We see it every year: parents trying to opt their child out of STAAR testing. Some claim it’s against their religious beliefs, some claim it’s bad for their children’s mental health, and some have no problem stating they just don’t want to participate. Below we’ll discuss the constellation of consequences that students may face for their parent’s choice of opting out, and what issues your school district might encounter if more and more parents begin to follow this trend.

A federal appeals court late Tuesday issued an order that again prevents Texas from arresting migrants suspected of entering the U.S. illegally, hours after the Supreme Court allowed the strict new immigration law to take effect. The decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals comes weeks after a panel on the same court cleared the way for Texas to enforce the law by putting a pause on a lower judge’s injunction. But by a 2-1 order, a panel of the appeals court lifted that pause ahead of arguments before the court on Wednesday. Texas authorities had not announced any arrests made under the law.  Earlier Tuesday a divided Supreme Court had allowed Texas to begin enforcing a law that gives police broad powers to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the border illegally as the legal battle over the measure played out.  The conservative majority order rejected an emergency application from the Biden administration, which says the law is a clear violation of federal authority that would cause chaos in immigration law.  Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had praised the order clearing the way for the law that allows any police officer in Texas to arrest migrants for illegal entry and authorizes judges to order them to leave the U.S. view article

Perryton ISD's now-former athletic director and head football coach Cole Underwood has been arrested, charged with sexual assault of a child, after school administrators received a report Sunday the coach had an improper relationship with a student. Greg Brown, superintendent of the Perryton Independent School District, said in a statement Thursday an employee was placed on administrative leave Monday after the district learned of the alleged misconduct, and the employee has since resigned. view article

Last year, in an effort to bring greater transparency to local elections, the Texas Legislature mandated that school districts, municipalities and other jurisdictions post campaign finance reports online rather than stow them away in filing cabinets. But many agencies appear to be violating the law that took effect in September. ProPublica and The Texas Tribune examined 35 school districts that held trustee elections in November and found none that had posted all of the required disclosures online that show candidates’ fundraising and spending. (Two of the districts did not respond to questions that would allow us to determine whether they were missing these reports.) And the agency tasked with enforcing the rules for thousands of local jurisdictions does not have any staff dedicated to checking their websites for compliance.  “The public not having access to those records because they’re not turned in or not posted in a timely fashion means that the public can’t make an informed decision based on where that candidate’s financial support is coming from,” said Erin Zwiener, a Democratic state representative from Driftwood who has pushed for campaign finance reform. view article

Abbott has credited his Operation Lone Star for a recent drop in migrant encounters on the Texas-Mexico border.  To Gov. Greg Abbott, the results of his multibillion-dollar border security initiative are clear.  In a recent television interview, Abbott highlighted a decrease in the number of migrants trying to enter the country through the Rio Grande into Eagle Pass after he ordered the state National Guard to seize a 50-acre public park there. He also noted another statistic: Texas has more than two-thirds of the U.S.-Mexico border, but has recently seen fewer illegal crossings than other border states.  “We are having a profound impact in stopping the flow of illegal immigration into the state of Texas,” Abbott said in the interview, crediting Operation Lone Star, the border security initiative he launched in March 2021. view article

Students can generally peacefully protest, regardless of their viewpoint, but colleges and authorities may enforce some restrictions and criminal laws to maintain peace and order.  In response to the continued conflict in Israel and Palestine, student demonstrations in solidarity with people in Palestine have drawn scrutiny across the country and in Texas.  In late March, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered public universities to revise their free speech policies and singled out some pro-Palestine student groups, saying they should be subject to discipline. The order told officials for Texas university systems to report back free speech policy changes within 90 days.  Still, students and organizations have continued to announce pro-Palestine demonstrations, including at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas at Dallas. On Wednesday, multiple people were arrested on the UT-Austin campus during one such demonstration. view article

There is still a long line of parents at a reunification center waiting to pick up their children after an 18-year-old male student was fatally shot outside Bowie High School in Arlington Wednesday. Student Julian Howard, 17, was arrested and charged with murder, according to Arlington Jail records. view article

The contentious battle for a piece of land next to Basswood Elementary School in far north Fort Worth may soon be over. On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Studio 6 company said their franchisee decided to relocate the motel the city had approved months ago. “The owner of the Studio 6 hotel at 3044 Clay Mountain Trail has decided to stop construction on this location. We look forward to working with him once a new location is secured so we can provide an affordable lodging option for visitors to the area," a spokesperson wrote to NBC 5. view article

Midway school officials are in the process of settling a negligence lawsuit with the mother of a 12-year-old Midway Middle School student who was hit by a bus while crossing the street in November 2023. Lacy Baldwin, the mother of the student, filed suit against the school district Monday in Waco’s 414th State District Court. The lawsuit is known as a friendly suit, meaning Midway Independent School District officials and their insurance carrier have agreed to pay the statutory limit of $100,000 under the Texas Tort Claims Act, said Baldwin’s attorney, Dale Williams. view article

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is challenging the program, saying it violates the Texas Constitution. The Texas Supreme Court temporarily blocked Harris County officials from sending financial assistance to needy families under a new program — though the first round of checks may already be out the door. Justices granted Attorney General Ken Paxton’s request Tuesday to halt the payments while a legal fight over the county’s guaranteed income pilot program plays out. About 1,900 households residing in the county’s poorest neighborhoods would receive monthly, no-strings-attached cash payments of $500 — drawn out of $20.5 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds — for 18 months. “It’s unfortunate the court would take such an extraordinary step to block a program that would help people in Harris County — even temporarily,” Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee said in a statement after the ruling. view article

Teachers and students in Liberty Hill ISD have been exploring new ways to learn through the use of artificial intelligence, or AI, this school year. District teachers and staff said AI has enhanced students’ learning experience and prepared them for future careers as AI becomes increasingly prevalent in many industries. “We are trying to prepare students for jobs that don't even exist,” LHISD instructional coach Jennifer Norris said. “We don't want students to be thinking for today. We want students to be thinking for the future.” view article

Mathis Independent School District Superintendent Tim Norman and athletics director Roger Masters are both on administrative leave with pay, according to a news release posted to the district's website Monday. The notice, signed and dated by school board president Melinda Barajas states that the move was made pending "investigation into a personnel matter" and is "consistent with established practices." view article

The Mathis school board met Monday night to discuss the employment of its superintendent and athletic director. In a unanimous decision, the school board announced superintendent, Tim Norman and athletic director, Roger Masters will be on administrative leave with pay. The news, causing confusion and upset among the community. view article

A Central Texas school district is admitting fault after parents raised concerns about a private coach who was allegedly inappropriately contacting students. On Tuesday, Lago Vista ISD officials released the results of an independent investigation into how that person's presence at school events went unnoticed for so long. view article

A 56-year-old man who taught in Southside ISD is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student, according to court records. Ernest Orlando Herrera, a former 8th-grade teacher at Losoya Middle School, was arrested on Monday. An arrest warrant affidavit from Southside ISD police states Herrera had sexual contact with a 13-year-old who was a student in his classroom. view article

A former Mesquite ISD teacher facing a criminal charge for an alleged inappropriate relationship told an investigator that he and a student were dating and had sex, an arrest-warrant affidavit says. Cesar Antonio Jimenez, 32, faces a charge of improper relationship between educator and student. The girl, whom he taught in an automotive classes at Vroonland Vanguard High School, told police the relationship began with texts about her breakup and eventually included sending naked images, the affidavit states. view article

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton suspected the hospital was helping Texas kids access puberty blockers or hormone treatments that are outlawed for juveniles.  Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will drop his quest to seize transgender patients’ information from a Seattle children’s hospital, according to a court settlement Paxton’s office announced on Monday.  Seattle Children’s Hospital officials have said in sworn depositions that the facility does not have staff who treat trans kids in-person within Texas or remotely from Washington.  As part of the settlement, the hospital will withdraw its business license in Texas, though it wasn’t immediately clear Monday for what purposes that license was used.  The agreement comes as Paxton and the hospital face off over a November investigation opened by the attorney general two months after a new Texas law banned the use of puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender youth. view article

Voters throughout Texas—including those in Georgetown—will head to the polls to vote for city council members, school board trustees and local propositions. With early voting underway, here's a quick guide to what's on the ballot. view article

A Granger ISD teacher has been placed on administrative leave following allegations of inappropriate behavior. Granger ISD said district officials have received reports of inappropriate behavior by a teacher in the classroom. Upon learning of the allegations, Granger ISD said it immediately contacted Child Protective Services (CPS) and placed the teacher on administrative leave. view article

The Bryan ISD school board hears from the husband of an educator who was assaulted by a student. During the public comment portion of the BISD board’s April 15th meeting, James Long said his wife sustained a traumatic brain injury. Among other things, Long said “Bryan ISD teachers are being assaulted and victimized across the district. And it appears that the district is not only not doing anything about it, but they are actively trying to cover it up.” view article

A 10-year-old Texas boy confessed to shooting and killing 32-year-old Brandon O'Quinn Raspberry, a man who lived in the same RV park as his grandfather. According to KENS5, the murder was unprovoked and the boy did not know the victim. The boy told police he took a pistol out of the glove compartment of his grandfather's truck, went to Raspberry's RV, and shot him while he was sleeping. The Gonzales County Sheriff's office investigated the shocking confession, which led them to a pawn shop in Sequin where they were able to locate the gun. It was later confirmed as the murder weapon. Read More: 10-Year-Old Texas Boy Confesses To Shooting and Killing Man | https://1063thebuzz.com/ixp/157/p/10-year-old-texas-boy-confesses-to-shooting-and-killing-man/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral view article

KRIS 6 News was recently made aware of a special board meeting being held by Mathis Independent School Board officials on Monday night. The meeting is being held to discuss the employment of Mathis ISD Superintendent Tim Norman and Athletic Director Roger Masters. view article

Attorneys representing Huffman Independent School District have accused Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office of trying to sway the outcome of the March 5 Republican primary election. Paxton’s office first announced on March 1 that it filed a civil lawsuit against the district’s superintendent and board of trustees. The lawsuit was in response to a leaked audio recording of Superintendent Benny Soileau encouraging school staff to vote for the “sweet 16” anti-school choice Republicans facing challengers in the primary. In a Monday legal filing, Huffman ISD contended that the potential election interference committed was the result of the OAG’s lawsuit and not the superintendent’s actions. view article

A Houston-area couple is in custody, accused of taking thousands of dollars from home renovation clients and never finishing the work. Aleck Steven Miller, 55, and Andrea Pierce Miller, 52, were contracted to complete home renovation projects across Katy, Friendswood, Sugar Land and Cypress. Investigators say the couple pocketed tens of thousands of dollars in payments for the work, and the jobs were never completed. view article

Montrose and Heights parents are searching for answers after the appointed Houston ISD Board of Managers voted to eliminate zoning at the popular Wharton and Helms dual-language schools, preserving their school-wide Spanish immersion programs but removing seats for neighborhood children in the process. About 50 Wharton parents and other Montrose community members met with board member Adam Rivon on Tuesday night to communicate their frustration with the decision and urge the district to find an alternate solution. Seated in the main dining room of the Midtown Bar and Grill, many parents spoke openly about how they moved to Montrose specifically so that their children would be zoned to Wharton, and now feel like their future is up in the air. view article

Scott Novy was conflicted Monday when he addressed a former Longview ISD special education teacher who pleaded guilty in his courtroom to multiple charges of injuring special education students. Novy, the 188th District Court judge, had listened for several hours as parents testified about how their children were affected and watched videos that showed Cecilia Gregg terrorizing students — nonverbal autistic — in a J.L. Everhart Elementary School classroom. view article

Officials with Levelland ISD have opened up an investigation after allegations that district employees and students may have “engaged in misconduct.” A release from the school district did not specify the nature of the allegations. However, multiple employees were placed on paid administrative leave on Monday. On April 10, Levelland ISD leadership received the allegations and launched an internal investigation. The following day, local law enforcement was informed of the situation. view article

Two Texans are among 11 House impeachment managers initiating a trial of the Homeland Security secretary in the Senate. U.S. Reps. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, August Pfluger, R-San Angelo, and nine other Republican impeachment managers presented the articles of impeachment Tuesday against U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate, urging Democrats to give the secretary a full trial. “We did our job in the House, and I pray that [Senate Majority Chuck] Schumer will do his job in the Senate as he is required to do under the Constitution,” McCaul said during a news conference with other managers and several senators after delivering the articles to the upper chamber. view article

Rio Grande City officials called Ediel Barrera’s requests “vague or ambiguous.” A South Texas political candidate is suing his town over a bevy of public records requests, accusing officials of delaying the release of records he wants to prove his opponent is corrupt. Rio Grande City officials took the unusual step of announcing on social media earlier this month that the request and subsequent lawsuit filed by Ediel Barrera was causing a backlog and that the public may have to wait longer than usual for their documents. view article

 Whether the journals of a Nashville school shooter can be released to the public will go before a Tennessee judge on Tuesday after nearly a year of legal wrangling over who can participate in the case.What started as a simple public records request has ballooned into a messy mix of conspiracy theories, leaked documents, probate battles and new legislation as different sides try to gain an advantage. And even though the main issue of which police investigative records can be released has finally made it to a court hearing, any decision by Chancery Court Judge I’Ashea Myles is likely to be appealed view article

More than a month after the fallout from a faith-based film crew’s visit to a Keller ISD school, the documentary series has released its episode. On Sunday, Netherlands-based Evangelische Omroep (EO), an Evangelical broadcast television network, released its new episode of ‘God, Jesus, Trump!’ view article

In a rare joint statement, the district attorney and the defense agreed that prosecutors withheld evidence that could point to a Rio Grande Valley woman’s innocence in the death of her toddler.  A district judge who previously presided over a woman’s capital murder case recommended last week that the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturn Melissa Lucio's 2008 conviction after a district attorney’s office admitted that prosecutors withheld evidence from her defense. Decades after a jury sentenced Lucio to death for the murder of her 2-year-old daughter, the Cameron County district attorney and Lucio’s legal team cosigned court filings that found key evidence, which included interviews with Lucio’s other children, was suppressed by prosecutors at the time of the case. view article

The House of Representatives on April 15 rejected a motion to reconsider its vote to reauthorize the controversial Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Ahead of the vote on the motion to reconsider put forward by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), lawmakers voted to table the motion to avoid its consideration altogether. It was tabled in a 259–168 vote. Ms. Luna put the measure forward last week following the House’s passage of a two year reauthorization of Section 702 in a 273–147 vote. Consideration of the motion was postponed until this week, although it was largely expected to fail.  The reauthorization passed last week didn’t include a requirement that intelligence agencies get a warrant to search Americans’ data and communications, as an amendment that would have mandated a warrant was rejected in a tie vote. view article

In a unanimous decision on Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a rare victory for American property owners. Specifically, this Supreme Court ruling curbs the power of local governments to impose permitting fees. Or, in other words, it stops local government from being able to use the permitting process to force property owners to pay large development fees. Let’s go through the details of the case together. view article

A former Grapeland ISD employee has been arrested after allegedly showing an explicit image to a student. Joshua Jeremaine Kincade, 44, of Neches, was arrested on April 9 on a charge of displaying harmful material to a minor. According to a probable cause affidavit, police were notified that a complaint had been made at Grapeland Junior High School on Feb. 29. Kincade had been working for Grapeland ISD as a substitute teacher and IT assistant. He was fired for a separate incident, the affidavit says, and when a student heard he had been fired she spoke up to a teacher about a previous interaction. The student was sent to the Kalin Children’s Advocacy Center to meet with a forensic interviewer. view article