Artificial intelligence (“AI”) use is on the rise in Texas schools. From lesson-planning platforms to student-facing chatbots, AI is reshaping how instruction happens. But as more people use AI, one question lingers: Who is responsible when mishaps occur? In Texas, AI creates legal complexities where education law already demands careful attention to student privacy, curriculum standards, and teacher certification. Because AI provides a new way to violate state and federal laws, even inadvertently, educators and administrators must be mindful when using AI to ensure that the law is still being followed.

The sweeping rule changes, all enacted outside the typical legislative process, have upended life for noncitizens, including those who are here legally.  Over the last year, Texas Republicans have enacted sweeping regulatory and legal changes that have upended all facets of life for noncitizens. The state has limited who can get an occupational license; register or buy a car; obtain commercial driver’s licenses; and get in-state tuition at colleges and universities.  Over the last year, Texas Republicans have enacted sweeping regulatory and legal changes that have upended all facets of life for noncitizens. The state has limited who can get an occupational license; register or buy a car; obtain commercial driver’s licenses; and get in-state tuition at colleges and universities.  The changes are wreaking havoc on the 1.7 million people without documentation in Texas, as well as tens of thousands of refugees and people with protected legal status, like Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Already, more than 6,400 refugees and DACA recipients have lost their commercial driver’s licenses. Many more noncitizens are expected to lose the ability to work in licensed industries from construction and medicine to air conditioning and cosmetology.The changes are wreaking havoc on the 1.7 million people without documentation in Texas, as well as tens of thousands of refugees and people with protected legal status, like Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Already, more than 6,400 refugees and DACA recipients have lost their commercial driver’s licenses. Many more noncitizens are expected to lose the ability to work in licensed industries from construction and medicine to air conditioning and cosmetology. view article

The rule comes after a recent opinion by Attorney General Ken Paxton requiring licensing authorities to obtain social security numbers from applicants.  Beginning May 1, Texas will bar individuals who cannot prove they are lawfully present in the U.S. from obtaining or renewing state‑issued professional licenses. It will also impact occupational and trade licenses.  Commissioners for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) approved a new rule on Tuesday to check the lawful presence of people applying for or renewing state licenses when they are flagged for verification.  The new rule requires TDLR to verify an applicant’s eligibility under federal immigration law when that applicant is selected for verification under department procedures. It applies across all TDLR‑regulated licenses.  If an applicant is selected, they must submit documentation before a license can be issued or renewed.  view article

A Cy-Fair ISD staffer charged in connection with the death of a 16-year-old student with autism appeared in court Monday, where prosecutors laid out new details about what they say happened in the moments before the student died. Donald Cameron Perkins, who faces a third-degree felony charge, is out on bond after a judge set it at $30,000 on Friday. He bonded out Saturday and is expected to return to court Monday morning. view article

A Robstown Independent School District teacher/coach faces a drunk driving charge after being arrested early Sunday morning. Criztian Alberto Delgado, 24, was pulled over after police say he was traveling 95 miles per hour in a construction zone. view article

A Humble ISD middle school student is facing a felony charge after being accused of bringing a gun to campus, and now, parents are raising concerns about how the situation was handled and when they were notified. The incident happened Friday at Ross Sterling Middle School. According to the district, administrators received information at the end of the school day that there may have been a weapon on campus and immediately launched an investigation with Humble ISD Police. view article

The Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office and Fort Bend ISD officials confirmed Monday that multiple staff members at Burton Elementary School are no longer employed following an investigation into "valid allegations" of child abuse and injury. view article

The Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office and Fort Bend ISD officials confirmed Monday that multiple staff members at Burton Elementary School are no longer employed following an investigation into "valid allegations" of child abuse and injury. view article

Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against a North Texas municipal utility district and its leadership, accusing them of secretly orchestrating an illegal takeover tied to the controversial East Plano Islamic Center’s EPIC City development. In a filing announced Monday, Paxton alleges that Double R Municipal Utility District No. 2A of Hunt and Collin Counties violated the Texas Open Meetings Act (TOMA) during a September 12, 2025 meeting in which a new board was installed and major actions were taken without proper public notice. view article

The U.S. Supreme Court’s new decision gutting a key provision of the federal Voting Rights Act clears the way for state officials to drastically reshape not only Congress but also state legislatures, county commissions, city councils and even local school boards.  The ruling, released last week in a case called Louisiana v. Callais, dismantled some of the final guardrails protecting the electoral power of Black, Hispanic and other racial minority voters that had been enshrined in the Voting Rights Act, a landmark 1965 federal civil rights law that bars racial discrimination in voting access. view article

The parents of a Bellaire High School student have filed a federal lawsuit against Houston ISD, alleging the district violated their parental and religious rights by referring to their daughter as a boy without their consent.  view article

More than 53,000 additional Texas students will receive school choice funding this week, as hundreds of thousands of families continue competing for limited spots in the program.  Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock announced Monday that the latest round of Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) awards will go to students in lower-income households, expanding the state’s first statewide school choice program in its inaugural year.   The newly awarded students qualified under Tier 2, which includes families earning at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level—roughly $66,000 annually for a family of four. view article

The lower court ruling had already been stayed, allowing the map to be in effect for 2026.   view article

A former Round Rock ISD teacher was arrested in connection with a sexual assault of a child investigation. The backstory: Round Rock police said on April 29, around 9:15 a.m., officers arrested Caleb Ian Carter, 27, at the Dallas College Brookhaven Campus. The Dallas College Police Department helped Round Rock police with the arrest. view article

A Dayton Independent School District employee has been accused of making inappropriate contact with students, according to the Harris County Precinct 3 Constable's Office. The district confirmed that both state and local law enforcement have been contacted regarding the alleged inappropriate communication. view article

A staff member within the Southwest Independent School District has been placed on administrative leave after an “incident” with a student, according to the district. A Southwest ISD spokesperson told KSAT the district is investigating the incident at one of its middle schools involving a staff member and student. The district did not identify the school. 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

A group of K–12 students has filed a federal class action lawsuit against Curriculum Associates, Inc., the maker of the widely used i-Ready educational platform, alleging that the company unlawfully collects and shares student data without proper consent. The case, M.C. v. Curriculum Associates, is emerging as a significant legal battle over student privacy in the rapidly expanding education technology sector. Filed on December 22, 2025, the complaint accuses Curriculum Associates of violating multiple federal and state privacy laws by gathering sensitive student information through its digital learning tools. The plaintiffs are four California students represented by their parents who claim that the company collects data such as names, student IDs, grade levels, responses to academic questions, and IP addresses, and shares that data with third-party service providers without direct parental consent. view article

A former Llano Independent School District substitute teacher was arrested for allegedly having an improper relationship with a student, according to the sheriff’s office. The Llano County Sheriff’s Office notified Llano ISD on Tuesday. view article

The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday that a student at the high school has been arrested. The sheriff’s office has identified the arrested student as Mitchell Ryan Mobley. He is charged with terroristic threat. On April 23, the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office responded to Union Hill ISD campus for the incident involving threatening statements made by a student, now identified as Mobley by the sheriff’s office. view article

The Texas Rangers are investigating the death of a Lindale ISD student following a choking incident at school, district officials confirmed on Wednesday. Community comes together to support grieving family of Lindale ISD student In a letter addressed to parents and the community, Lindale ISD said the student, Adrian Thompson, suffered a medical emergency that prompted immediate lifesaving efforts on campus. view article

A Connally ISD teacher has been placed on administrative leave after a report of a potential inappropriate relationship with a student. Connally ISD said administrators received the report Thursday afternoon. view article

A substitute teacher has been arrested on a felony charge of improper relationship between an educator and a student, the Llano County Sheriff's Office announced. Angela Palmares was taken into custody in Bell County without incident after investigators worked with the Texas Department of Public Safety Fusion Center and the Bell County Sheriff's Office to locate her. She faces a second-degree felony charge. 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

34-year-old Sawyer Stinchfield was arrested on April 20 by the Lake Worth Police Department after the Azle Police Department issued an arrest warrant. Stinchfield was previously a special education teacher at Azle High School. view article

A former Donna Independent School District employee is accused of having an improper relationship with a student. Francisco San Roman, 50, of Donna, has been charged with online solicitation of a minor under 14, improper relationship between educator and student, and indecency with a child sexual contact, Hidalgo County jail records show. view article

Lindale Independent School District held its first school board meeting Monday since an 8-year-old student died following a medical emergency on campus last week. The regularly scheduled meeting did not include any agenda items addressing the incident that involved the death of Adrian Thompson. During public comment, family members called on the district to review emergency protocols, staff training and cafeteria supervision. view article

A Spring ISD theater arts teacher is out of jail after a late-night police chase on Friday, followed by a half-naked arrest, according to court records. According to Houston police, the incident began in downtown Houston, where they say Tyler Canada sped past officers on Milam Street, swerving through traffic, running red lights, and at one point, driving the wrong way on Main Street. view article

An ex-Northwest ISD teacher was federally indicted on charges of possessing child sexual abuse material, allegations that are unrelated to his former students. Kyle Lee Roy Francis, 24, of Denton faces two counts of receiving and possessing videos of child sexual abuse depicting young children. view article

Carrollton Police arrested Kolby Campbell, a theater teacher at Creekview High School, on March 28 and charged him with child grooming. The alleged incident took place in August 2024. Brice had been a teacher in CFBISD since 2020. Campbell was booked into the Denton County Jail on March 28 and bonded out later the same day. view article

A security guard at a Donna Independent School District campus has been fired following an investigation into an alleged inappropriate relationship with a student, according to a Donna ISD spokesperson. view article

A former Northwest ISD teacher was indicted and faces federal child pornography charges in the Eastern District of Texas, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice. view article

A woman has been arrested after making a non-credible threat against G.W. Bradford Rusk Primary School Wednesday. Rusk ISD first announced a “SECURE Lockout” around 9 a.m. The district has since returned to “normal operations” after the school and law enforcement determined it was safe. view article

Corpus Christi Independent School District Board of Trustees Vice President Marty Bell has resigned from his leadership role and committee assignment after acknowledging a conflict of interest. Following a closed session discussion during Monday evening's school board meeting, Bell read a statement taking responsibility for failing to disclose a conflict of interest. He resigned as vice president and stepped down from his seat on the curriculum committee, though he remains an elected school board member. view article

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - Seven months after Texas Senate Bill 13 took effect, some Central Texas school districts say they are still working through new requirements for how they select, review and challenge school library materials — and some are using artificial intelligence tools to help manage the workload. view article