Researchers found evidence of what might cause acute flaccid myelitis, known as AFM, a rare polio-like illness that affects children. According to a study published Monday in the journal Nature Medicine, a virus seems to be the culprit.  Since the first cases were documented in 2012, scientists have debated how children get AFM, which can cause weakness and paralysis. Some thought the cause was an autoimmune disorder, while others suspected a virus. Until recently, evidence of a virus was only circumstantial and couldn't be found in 98% of AFM patients who had their spinal fluid tested, according to the study. Using a virus hunting tool called VirScan, scientists were able to examine the spinal fluid of patients for an immune response to enterovirus and to thousands of other viruses simultaneously.  view article

Students at Magnolia, Magnolia West and Magnolia Junior high schools will see structural safety changes and upgrades as early as January 2020, Assistant Superintendent of Administration Jason Bullock said at the Magnolia ISD board of trustees meeting Oct. 14. House Bill 3, the school finance reform bill passed in the 86th Texas Legislature, included a school safety allotment of about $9.72 per student, which resulted in roughly $125,000 for Magnolia ISD to use for school safety improvements, Bullock said. view article

Florida:  The tragedy of the Parkland school massacre framed a developing political drama in Florida's capital, as a divided legislative panel on Monday sided with the state's Republican governor in removing a county sheriff accused of mishandling the response to the shooting that killed 17 people. The mostly party line vote by Florida's Senate Rules Committee sends the matter to the full chamber, which is expected to consider it Wednesday. view article

Cases of scarlet fever and strep throat are up at Hill Elementary School, according to school nurse Diana Pierson. A note sent out to parents last week by Pierson said there has been an increase in diagnosed cases of both illnesses. The symptoms Pierson has seen are: view article

A former Mansfield Summit High School and current Stephen F. Austin University football player is recovering after he was struck in the forehead by a stray bullet in Mansfield.  view article

The Panhandle Behavioral Health Alliance says 83-percent of people in Amarillo say they or a family member of their household sought mental health care within the last two years. Schools are making it a point to teach their staff and students how to recognize if someone is dealing with a mental illness. Canyon High school implemented a pilot program within the last month that helps staff and students have the tools they need to talk about mental health issues. view article

On August 15, Keegan Jarrett was sitting in the back seat of his friend’s car, feeling excited about an outfit he was planning to wear to school the next day. So he posted a selfie to Snapchat with the caption “You arent even prepared for tomorrow” followed by a smiling emoji with sunglasses. Within an hour, Jarrett says, friends started texting him to warn that people might take his post the wrong way and think he was threatening to do something to the school. view article

Emergency crews have responded to a chemical spill Monday morning, according to the Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s office. According to officials, the crash is located on US 59 just south of Garrison that resulted in a spill requiring crews to respond for an emergency cleanup. view article

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month, and Round Rock ISD is making big strides to help their students with the learning disability. According to Kimberly Berry-Corie, director of dyslexia support services at Round Rock ISD, the district is now one of two districts in the Lone Star State with an in-house, Wilson Credentialed Trainer who provides teachers with local access to training. view article

The Raymondville Independent School District is reporting that a student made a threat involving the use of a gun on Monday. According to a post by Raymondville I.S.D., the threat was made by a student at Myra Green Middle School. The district said that students reported the threat to the principal, who then removed the student from class and notified authorities. view article

Several law enforcement agencies are responding to a known threat against Sinton ISD schools this morning. Sinton Police Department, as well as the San Patricio County Sheriff's Office and the Department of Public Safety are in Sinton this morning after the district received a threat through Snapchat. view article

A 17-year-old male Klein Oak High School student, who fell off the hood of car, died on Friday morning following a crash on Thursday afternoon. This happened around 3 p.m. on Hildebrandt Intermediate School property in northwest Harris County. view article

The University did not participate in this year’s Association of American Universities’ sexual misconduct survey, and officials cite the UT System’s own study in 2017 as the reason why. The 2019 Association of American Universities Campus Climate Survey is a follow-up to the 2015 Campus Climate Survey and found that nonconsensual sexual contact rates and knowledge of school resources have increased on college campuses. The University participated in 2015 alongside Texas A&M but was one of few who did not participate this year. Melanie Susswein, Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault director of marketing and communications at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work, said the UT System preferred conducting their own study because they could control how it was conducted and get specific information on UT schools. view article

A private company will test schools and homes near a former uranium enrichment plant in Ohio for radiological contaminants after trace amounts of enriched uranium were found at a nearby middle school over the summer. Pike County officials say North Canton-based Solutient Technologies will test schools, public and private properties and state waters in the Piketon area within a six-mile (10-kilometer) radius from the center of the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. view article

Amarillo ISD said the Amarillo Police Department detained a Tasosa High School student and another person for having a weapon on campus. In a statement from Amarillo ISD, the two met after school in the south parking lot across the street from the school. view article

A fifth-grade Bosqueville Independent School District student who fell off a homecoming float and was run over Friday afternoon successfully underwent surgery for her injuries over the weekend, Superintendent James Skeeler said Monday. The student, whose name has not been released, was flown to McLane Children’s Hospital in Temple with serious injuries on Friday, according to officials. Waco police responded to the incident, which happened around 2 p.m. in the 100 block of Creek Ridge Drive. view article

A student prank went too far after personal information belonging to dozens of students was hacked. The data breach was first detected at the Downingtown Area School District last week. District officials say it was a student who hacked the system. They say the breach is now contained and students’ information was not manipulated in any way. view article

There is a new member of the Waco ISD Police Department, but he’s not your typical rookie. Dalton is a Dutch Shepard, born and trained in the Netherlands. After his first few years in Europe, Dalton moved to Louisiana to continue his training. That’s where he met Officer Larry Martinez. view article

October is National Bullying Prevention month, and Mesquite ISD staff is encouraging everyone in Mesquite to wear orange on Oct. 23 for Go Orange Day in Mesquite to show their support. Director of Guidance and Counseling Kem Edwards made the Go Orange Day in Mesquite announcement during the Oct. 7 MISD board meeting. view article

Hundreds of people are asking why a driver who hit a child at a school bus stop in Richmond on Friday was issued a ticket and not arrested. In a Facebook post, Fort Bend County Sheriff's deputies explained that the child's "possibly" fractured arm did not qualify under Texas law as "serious bodily injury." view article

News earlier in the year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimating that the number of middle and high school students who use electronic cigarettes has risen by more than 50% from 2017 to 2018 seemed to catch us all a little flat-footed. It translated to a problem of 2.1 million young people to a problem of 3.6 million young people — and counting. Recent data from the CDC shows that today, 1 in 4 high school students vape. One approach to confronting this health crisis is a nationwide ban on the sale of flavored products so appealing to young people. Such a ban has yet to materialize. According to the campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, filling that void, a number of cities, counties and states have enacted emergency rules to restrict the sale of e-cigarettes, including the sale of flavored tobacco products. view article

To improve the safety of students, educators, and administrators, Whitehouse ISD announced the launch of the “Say Something Anonymous Reporting System” (SS_ARS), according to a press release by the district. The program teaches students, teachers, and administrators on how to recognize the warning signs of individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others. view article

A fifth-grade Bosqueville Independent School District student who fell off a homecoming float Friday afternoon has been flown to McLane Children’s Hospital in Temple with serious injuries, according to officials. The student’s name has not been released. view article

A week after an incident at Permian High School had the school going into lockdown and evacuation, Ector County ISD police still haven’t figured out exactly what happened, Communications Officer Mike Adkins said Friday. There was a report that a student had a gun and officers were investigating that and they were asking students to contact them right away if they saw anything, a Twitter post stated. In a tweet regarding the Oct. 10 incident, Adkins said he wanted to emphasize that there was no active shooter and the campus was safe.  view article

A Klein Oak High School student died Friday after sustaining head injuries while 'car surfing,' authorities said. It happened outside Hildebrandt Intermediate School in the parking lot adjacent to the high school Wednesday. A 17-year-old was driving a red Mini-Cooper in the lot while another 17-year-old was riding on top of the vehicle, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.   view article

Waco Independent School District’s new police dog, Dalton, took a stroll around West Avenue Elementary School with alert eyes, perky ears and a shiny police badge on the center of his chest. His four paws are getting used to his first month in Waco ISD schools. “He is a very good dog,” Waco ISD police Officer Larry Martinez said. “He is very alert and we are still getting to know campus, but it’s going well.” view article

 A 17-year-old Bowie High School football player died after he was shot in Southeast Arlington Thursday afternoon. Police identified him as Anthony Lemelle Strather Jr. He played defensive end on the school’s team. Two other people were shot, another 17-year-old high school senior and a homeowner, who both survived. A stray bullet struck the homeowner in his leg. view article

Brenham ISD is responding to a potentially threatening message. Here is a statement sent to Brenham High School parents Friday morning: view article

If you have a child at a Dallas ISD school, make sure to check to the district’s website and social media channels as some have been closed Monday after a tornado caused major damage during a round of severe weather. In a tweet, the district said: “Due to tonight’s storms, Dallas ISD has crews assessing damage in the impacted areas to determine if classes will be cancelled at certain schools. Stay tuned to the Dallas ISD website and social channels for updates on possible cancellations and additional information.” view article

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

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

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

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

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

Contrary to popular belief, you should not wait until November or December to get your flu shot. The time is now, experts say. “With the flu season starting earlier in Australia, and us already seeing cases of confirmed flu even in September, it's worth getting your flu shot now and ideally before Halloween,” Dr. Ali Raja, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, told Fox News. view article