Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking legal action against the Austin Independent School District after his office said it was made aware of a claim that top officials “implemented an unwritten policy of developing and teaching curricula in the (district) in violation of state law prohibiting instruction on critical race theory (CRT) and related topics,” a court document said. view article

Attorney General Ken Paxton on Monday accused Austin ISD of using materials to teach critical race theory. His office filed a petition on May 1 seeking authorization to depose Superintendent Matias Segura and school board members as part of an investigation. The AG's office alleges the district is using curricula related to the “The 1619 Project," which recenters U.S. history around the impact of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans. It was created by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones. view article

Eanes Independent School District is facing a lawsuit after terminating its contract with the operator and partner of the district’s athletic and aquatic facilities, a move that has sparked concern among parents and community members. The dispute centers on the Westlake Athletic Community Center (WACC), a 70,000-square-foot facility across from Westlake High School. Built in 2015 by owner Jeff Buch, the WACC has served as a hub for student and community sports practices, camps and recreation – at no cost to the district. view article

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has dropped a lawsuit against Coppell ISD alleging the district was teaching critical race theory in violation of state law. A Dallas County judge last week granted a joint notice of nonsuit, effectively dismissing the suit. view article

Congratulations on passing your bond. It’s time to get to work. Let’s, for just a few minutes, set aside the beautiful architectural renderings and the excitement of the benefits that your construction program will bring to you community, and talk about ways to minimize the risk inherent in such a large undertaking.

Two Eisenhower High School students are in custody after police say they fired a gun near campus Wednesday morning. Houston police said both students are 17 years old and charges are pending against them. The school was put on lockdown at the time. Aldine ISD said police activity near Eisenhower Senior High School prompted the lockdown at about 7:20 a.m. Police in the area observed the three people shooting in the bayou and then fleeing toward the school. view article

A former Eanes ISD teacher faces a new felony charge tied to an ongoing investigation into child pornography. A new affidavit filed in Travis County states that Zachary Barnett, a music teacher at Cedar Creek Elementary School, had hundreds of files of child pornography that included content depicting children under 10 years old. view article

A concerned mother reached out to Eyewitness News, upset about injuries her four-year-old daughter with autism got at school. It happened at Aldine ISD, and now the mother is worried the teacher responsible won't be punished. The teacher was charged with felony injury to a child in March, but she was soon released after a district judge found there was not enough evidence. view article

A federal judge ruled Monday that Spring Branch ISD’s election system violates the Voting Rights Act and must be changed to give Latino residents more opportunity for representation on the district’s school board. The ruling caps a roughly four-year legal battle and adds to the growing number of school districts forced to change how voters elect trustees. U.S. District Court Judge Sim Lake ordered Spring Branch to switch after this May’s board election from a fully at-large system — in which all seven trustees are chosen by all voters in a district — to one where at least five trustees are elected only by residents of parts of the district. view article

A former elementary music teacher at Eanes Independent School District who was arrested in February on charges of Possession of Child Pornography is now being charged with Sexual Performance by Child under 14, according to court records. view article

A federal judge has found Spring Branch ISD in violation of the federal Voting Rights Act. In 2021, Dr. Virginia Elizondo sued Spring Branch ISD alleging their school board system, comprised entirely of at-large seats, diminished the voting power of minorities. Most school board members come from more affluent neighborhoods south of I-10, instead of seats being equally distributed among neighborhoods. view article

A man from Orange pleaded guilty to and was sentenced for stealing from Trinidad Independent School District. Brandon Looney, 39, of Orange, pleaded guilty to theft from a program receiving federal funds and was sentenced to two years in federal prison on Thursday by Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle. view article

Last year, Fagen was placed on paid administrative leave and later fired after her husband, Troy Kite, retired from his position as the district’s athletic director following a Title IX investigation into him for allegedly making sexually charged comments to other staffers. view article

An Orange County man was sentenced to two years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to stealing nearly $340,000 from Trinidad ISD. According to a U.S. attorney’s office release, Brandon Delane Looney, 39, pleaded guilty to theft from a program receiving federal funds while working as the school’s business manager. Looney then used the funds for trips to Walt Disney World. view article

A Mullin ISD employee has been dismissed from her position following accusations of having an improper relationship with a student. Lily Victoria Janek was booked into the Brown County Jail on Wednesday for an Improper Relationship with an Educator and a Student. view article

A kindergarten teacher at Snyder Elementary in Conroe ISD was arrested Tuesday on charges of online solicitation of a minor, according to school officials and jail records. Brian Schultz, who had taught kindergarten at Snyder Elementary since August 2021, was taken into custody in an arrest unrelated to the elementary school, Principal Crystal Poncho confirmed in a statement to parents. The Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constable's Office arrested Schultz. view article

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Wednesday called for records from Plano ISD officials related to an investigation into EPIC City, a proposed Muslim-centric community in Collin County. Paxton said in a press release Wednesday his request for documents from Plano ISD officials came after his office was "made aware of potential connections between school board members and East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC), which is affiliated with EPIC City. view article

A Taylor High School student who was beaten by a male classmate broke her silence at Tuesday's school board meeting, making her first public statement about the incident that was captured on viral video. Brooklyn Gianfrancesco, appearing with her father Danny, detailed her ongoing safety concerns while her father accused Katy Independent School District officials of systematically blocking access to security footage and other evidence that could substantiate their assault claims. view article

A Mullin ISD employee has been dismissed from her position following accusations of having an improper relationship with a student. Lily Victoria Janek was booked into the Brown County Jail on Wednesday for an Improper Relationship with an Educator and a Student. view article

The man who assaulted a Richardson ISD bus driver while kids were on board has been sentenced to five years in prison. view article

Attorney General Ken Paxton demanded Plano ISD release documents outlining "potential connections" to the East Plano Islamic Center as part of his investigation into its project, EPIC City — but he didn't elaborate what the connections may be, leaving the mosque's attorney scratching his head Wednesday. In a press release, Paxton announced he was informed of "comments" from Plano Mayor John Muns about planning a "dialogue between Plano school board officials and individuals at EPIC." view article

A video showing a Hamilton ISD teacher dragging a kindergarten student down a hallway has left one local family demanding accountability from the district. view article

A former Fort Stockton ISD and Ector County ISD employee was arrested on April 11 in Cuero, Texas for continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14, according to the United States Marshals Service (USMS). view article

A Kemp ISD employee was arrested Monday for allegedly sharing an inappropriate digital image with a student, the school district said. According to a news release from the district, Kemp's ISD administration and authorities were made aware of the concern about the employee on Monday. The district said the individual did not return to any campus following the report. view article

A Kemp ISD employee has been arrested after accusations of sending an inappropriate picture to a student. According to the district in a Tuesday release, they were made aware of the incident Monday and immediately began an investigation into the employee. view article

Donna school district police arrested a Pharr man last Thursday on a charge of improper relationship between an educator and student. Javier Hernandez, 47, is also charged with indecency with a child by sexual contact. Sandra Quintanilla, the district’s public relations officer, confirmed Tuesday Hernandez was a teacher and has submitted his resignation. view article

Two Midlothian ISD staff members are on leave after an incident involving a student at McClatchey Elementary School. Police are investigating and the student’s mother told FOX 4 what happened. No teacher has been charged with a crime, but two teachers have been placed on leave while the district and Midlothian police investigate. view article

Two Midlothian ISD staff members are on leave after an incident involving a student at McClatchey Elementary School. Police are investigating and the student’s mother told FOX 4 what happened. No teacher has been charged with a crime, but two teachers have been placed on leave while the district and Midlothian police investigate. view article

Receiving a subpoena to testify for the first time can be daunting for most educators and school administrators. Preparation will ensure your testimony is clear and accurate. Whether the case involves student welfare, special education disputes, personnel matters, or other legal issues, below are key steps for teachers and administrators to prepare to testify under subpoena:

Spring break is right around the corner! While schools welcome a much-needed break, they must also be ready to welcome possible new transfer students upon return. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) imposes certain requirements regarding the provision of special education services to students who transfer from one public agency to another. See 34 C.F.R. § 300.323(e)-(g). Within the past year, the Commissioner revised the administrative rules governing how Texas districts must respond when a special education student transfer into their district from another public school district (in-state or out-of-state). The following is a brief overview of those obligations for mid-year transfer students.

While “tangible” property has always been a consideration in school district management, the rise of the importance of “intellectual” property (IP) has introduced a new realm of assets that require thorough and thoughtful safekeeping. From educational material and district branding to the fast-developing sphere of artificial intelligence (AI) and name, image, and likeness (NIL), IP is now a major cornerstone of scholastic and operational success for most school districts.

As the college and professional football seasons come to an end, many fans- myself included- are reminded of this truth: not every hire can be a touchdown. A seemingly great candidate joins your team and suddenly they’re not hitting the mark. It could be due to disciplinary issues, ineffective work, or a number of other problems. Many administrators have dealt with difficult employees and have at times been required to make the decision to terminate their employment. When those employees happen to be at-will or probationary employees, some assume they can safely terminate their employment without developing the usual documentation. This, in fact, may not be a safe assumption.

When a school district analyzes locations for construction of potential facilities, water supply is often a key component of that evaluation. At times a location does offer easy access to an established and affordable municipal water supplier to whom a district can simply “hook up.” With an existing system, a school district will hope to pay a reasonable rate for water of a quality and quantity sufficient to meet its needs. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. A school district may need to examine obtaining an alternative water supply in order to meet the demand for its project or explore options to supplement its primary supply due to water quality, quantity, or cost concerns.

For as long as I can remember, school district administrators have been comfortable placing employees on paid administrative leave in the best interest of the district and reassigning even Chapter 21 contract employees to another department, position, or campus so long as the reassignment did not result in a change in the employee’s contract or pay, and the new position was in “the same professional capacity.”

It’s election season! That wonderful span when all Americans make the time and mental effort to reflect on and celebrate the fact that we are more alike than we are different and when we, as an electorate, focus on the real issues to be worked on instead of being distracted by curated, quasi-contextual soundbites that serve only to divide us and make political consultants rich. Or…something like that.