Chohlis: There must be significant policy and funding improvements if America is to secure its schools and give children what they need to succeed. view article

Audrii Cunningham, the 11-year-old Texas girl who missed her school bus last week and was found dead in a river on Tuesday, died from blunt force trauma. The Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office said the death was described as "homicidal violence" and her manner of death has been ruled a homicide following an autopsy, an agency spokesperson told Fox News Digital. An Amber Alert was issued for Cunningham after she failed to board the school bus on Feb. 15 and did not attend school. view article

EL PASO, TX (KFOX14/CBS4) — The El Paso County Commissioners are expected to sign off on a new contract that will keep security officers at two local school districts. If approved, San Elizario School District is expected to receive five officers, and Fabens Independent School District is expected to receive four school resource officers. view article

Two security guards have been let go from their contracted positions with Fort Bend ISD after separate incidents where they left firearms unattended at elementary schools, district officials say. One guard left their handgun in a staff bathroom at Sullivan Elementary School in January, and another left their gun holstered in a “duty belt” in an empty classroom at Sugar Mill Elementary School earlier this month, according to a district statement. Employees intervened before any students handled the weapons, officials said. view article

As fires continue to rage throughout the Texas Panhandle, several school districts in North Texas have opted to cancel classes Wednesday, February 28, after several cities and counties issued evacuation orders. view article

A former Judson ISD band director was found guilty Tuesday on 20 counts of possession of child pornography and promotion of child pornography. Mark Mallow could face a maximum punishment of life in prison. The punishment phase of his trial began Tuesday afternoon. view article

The missing 7-year-old Klein Independent School District student has been found safe, according to the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office. There was heavy law enforcement presence in the 9100 block of Herts Road in northwest Harris County as officials looked for the child. view article

Children's Health's Beyond ABC report reveals that Collin and Denton County saw significant decreases in vaccinations during the pandemic.   Fewer children were vaccinated this year seven North Texas counties than in 2017, according to Children Health’s latest Beyond ABC report. Childhood immunization rates took a significant hit during the pandemic and have yet to recover to 2017 levels.  Beyond ABC is a comprehensive biannual report assessing the health, economic security, safety, and education of children in North Texas, including Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, Denton, Grayson, Fannin, and Cooke counties.  The health section of the report notes the immunization rates for children from those seven counties for DTAP, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Mumps/Measles/Rubella, Polio, and Varicella. Nearly across the board, immunizations for 2023 are lower than in 2017, usually by a rate of 2-3 percent. Most counties experienced a significant drop in immunization rates between 2020 and 2021. Collin County experienced a 5 percent drop in most vaccinations and Denton saw between 7 and 10 percent drops for most vaccinations. The report used Texas Department of State Health Services data for the vaccination rate data. view article

A measles outbreak at a Florida school this month, which comes in the wake of last year’s in Ohio, is showing the vulnerability of classrooms amid rising vaccine skepticism. So far six students from Manatee Bay Elementary School in Broward County have tested positive for the disease, which can be incredibly dangerous for young children, and experts warn more schools should prepare for the worst. view article

Over 50 students from nine local school districts attended Workforce Solutions Capital Area’s biannual Nursing Academy on Feb. 21 for a day of interactive learning in Texas State University Round Rock’s five nursing simulation labs.  The academy is put on twice a year through WSCA’s Central Texas Healthcare Partnership, which consists of Baylor Scott & White, Ascension Seton and St. David’s HealthCare. Following a Q&A session with local nursing students, 56 juniors and seniors from nine area school districts—including Austin, Georgetown, Hays, Leander, Pflugerville and Round Rock ISDs—practiced a variety of nursing skills in the on-campus simulation lab, including: view article

For years, veteran Texas sheriffs like Travis County’s Sally Hernandez have watched how countless tax dollars are spent to break the endless cycle of taking mentally ill or intoxicated individuals who commit minor crimes to treatment or the jail, only to see them released within hours. Someone might be screaming in the middle of a street, or harassing others, or urinating in public while suffering the effects of untreated mental illness or substance use. While these criminal infractions are minor in the grand scheme of things, they do require law enforcement’s attention. So where to take the suspect? Jail or a mental health facility? Either way, these arrested suspects are out within hours after they are first taken into custody. “The frustration on the law enforcement end is that we have nowhere to take them,” Hernandez said. view article

A local school district is doing its part to better track student absences after Audrii Cunningham was tragically kidnapped and killed. When the 11-year-old didn’t show up to school, officials waited several hours before contacting law enforcement. Now, Iola ISD is adjusting the way they communicate with parents when their children are absent. The thought of a similar story unfolding in Iola led Superintendent Jeff Dyer to take swift action. He said the tragedy gave the district a wake-up call to look closer at attendance-taking practices. view article

“Jolene is our newest addition to our police department. She’s about a year and a half old, chocolate lab,” Sherman ISD Police Chief, Heath Wester shared. Jolene is officially a Sherman ISD Police K-9. “This is just that added layer of protection for our students and staff to know that we have this weapon detection dog that can sniff out weapon detections and also our illegal substances that we don’t want on our campuses,” Wester continued. view article

An Austin ISD staff member is accused of drunk driving with three children in the car. 37-year-old Ralph Hutchens, a physical education teacher's assistant at Summitt Elementary School, is on administrative leave after being charged with driving while intoxicated with child passengers in Comal County. view article

The Lago Vista Independent School District said it is investigating after learning a “private coach” working with high school runners was not properly vetted. It adds the Lago Vista Police Department “continues to be involved.” In an email sent Friday to parents, the district said a community member presented himself as a “private coach” and approached a group of high school male athletes, practicing independently over the summer. view article

Gov. Greg Abbott said Sunday that he supports Texas families having access to in vitro fertilization treatments and has “no doubt” the state will address issues raised by a recent controversial court ruling out of Alabama. Abbott did not call on the Legislature to take specific action to protect IVF treatment. “Texas is a pro-life state, and we want to do everything possible that we can to maintain Texas being a pro life state,” Abbott told CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday. “But at the very same time … we as a state want to ensure that we promote life, we bring more life into the world and we empower parents to be able to have more children.” Last week, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children under a state law that allows parents to sue for wrongful death of minor children. view article

Police have released nearly a half-hour of surveillance and body camera footage from the Lakewood Church shooting showing an armed woman entering the building with her son, leading to the shootout that left her dead and the child critically wounded. view article

The Houston Police Department released video footage on Monday showing the sequence of events of the deadly shooting at Lakewood Church on Feb. 11.  The 26-minute-long video includes Lakewood Church security camera footage, which shows 36-year-old Genesse Ivonne Moreno, whom police described as a "lone wolf" with a history of mental illness, drive up in a white SUV to the west side of the building at 3700 Southwest Freeway along Timmons Lane. Moreno enters the building around 1:55 p.m., minutes before the megachurch's 2 p.m. Spanish-language service was scheduled to begin. She is seen wearing a trench coat and backpack and walking into the building with her 7-year-old son Samuel Moreno-Carranza, who wore a yellow shirt and orange pants. view article

A mother repeatedly punched a middle school teacher in a classroom — fracturing her facial bones in the process — after sneaking into the building with students last week, authorities said. view article

Texas regulators recently authorized a company to operate ponds to store and recycle millions of gallons of oilfield wastewater laced with toxic chemicals next to a Baptist summer camp in the Permian Basin.  The Richards Recycling Facility will store, treat and recycle produced water, a byproduct of oil and gas drilling, after obtaining a state permit on Jan. 30. Staff and board members at the Circle 6 Baptist Camp worry the facility will jeopardize their well water and expose campers to hazardous air pollution.  “I would be very alarmed if I was working at that Baptist Center,” said Dominic DiGiulio, a geoscientist who retired after a 25-year career at the Environmental Protection Agency and now consults for non-governmental organizations. “It’s a kind of chemical stew that’s going into these ponds.” view article

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A threatening message was sent over social media by a Sinton ISD student this weekend. The district issued a release saying they promptly took action and reported the threat to local law enforcement and notified the parents of those involved. Sinton ISD said they take any and all threats seriously. view article

CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — On Wednesday, the Nueces County Commissioners Court unanimously agreed to enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE). The agreement allows the Nueces County Sheriff’s Office, training division to teach the 16-hour recertification course for the School Marshals program. Back in 2013, the Texas Legislature created the School Marshal Program following the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. This program allows school employees to be trained in protecting students from deadly situations. They need to be an employee of the school district, have a permit to carry a firearm, and go through a training program. view article

MESQUITE, Texas - A student who brought a gun into a Mesquite charter school on Monday morning was shot by police. The shooting happened shortly before 9 a.m. at the Pioneer Technology & Arts Academy in Mesquite - that's near Dallas. When police arrived the situation quickly escalated. "We are grateful for the fact that no children were injured in this incident. Also none of our officers sustained any injury in this incident," said Sergeant Curtis Phillip from the Mesquite Police Department. view article

A trial over the Barbers Hill school district’s dress code will test Texas’ new CROWN Act, which prohibits discrimination based on hairstyles.  At 18, Darryl George has spent most of his junior year at Barbers Hill High School separated from his classmates, sentenced to a mix of in-school suspension or class at an alternative education campus. He’s allegedly denied hot food and isn’t able to access teaching materials.  His offense: wearing his hair in long locs.  Since the start of the school year, George and Barbers Hill school officials have been locked in a standoff over his hairstyle — and whether the district’s dress code violates a new state law that prohibits discrimination based on hairstyles.  George, who is Black, says in legal filings that the district’s monthslong punishment has demeaned him and impeded his education.  The Texas Tribune thanks its sponsors. Become one. view article

Suspect charged with capital murder in case that has shaken community Over a hundred people filled the grounds of Livingston’s Texas Craft Fair on Wednesday evening to remember 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham. Attendees lit candles and prayed for the family. Don Steven McDougal has been charged with capital murder in the death of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham, whose body was found Tuesday in the waters of the Trinity River. The 42-year-old man who authorities believe is tied to the homicide has a decades-long criminal history in counties across the region and had been identified as a person of interest in the girl’s disappearance for several days. view article

CV NEWS FEED // A library at a Texas high school contains over 200 books that concerned parents say contain sexually inappropriate content. One of the parents is Bonnie Wallace, who is currently petitioning Llano High School to remove 207 explicit books from its library. Wallace’s child is a former Llano student. Per a February 1 report from Texas Scorecard, the mother called the books “adult erotica.” She said that it is “mind boggling” that the school provides them for minor students to check out. The Daily Signal on Friday published an email that Llano Principal Scott Patrick sent to Wallace last month. In it, Patrick told the mother that a “reconsideration committee” will review one book at a time. The committee was to include an unspecified number of students at the school. The principal added that each review would take “roughly 30 days.” view article

UVALDE, TEXAS — Uvalde CISD will be looking to set the gold standard with their emergency response plan. This goal comes about a month after the Department of Justice's scathing report. The report found multiple failures in the response to the 2022 mass shooting, in which 21 people were killed. Superintendent Ashley Chohlis says they will now have subcommittees to address the DOJ's recommendations for the district. view article

DALLAS — The 16-year-old student shot at by police more than a dozen times for bringing a firearm into a Mesquite school earlier this week was armed with a handgun, authorities told The Dallas Morning News Wednesday.  Officers were dispatched about 8:50 a.m. Monday to the Pioneer Technology and Arts Academy campus in the 3200 block of Oates Drive, near San Marcus Avenue, for reports a student was in the school’s office with a gun and was refusing to put it down.  Officers tried to negotiate with the student to get him to drop the weapon and, when he did not comply, police said three officers fired a total of 19 rounds.  The student did not fire any shots, police told The News Tuesday. view article

The request to remove several court orders marks the first time the state has made any major attempt to get out from under an injunction issued in the 13-year-old case.  State welfare officials want a federal judge to lift several court-imposed orders designed to improve the Texas foster care system, insisting they have complied with most of the demands at a cost of $100 million in tax dollars to reform the way it cares for abused and neglected children. view article

MESQUITE - On Tuesday, students returned to school at The Pioneer Technology and Arts Academy, where counselors were on hand for anyone who needed it after a 16-year-old student brought a gun to school and was injured by police the day before. At 8:49 a.m. Monday, a school administrator made a 911 call about a person in an office with a firearm and what police called, "intent to harm." view article

A former Katy ISD football coach was sentenced to 120 days in jail following accusations that he touched students inappropriately, according to records. Lonnie Teagle, a former Paetow High School coach, pleaded guilty to an improper relationship with a student. On top of the 120 days in jail, Teagle also received eight years of deferred adjudication. view article

CARTHAGE – Carthage Independent School District announced Tuesday they are welcoming a new director of safety and security. According to our news partner KETK, Darrin Peeples joins the district after being a Texas Game Warden for almost 14 years. Peeples has a bachelor’s in agriculture leadership and development from Texas A&M University. view article

Suspect, who lived in trailer behind family, likely to be charged with capital murder - Authorities found the body of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham in the Trinity River on Tuesday after lowering the water level while searching for her, Polk County officials said.  Audrii was last seen Thursday morning in the 100 block of Lakeside Drive in Livingston as she set off for school, toting her camouflage backpack, officials said. Her family reported her missing when she failed to come home from school.  Authorities classified her disappearance as an abduction in an Amber Alert notification, which ended upon the discovery of her body.  “My heart aches with this news,” Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons said. “I express with my deepest sympathies and condolences to everyone who knew, who cared for and loved Audrii.” view article

We are learning more about the death of a Brandeis Special Needs Instructional Assistant. The Bexar County Medical Examiner said 73-year-old Alfred Jimenez died from a blunt force head injury and they're classifying his death as a homicide. Northside ISD said they can't discuss specifics about student behavior. However, they said the student involved in the incident with Jimenez is not in their assigned classes. The district is working with the student's parents to determine how to meet the student's specialized needs. view article

Annunciation House, a network of shelters that serves migrants, sought relief from the attorney general’s demand to immediately release information about its clients. Paxton accused the religious group of smuggling humans across the southern border.  A Catholic nonprofit that operates several shelters in El Paso sued the Office of the Attorney General earlier this month to delay the release of records after the state agency demanded the immediate release of extensive documentation about the immigrant clients that it serves along the border.  The Consumer Protection Division of the attorney general’s office launched an investigation into Annunciation House on Feb. 7, demanding the release of documentation within one day, the small nonprofit requested an extension to review what information the organization was legally required to turn over. view article