Hoping to improve academic performance at a pair of struggling schools, Spring ISD is adding 9 extra days for students at Ponderosa Elementary and Bailey Middle School. "They're trying to put a band-aid on a bullet wound" said Texas based education expert, Jean Burk, "They're trying to play catch-up, and it's not working. They're ineffective government schools, run by the government. That's why we have such inefficiency." view article

Lindale ISD is mourning the loss of an elementary school student. A spokesperson for the district said communication was sent to families about the passing of a student. Counseling services are available to students and staff. view article

Two La Porte ISD campuses have been selected to participate in The Holdsworth Center’s Campus Leadership Program, a two year learning journey for principals and their teams to drive positive change for students. Lomax and Leo A. Rizzuto Elementary Schools are among 72 campuses statewide selected for the program and will be represented by their principals, Alisha Peralez and Maria Guerra, respectively. “We take great pride in the campuses chosen to engage in this demanding and meaningful work,” Superintendent Dr. Walter Jackson said. “Their dedication to serving students, strengthening their communities, and continually improving reflects the very essence of strong public education.” Principals will begin the first phase of the two-year program by strengthening their leadership skills through focused learning experiences and executive coaching, according to Holdsworth. They will then be joined by a team of campus leaders to build and apply new skills together, with field visits providing added perspective. The Holdsworth Center is a Texas-based nonprofit dedicated to building stronger leaders for Texas public schools. To date, more than 1,500 leaders across 34 districts are either enrolled in or have graduated from the program, which provides practical, job-embedded development for school leadership teams. view article

Longview ISD is in mourning this week after longtime Foster Middle School educator Kimberly Law died. Law served with the district for 25 years and worked in education for more than three decades. She was most recently serving in the social studies department at Foster Middle School in Longview. view article

North East ISD is Opening Its Boundaries view article

Both Republican candidates lagged far behind Democratic candidate James Talarico..    Sen. John Cornyn outraised Attorney General Ken Paxton by fourfold in the first quarter of 2026, a key period that encompassed the Senate Republican primary and the beginning of the runoff between them.  As in past quarters, Cornyn’s fundraising apparatus — which includes his campaign committee and two joint fundraising committees with entities like the National Republican Senatorial Committee — outpaced Paxton’s.  Cornyn raised about $9 million and had nearly $8.2 million in cash on hand across the accounts under his control, according to his first quarter campaign finance reports. The Cornyn campaign said that $3.4 million of that haul was raised in the weeks after the March 3 primary. view article

Both Republican candidates lagged far behind Democratic candidate James Talarico..    Sen. John Cornyn outraised Attorney General Ken Paxton by fourfold in the first quarter of 2026, a key period that encompassed the Senate Republican primary and the beginning of the runoff between them.  As in past quarters, Cornyn’s fundraising apparatus — which includes his campaign committee and two joint fundraising committees with entities like the National Republican Senatorial Committee — outpaced Paxton’s.  Cornyn raised about $9 million and had nearly $8.2 million in cash on hand across the accounts under his control, according to his first quarter campaign finance reports. The Cornyn campaign said that $3.4 million of that haul was raised in the weeks after the March 3 primary. view article

The suspect, a former student, fired multiple rounds, striking the principal in the leg. view article

County Auditor Cheryll Jones has been heavily criticized for her performance since taking office in 2024.  A recently released forensic audit of Kinney County’s finances has raised new concerns about County Auditor Cheryll Jones. The audit highlighted her lack of cooperation and concluded that her position should be dissolved.  Kinney County commissioners and local residents have long been calling for Jones’ removal, citing a laundry list of allegations.   As of April 14, Jones is still listed as Kinney County’s auditor. view article

The bond package will be on the May 2, 2026 ballot.

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The Texas State Board of Education gave preliminary approval Friday to a mandatory list of books that all public schools will teach starting in 2030, paring down an earlier version students and educators had criticized for being too long, lacking diversity and emphasizing Christianity. view article

According to earnings filings published last week, 7-Eleven's North American operator plans to close 645 stores in the 2026 fiscal year — outpacing the 205 locations it forecasts it will open during that same time.  Seven & i Holdings Co., the Japan-based parent of the convenience chain, noted that these closures “include the conversion to wholesale fuel stores.” Financial documents show that 7-Eleven Inc. has steadily opened new wholesale fuel stores in North America over recent years, which accounted for more than 900 locations as of December 2025.  The company did not immediately explain the closures or specify which locations could be impacted. The Associated Press reached out for further information.  According to the company's website, there are over 86,000 7-Eleven stores across 19 countries today. 7-Eleven Inc., the brand’s North American operator based in Texas, oversees more than 13,000 locations in the U.S. and Canada. view article

More than 463,000 trips were taken between June 1, 2025, and March 31, nearly double the number recorded during the same period a year earlier, according to a memo sent to City Council members on Friday.   Use was especially strong late in the year: From August through December, monthly ridership topped 50,000 trips. The average ride covered 1.15 miles and lasted about 12 minutes. view article

BELTON — A group of Belton Independent School District elementary school campuses earned awards for fostering positive campus cultures.  One campus earned national distinction. Lakewood Elementary School was recognized as a National Showcase School, one of the highest honors Capturing Kids’ Hearts officials can award schools.   Belton Early Childhood School, Hubbard Branch Elementary School, Leon Heights Elementary School and Southwest Elementary School were named Capturing Kids’ Hearts Rising Star schools, school officials announced. view article

The Austin ISD Board of Trustees met Thursday night for the first time since announcing a projected $181 million budget shortfall for the 2026–27 school year. The meeting drew several parents and community members who voiced concerns about how the district plans to handle its growing deficit. Although the agenda did not center on budget issues, concerns about next year’s financial outlook dominated public comments. Several attendees focused on how potential cuts could affect staffing at their children’s schools. view article

Country singer Cody Johnson made a surprise return to Deep East Texas Thursday, visiting students at Centerville ISD. A district spokesperson said the Sebastopol native spoke to students about hard work, faith and never giving up, “reminding them to chase their dreams ‘til they can’t.’” Johnson also “gave back” to the district by supporting their agriculture department, according to the spokesperson. view article

A Houston ISD student who was the captain of his high school's soccer team was deported to Honduras on Wednesday after he spent months in two different federal detention centers, according to two local lawmakers and a source close to the family. Houston Public Media is told Mauro Henriquez, an 18-year-old senior at Sam Houston Math, Science, and Technology Center, was informed of his deportation Tuesday night. The next day he was flown to Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. view article

The Lockhart Independent School District Board of Trustees on Monday night approved an innovative housing partnership, marking an initiative the district says is a “step forward” in addressing housing challenges for district employees. In a press release, the district said the approved partnership is with Upward Communities and Public Private Development Corporation. The approved community, Wildflower at Juniper Springs, will be developed by Upward Communities, and be built by BOSC Construction, a Perry Homes company. view article

Sherman ISD held a “Kindergarten Round-Up” event Tuesday to help families get ready for next school year. The event helped families enroll incoming Kindergarten students for next year. view article

On this edition of Real Texans, Michael Quinn Sullivan visits with Pastor Daniel Hayworth. As a former Army officer, school planter, and now full-time pastor, Daniel explains why Texans must understand the threats posed by the Islamification of the Lone Star State. view article

Starting April 1, Texas families will be able to apply for an out-of-district transfer to Dripping Springs ISD. view article

As Fort Bend ISD moves forward with campus changes, some parents of students receiving special education services say they are worried about what those transitions will mean for the support their children rely on every day. view article

Dalhart ISD is mourning the loss of 7th grader who died as a result of a "tragic incident." Superintendent Jeff Byrd sent ABC 7 News a statement Monday afternoon. Byrd couldn't say anything about the incident other than it happened Thursday night and that it did not occur on school grounds. view article

Dalhart ISD has issued a statement after a student died last week. The statement says the district was notified Saturday that a 7th grade Dalhart ISD student died as a result of a tragic incident on April 2. “The entire Dalhart ISD community is deeply saddened by this event. Words cannot express the sorrow we feel about the loss of one of our students. We extend our deepest condolences to the student’s family,” said Superintendent Jeff Byrd in the statement. view article

Rapid growth across Texas is changing how families move, settle, and build community.  Texas continues to lead the nation in population growth, with hundreds of thousands of new residents arriving each year. From Central Texas to the Gulf Coast, this migration wave is not only reshaping housing markets. It is transforming how communities think about mobility, infrastructure, and relocation logistics.   Austin has experienced sustained migration driven by job growth in technology, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing. Rapid growth creates pressure. Housing inventory tightens. Commute times expand. Infrastructure must catch up.   Mobility today is not limited to highways and public transit. It also includes how efficiently families transition between homes, neighborhoods, and cities. view article

Border wall expansion, national park preservation and TSA tips, in readers’ eyes. view article

Lubbock ISD will host a series of town halls throughout April and early May as the school district implements its newly adopted district optimization plan for school closures.  According to the district, it will host a series of spring town hall meetings designed to provide updates to community members, families, staff and stakeholders related to district optimization. view article

Several Republicans who thought they were delegates to the Texas GOP convention in Houston this summer discovered that they were kicked off of the list. Barbara Brewer, who repeatedly spoke out against an attempt to split the Keller school district last year, and Zee Wilcox, who sued Tarrant GOP chair Tim Davis after she was removed from the House District 98 primary ballot, were among those whose names were taken off of the list by the Tarrant County Republican Party.   view article

Lubbock Independent School District (Lubbock ISD) will hold a series of spring town hall meetings designed to provide updates to community members, families, staff and stakeholders related to district optimization. Over the next several weeks, town halls will be hosted in each of the voting districts served by the Lubbock ISD Board of Trustees, beginning with District 1 this Wednesday (April 1). A virtual town hall will conclude the series on May 5. view article

The contract change is being funded by the district's 2022 bond. The contract would add $641,000 to the project, bringing the total cost to $81.21 million. The contract will expire once all work is completed, according to board documents. The original project cost was $80.32 million, but in June 2025, trustees approved an additional $250,000 for contingency costs, increasing the total at the time to $80.57 million, according to board documents. view article

Austin ISD is set to close Tuesday in honor of United Farm Workers Association co-founder Dolores Huerta. view article

TEXAS — Many public schools across Texas are expected to be closed in observance of Good Friday in 2026, though practices vary widely by district.  Good Friday, which falls on April 3, 2026, is considered an optional holiday in Texas, meaning school districts are not required to close but may choose to observe it.  A review of multiple district calendars shows that many Texas school systems will not hold classes that day. For example, Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District lists Good Friday as a student and staff holiday, with no classes scheduled.  Similarly, North East Independent School District in the San Antonio area identifies April 3 as a “no school” day for students and staff. Texas City Independent School District also lists April 3 among its days with no classes for students. view article

The saga of the Public Utility Commission’s power grab continues.    view article

This is only day two for Peter Licata, the new superintendent of the Fort Worth ISD, but he brought in a chief of staff from Florida and a new deputy superintendent to his team. Some Fort Worth ISD Central Office staff have been told they no longer need to come in. Licata hit the ground running, implementing change in Fort Worth ISD with his staff. view article

Bill Elliott, the former athletic director and head football coach of Celina ISD, surrendered his teaching license amid a state investigation into a misconduct claim from the 1990s. view article