Harris County Department of Education’s board voted to censure Trustee Michael Wolfe over sexual harassment allegations hours after a state district judge denied his request for a temporary restraining order. Trustees on Wednesday voted 4-2, with Trustee Don Sumners abstaining, to issue the formal reprimand. Trustee George Moore broke with others in the board’s new majority, of which Wolfe is a part, to vote in favor of the punishment. Moore would not comment about his vote. view article

Former Katy Independent School District superintendent Lance Hindt is endorsing two candidates — including one who has no opponent — for the open seats on the KISD board of trustees. On a YouTube video taken at a campaign rally, Hindt is seen strongly backing Donald “Duke” Keller and Lance Redmon for the school board seats. Keller is a candidate for the Position 1 seat while Redmon is running unopposed in the Position 2 race. view article

Canutillo Independent School District Officials announced that Trustee Armando Rodriguez was elected chair of the National Hispanic Council of School Board Members, a branch of the National School Boards Association (NSBA) tasked with furthering education policy benefiting the Latinx community throughout the United States. In his new role, he will help NSBA better understand the needs and goals of Hispanic students and communities that continue to grow in numbers in every region of the country. Rodriguez, a 14-year veteran of the CISD Board, is the first El Pasoan to serve on this capacity. view article

When Fort Bend residents make their way to the polls May 4, the sheer volume of Fort Bend ISD trustee candidates may seem like ballot overflow. Alas, it’s a bevy of candidates vying for the opportunity to represent Texas’ eighth-largest school district, all armed with their own ideas on how to serve the district’s 76,000 students in positions 3, 5, and 7. Three candidates have emerged to challenge incumbent Jim Rice for Position 3: Afshi Charania, Sam Popuri, and Ashish Agrawal. view article

The process to establish new school attendance zones for Lake Travis ISD elementary and middle schools continues. Two new zoning maps – one for elementary and one for middle schools – were recommended to the Lake Travis ISD board of trustees April 17. view article

The Georgetown ISD board of trustees authorized Superintendent Fred Brent to enter final negotiations on the purchase of land for a new middle school during its April 15 meeting. view article

Dozens of parents showed up to the first of four meetings hosted by the Austin Independent School District. They’re discussing changes coming to the district over the next few years. view article

Corpus Christi Independent School District board members have set the school’s calendars for the 2019-2020 and 2020-21 school years that will include the return of a week off for the Thanksgiving holidays. The decision was made during the trustees’ board meeting on Monday. It came after the District Advisory Team met last week and produced revised draft calendars for approval. view article

The Hillsboro Independent School District (HISD) Board of Trustees met in regular session Monday, April 8, and approved a recommendation to adopt Houghton Mifflin Harcourt instructional materials for kindergarten through eighth grade ELAR (English, Language Arts and Reading) students. The State Board of Education (SBOE) issued Proclamation 2019 at its April 2017 meeting. The adoption of materials under Proclamation 2019 are scheduled to go into classrooms in the 2019–20 school year. According to HISD officials, campus textbook committees and central office personnel began reviewing materials in November and attended presentations from the three major publishers - Pearson, McGraw Hill and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. view article

The Frisco school district's at-large system for electing trustees discriminates against the rapidly growing Asian population in the area, according to a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday. The voting-rights lawsuit is the third in a year against a North Texas school district, all brought by the Brewer Storefront, the pro bono affiliate of the firm Brewer, Attorneys and Counselors, which has also filed voting-rights suits against several other districts and cities. view article

Successful candidates in upcoming Southside Independent School District board elections may not get to immediately assume their posts. The Texas Education Agency took over the district two years ago, removed the seven-member elected board and appointed five trustees to take their place. The appointees serve at the pleasure of Education Commissioner Mike Morath. The education commissioner has yet to announce when the appointees will be relieved of their duties and when elected board members can take their place. view article

At the April 15 agenda review for the Dripping Springs ISD board of trustees, board members discussed agenda items scheduled for vote at the upcoming April 22 board meeting and heard reports from district employees on topics that will resurface at meetings in May and beyond. view article

Both candidates for Place 7 on the Argyle school board are Texas transplants wanting to give back to what they see as an amazing school district. Incumbent Jeff Williams, who is finishing up his first term on the school board, is in a race against Tom Irwin for Place 7. Meanwhile, school board member Brad Lowry is running unopposed in Place 6. view article

The Lewisville ISD Council of PTAs will hold a candidate forum for LISD school board candidates at 6:30 p.m. April 18 at the LISD Administrative Center, 1565 West Main St. in Lewisville. Three seats on the LISD Board of Trustees are up for election this year. Incumbents Angie Cox and Jenny Proznik are running unopposed for Places 3 and 5, respectively. Two candidates are running for Place 4: Incumbent Katherine Sells, who has served one term, and challenger Jake Collier. view article

School board candidates were asked the significance of federal aid and teacher support, but the defense of Killeen Independent School District had some candidates nearly hollering. The school board candidates had the chance to speak to voters at the Harker Heights Activity Center from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Monday, in which the eight candidates appearing on the May 4 ballot answered three questions by a moderator. view article

A version of this candidate Q&A appears on Page 17 in the April 2019 issue of Community Impact Newspaper’s Georgetown edition. Candidates’ responses are their own and have only been edited for length or minor style changes. Early voting for Georgetown ISD election races runs April 22-30. Election day is May 4. view article

The San Antonio Independent School District school board election is being viewed by some as a referendum on Superintendent Pedro Martinez’s turn-around plan for the troubled district and the board members who support his mission. Martinez is on year four of a five-year plan to bring change to SAISD. He merits the support of a board composed of independent thinkers who will offer him the backing necessary to carry out his work. We are not talking about trustees who will rubber-stamp his recommendations but rather community representatives who ask hard questions and possess the political fortitude to weather the storms and don’t shy away from making the tough decisions. view article

Turnaround efforts in the San Antonio Independent School District have drawn state and national attention — but also opposition, and candidates for three board seats are sharply divided over Superintendent Pedro Martinez’s policies. Martinez swept into SAISD in 2015 with an ambitious five-year plan that trustees have supported unanimously. In 2017, he still had the general backing of the teachers’ union and of board incumbents and challengers alike. view article

Are Houston ISD trustees and Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan (and her administrators) not talking at all? How otherwise to explain last night's 7-0 vote solidly against the administration's proposal to shut down High School Ahead Academy, a special school set up during former Superintendent Terry Grier's reign designed to serve older students who had fallen so far behind that they remain stuck in middle school? view article

With three of the four Fort Worth ISD Board of Education races on the ballot featuring open seats, badly needed change is coming to this often backbiting board. But ironically, it is the District 2 race, which includes the incumbent board president, where change would be most welcome. We heartily recommend Chad McCarty for District 2 trustee. view article

The Humble ISD board of trustees couldn’t help but remember the good times they had with Keith Lapeze as he sat with his fellow members one last time. After 13 years of serving on the board as a president and vice president among other roles, Lapeze decided not to seek re-election this year. Early voting begins April 22 and a replacement for Lapeze will be elected on May 4. view article

This is a haircut most parents of teenagers recognize; after all, it's one of the most popular styles among teenage boys today.  view article

After 18 years serving as a Pflugerville school district board trustee, Carol Fletcher will step down in June, leaving behind a legacy that has impacted countless students and shaped educational practices in not only the region or state but the nation. Fletcher said she is retiring from the board to focus on her educational research as deputy director of the STEM Center at The University of Texas at Austin College of Education. “There are wonderful people who are committed to doing the best for the kids in the district,” Fletcher said. “The family and community are very supportive of public education. You have board members who are there for the right reason.” view article

Like so many other school districts in our community, Judson Independent School District is facing a budget shortfall while experiencing a declining enrollment. Located in Northeast Bexar County, the district has had about a 1% decline in attendance each of the past four years. That’s a bad mix when a district depends heavily on the state’s allotment, which is based on daily student attendance. The Judson community needs take-charge trustees equipped to tackle the issues in the best interest of students and who are not simply using the seat as a springboard for higher office. view article

Three candidates are running for Position 1 on the Katy ISD board of trustees this May. Community Impact Newspaper asked candidates for their thoughts on school finance, managing growth and serving the district’s diverse students. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order, and their responses have been edited for length and clarity. view article

McDade Independent School District Superintendent Barbara Marchbanks and Mark Dube, McDade ISD Board of Trustees president, recently traveled to Philadelphia to present at the National School Board Association Conference. The title of the session presentation was “Roles and Responsibilities of the School Board and Superintendent in Improving Student Outcomes.” view article

Brock ISD trustees discussed a policy update that would allow UIL-focused classes to count toward a student’s grade point average during the school board meeting on Monday. The current policy, EIC (Local), says that local classes can’t be included in a student’s GPA, BISD Director of Communications Natalie Parish said. Students take UIL-focused classes that are tied to a state course in the corresponding academic discipline. view article

Dripping Springs City Council unanimously voted April 9 to deny a variance that would have allowed Truly Texas Grown Wines to operate its online alcohol distributer business within 300 feet of a Dripping Springs ISD school boundary. The owner of Truly Texas Grown Wines sought a variance to overrule a policy prohibiting the sale of alcohol within 300-feet of a school property. Truly Texas Grown Wines aimed to open its facility at 391 Sportsplex Drive, Dripping Springs, just 289 feet from Walnut Springs Elementary School. According to Truly Texas Grown Wines’ business plan, the facility would not have sold wine to walk-in customers, nor would it have served alcohol; it would have served as a fulfillment center for online orders. view article

After 18 years of serving the Pflugerville school district as a board member, trustee Carol Fletcher is stepping down to focus on her professional career in higher education. In an April 8 news release, PfISD stated Fletcher is retiring from the position she has held for nearly two decades. Fletcher ultimately decided not to run for re-election for Place 5 on the board of trustees in the upcoming May 4 election. Three candidates have filed to run in that race. “It’s a great district to serve on the board […] There [are]wonderful people who are committed to doing the best for the kids in the district,” Fletcher said in the release. view article

A unanimous Texas Senate on Tuesday approved a bill to restore a key provision of the Open Meetings Act that had been struck down by a state court. Senate Bill 1640 by Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, seeks to reinstate a provision that barred elected officials from breaking into small groups to discuss public business in private, avoiding a quorum that would trigger the Open Meetings Act. The Court of Criminal Appeals struck down the “walking quorum” provision in February, ruling that it was too vague and did not give elected officials proper warning about what actions violated the law.  SB 1640, developed with lawyers from Texas attorney general’s office, clarifies that the walking quorum ban applies only to issues within a government body’s jurisdiction and that deliberations can take place in verbal or written exchanges. view article

The Northside Independent School District, the largest in Bexar County with just over 105,000 students, is one of the better run districts in the state. Much of that can be attributed to a good working relationship among the trustees and between the board and Superintendent Brian Woods.Three members of this well-respected board merit reelection. view article

Jourdanton ISD held their regular meeting on Monday, April 8. After the invocation was given by Mary Ramirez, Elementary student Hixon Wiatrek lead the pledges. Consent Agenda The approval of the last meeting’s minutes, the Business Office report and the payment of the bills were on the consent agenda. The financial report showed money market account of $8,755,202.19 and Lone Star Investment account of $1,503,615.56 for a total of $10,383,389.23. Tax collection was $148,336.37 for the month and year-to-date total is $9,732,118.94. Checks written for the month were $919,528.37. a motion was made by Lanny Wheeler to approve as presented. Philip Netardus seconded. Motion passed unanimously with Mary Ramirez, Vance Jupe, Rita Munoz and Amador Lugo voting in favor. Payment of the conflict of interest bills passed with President Barbara Peeler abstaining. view article

The Corpus Christi Independent School District Board of Trustees approved a boundary change which will affect a handful of students from a Southside elementary school. It’s all part of the district’s plan to alleviate overcrowding on the Southside. The only new boundaries up for discussion at Monday’s meeting had to do with students currently attending Kolda Elmentary School.  Starting next year, students who graduate from Kolda will be sent to Adkins Middle School instead of Kaffie Middle. view article

The beleaguered Harlandale Independent School District board needs an influx of new faces to head off a possible takeover by the Texas Education Agency. In November, a yearlong investigation by the state agency found a dysfunctional school district with questionable financial practices and evidence of possible criminal activity. Bringing in three new trustees who have never served on the board might help avoid a takeover. view article

A current board member and a vocal critic of the Katy Independent School District’s administration are running against each other for a seat on the Katy ISD Board of Trustees. Longtime trustee Rebecca Fox and community activist Sean Dolan both are candidates for the Position 1 seat on the school board. Also vying for the position is attorney Donald T. Keller, Jr. view article