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

A former Fort Bend ISD teacher is facing two felony charges after being accused of having a sexual relationship with a student at Ronald Thornton Middle School. Kara Hernandez, who was arrested on Feb. 14, now faces charges of indecency with a child involving sexual contact and an improper relationship between an educator and a student. Her bond has been set at $50,000, $25,000 for each charge. view article

The Fort Bend ISD school board voted on a gender fluidity policy Monday night. At the conclusion of a board meeting that lasted more than four hours, the board voted to pass the policy with a 5-2 vote. view article

The Fort Bend ISD board of trustees voted to pass a controversial gender policy. The video above is from a previous report. The policy now requires the district to notify parents if their child requests to use a different name or pronoun. Board trustees mentioned their hopes that the policy would bring consistency and guide teachers on how to handle these situations. view article

A former long-term substitute teacher for Tyler ISD is accused of physically assaulting a special needs student earlier this month. Joacim Castro-Lacayo, 28, of Tyler, is charged with injury to a child or disabled individual after an alleged April 1 incident in a special education classroom at Moore Middle School. According to a Tyler ISD PD arrest affidavit KLTV requested from Smith County, Lacayo is believed to have thrown a female student onto the classroom floor during an altercation. view article

Austin Independent School District officials recommended terminating a beloved principal and her supervisor days before she turned in her resignation, according to an internal investigation report provided through an open records request. The recommendation to fire the former Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders principal, Nicole Griffith, came after an Office of Professional Standards investigation determined that she and the executive director of secondary schools, Dr. Stacie Holiday, violated multiple district policies while handling a crisis situation with a student. view article

Parents tell 25 News they are shocked after a special education teacher who worked at the Waco Independent School District was arrested and charged with three counts of injury to a child. 45-year-old Randi Lynn Fowler is accused of physically abusing a 7-year-old boy with special needs at Dean Highland Elementary School. 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.