal Arts.  Interim liberal arts Dean David Sosa sent an email to faculty late last week in which he stated that the consolidation “will be finalized by Fall 2026.”  A left-wing media outlet reported the provost’s office wants these changes to be in lace before state lawmakers return in January 2027. A university spokesman disputed this characterization, stating that “the academic calendar is what’s driving the timeline.”  “Anytime we implement structural changes to academic units we want those completed by the start of an academic year to avoid disruption,” the spokesman continued. “This is a common-sense administrative practice.” view article

Big changes could be coming for families in the Keller Independent School District. A district committee is recommending the closure of four schools. view article

Jennifer Wilkerson, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction for Amarillo ISD, said that the school district was starting new virtual learning classes for grades 6-12 for those who wanted more choices in their education. view article

Earlier in the year, Lubbock ISD's Board of Trustees adopted a plan that would dictate how the district would go about considering school closures and consolidations after previous efforts were met with community outrage. This new plan — named the District Optimization Plan — lays out three main criteria and the following sub-criteria the district will use to determine whether to close each school. view article

Fort Worth ISD's newly appointed leaders will hold their first meeting this week after the TEA tool over the district. view article

Houston ISD's state-appointed board of managers approved contracts Thursday night to allow four top-performing high schools as well as prekindergarten centers to be managed by outside organizations. The move is possible under a 2017 law, Senate Bill 1882, which permits partnerships between public schools and other educational organizations, including nonprofits and charter school networks. HISD announced the district would explore the partnerships for highly rated high school campuses back in October. view article

Pre-kindergarten classes for all 3- and 4- year-olds in Dallas ISD will be free starting next school year. The district’s school board voted unanimously Thursday to approve a universal pre-K program, joining other North Texas districts, including Fort Worth and Arlington. Up until now, free pre-K in Dallas ISD was only available on a qualifying basis. That included military households, low-income families, non-English learners, and children of Dallas ISD teachers. view article

The Dallas Independent School District (ISD) board of trustees approved tuition-free, full-day pre-kindergarten for all three- and four-year-olds in the district for the 2026–2027 school year. During a March 26 board meeting, the board voted 8 to 0 in favor of the policy, with one trustee not present, joining a handful of districts shifting away from state eligibility requirements to offer free pre-K to all students. view article

Four of Houston ISD's most prestigious magnet high schools will have new outside managers, after the district's state-appointed Board of Managers approved outsourcing school operations.  The move will place school management in the hands of nonprofits, meeting some parents’ hope to break away from HISD’s strict reforms while sparking questions about their financial management and accountability.   "I only wish more HISD schools had this opportunity, because right now this is one of the only pathways for schools to preserve what makes them successful," said Naomi Doyle-Madrid, whose children have attended two of the schools with new partnerships.  The district approved five-year contracts with nonprofits for the Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA), Energy Institute High School, Challenge Early College High School, Houston Academy for International Studies, as well as a contract with education nonprofit Collaborative for Children to help manage pre-K centers. view article

Fort Worth’s new state-appointed school board opened its tenure with a blunt assessment: Most students in the district cannot read at grade level — so there’s no time to waste. “We failed our kids for over a decade,” board President Pete Geren said at a Tuesday press conference as the new leadership team took control of Fort Worth ISD. view article

Third Future Schools will partner with the Edgewood Independent School District to operate Brentwood Middle School after the district’s school board approved the vote on Tuesday evening. Several people who live in the Edgewood ISD community spoke out against the decision ahead of the school board’s vote. view article

A Floridian who briefly led one of the nation’s largest school districts will captain Fort Worth ISD while it is under state control. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath appointed longtime Florida educator Peter B. Licata as FWISD’s new leader. Licata, who served as Broward County Public Schools superintendent for less than a year, is now charged with driving rapid academic gains for FWISD’s nearly 68,000 students. view article

The names of the 10 new state-appointed leaders of the Fort Worth Independent School District were announced on Tuesday morning, marking the start of a state takeover of the largest school district in Tarrant County. An early-morning press release from the Texas Education Agency contained the names of a new superintendent and a nine-person board of managers who are replacing current Superintendent Karen Molinar and elected school board members. They begin their positions immediately. view article