California-owned energy company Oncor has ties to the project expansion, a move expected to boost its profits at the expense of Texans.  Records show that Oncor, the largest energy delivery company in Texas, played a pivotal role in transforming a regional reliability project into a statewide mega-expansion—one that will drive up Texans’ energy bills while benefiting the company financially.  The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which oversees Texas’ energy grid, approved the TX 765-kilovolt (kV) Strategic Transmission Expansion Plan Comparison (STEP) project in August. Experts say this was done without legislative or public consent and will burden Texas’ energy prices for years to come.The proposed plan includes three 765kV Extra-High Voltage (EHV) electric transmission lines going into the Permian Basin area, as well as two 765kV EHV transmission line projects to connect the western and eastern loop point-to-point electrical connections. view article

Texas earmarked $1.4 billion to help fund flood prevention projects. But after learning that so many communities turned down the money, two lawmakers who approved the program acknowledged it was flawed. view article

On Monday, Fort Bend ISD board members met. The majority of the meeting was focused on the districts long-term boundary plan. Earlier this year, the district announced its looking to make changes mainly due to declining enrollment -- a plan that the district says could close schools and rezone students. view article

A freshman student in the Lewisville Independent School District died after being struck by a pickup truck on Tuesday afternoon.  view article

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says Texas should create its own version of President Donald Trump’s new child investment accounts, announcing that the state should provide every Texas newborn with an additional $1,000 in publicly funded, long-term savings beginning in 2027. The initiative mirrors and expands upon the federal Trump Accounts program created under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, which seeds every American newborn’s account with $1,000 that cannot be accessed until adulthood and grows through investment in a broad U.S. stock-market index. The accounts are intended to accumulate wealth from birth and teach families and children long-term financial planning. view article

When the Texas Education Agency Commissioner holds closed-door meetings with a national partisan group like Turning Point USA and the lieutenant governor follows up with a million-dollar pledge to put that group’s chapters in every high school, something fundamental is changing in our state. view article

As more and more students face behavioral health challenges such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and ADHD, Waco ISD is helping give their students access to licensed behavioral health professionals. Thanks to a new partnership between the district and Waco Family Medicine, clinicians with Waco Family Medicine will soon be placed at Cesar Chavez, Tennyson, and G.W. Carver middle school. view article

Belton ISD's Chisolm Trail Elementary is bringing back a beloved tradition to help students in need this Christmas season, the Elf Closet. Every year since the school opened in 2013, Chisolm Trail has opened the Elf Closet, an annual holiday shop that allows parents to choose holiday gifts for their children, free of charge. view article

Fort Bend ISD will unveil elementary rezoning scenarios on Dec. 15. view article

A North Texas mayor is offering to raise millions of dollars to spare two schools from closing, but he said the school district declined the offer. Grapevine Mayor William Tate has previously floated the idea of raising taxes to prevent Bransford and Dove elementary schools from closing within Grapevine-Colleyville ISD. That didn't take hold. view article

Coahoma Independent School District is preparing to welcome families and neighbors to its cherished annual Winterfest on Thursday, December 4, 2025, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Coahoma High School. The evening offers the perfect way to kick off the holiday season with a festive mix of student talent, seasonal treats, and family fun. Guests can stroll through the school and explore impressive hands-on projects and demonstrations from the district’s Career and Technical Education programs, which highlight the practical, real-world skills students are gaining in areas such as agriculture, welding, health science, business, and more. view article

Gatesville ISD announced that Intermediate aide Charlie Barnhill died unexpectedly during the Thanksgiving break. Barnhill graduated from GHS in 2011 and had a reputation as a talented musician during his high school years and afterward. He came back to GISD a couple of years ago to work as a substitute teacher. view article

For Mary Simms Patrick and Galveston ISD, that spirit is seen through their work helping students and their families through the district's Special Programs department. "We figure out what are the needs of the family. We have different organizations that help us with our food, help us with clothing," said Patrick, who serves as executive director. view article

The Decatur ISD community is mourning the death of a McCarroll Middle School student following a reported accident, district officials said Sunday. In a letter to families and staff, Decatur ISD confirmed the death of Treb McKinnon, a student at McCarroll Middle School. District officials did not release details about the accident. view article

Temple High School will experience a two-hour delay start on Monday, Dec. 1, because of a broken water line on 31st Street, according to Temple ISD. Classes will officially begin at 9:30 a.m. and high school buses will also run two hours later. Dismissal is expected to be unaffected, the school said. view article

Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday named two Islamic groups as terrorist and criminal organizations, banning them and those associated with the groups from purchasing or acquiring land in Texas.  Abbott designated the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, as transnational criminal organizations.  In announcing the designation, Abbott accused the two groups of supporting terrorism across the world and of subverting Texas laws through harassment, intimidation and violence.  “The actions taken by the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR to support terrorism across the globe and subvert our laws through violence, intimidation, and harassment are unacceptable,” Abbott said in a statement. view article

How a Dan Patrick Political Operative Is Literally Rewriting the Story of the Alamo:  Months before top Republicans forced out the widely respected leader of the Alamo’s $500 million redevelopment for being too “woke,” a close political aide to Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick undertook a literal rewrite of the heritage site’s three-hundred-year history. Some time in the summer, Patrick tapped Sherry Sylvester, who worked as his adviser for five years of his tenure as lieutenant governor, to “review” the 20,000-word text panels in development for the new Alamo museum and visitors center, scheduled to open in 2027. Sylvester’s job was to get the drafts ready for Patrick’s eventual assessment.  view article

Some Fort Bend ISD parents signed up to speak out Monday about potential school boundary changes for the 2026–2027 school year during the district’s board meeting. Even though rezoning was not on the meeting’s agenda, the district’s Deputy Superintendent and Chief of Staff spoke to KHOU 11 exclusively about the plans and why they’re being considered. view article

Some Fort Bend ISD parents signed up to speak out Monday about potential school boundary changes for the 2026–2027 school year during the district’s board meeting. Even though rezoning is not on the meeting agenda, Deputy Superintendent and Chief of Staff Beth Martinez spoke to KHOU 11 exclusively about the plans and why they’re being considered. view article

The law requires school employees to use names and pronouns that conform to students’ sex at birth.The law requires school employees to use names and pronouns that conform to students’ sex at birth.  Ethan Brignac, a transgender student at Wylie East High School, has been “Ethan” since seventh grade — to his friends, family and teachers. When he reached high school, his dad further validated his chosen name by requesting “Ethan” be used in school records, including in his email, class rosters and ID, which his teachers honored until this fall.  Three weeks after Brignac started his senior year, Wylie East administrators called him to the library and gave him a new ID. On it, in white capital letters, was a name he hadn’t been called in five years. view article

Fifteen families representing 16 children are now part of a civil lawsuit against Midland ISD and several former employees after details of alleged child abuse at South Elementary emerged in September. view article

Wichita Falls ISD is taking steps toward a major addition to its athletic programs with a plan in place to add wrestling to sporting opportunities for students. view article

In his announcement, French said he would bring his “America First” approach to the Railroad Commission. view article

University officials dispute the faculty council’s conclusion. Melissa McCoul lost her job after a video of a classroom debate went viral. view article

Texans have started to receive partial SNAP payments  Some Texans started receiving SNAP benefits on Monday after food assistance payments for November were delayed for more than a week as a result of the federal government shutdown.  “SNAP clients who usually get their benefits between the 1st and 10th of the month will see partial benefits on their Lone Star Cards Nov. 10,” Tiffany Young of Texas Health and Human Services Commission said in an email. “For SNAP clients who receive benefits on or after the 11th of the month, partial benefits will be issued on their normal issuance date.” view article

If approved by the House, the agreement would fund the government through the end of January, with certain agencies funded through September, including those that provide food assistance. The U.S. Senate passed a funding deal late Monday to end the nation’s longest-ever government shutdown, sending the bill to the House of Representatives and inching closer to restoring full SNAP benefits and ending air travel chaos.  The bill was backed by nearly every GOP senator, including Texas Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, along with eight Democrats, giving the measure enough support — 60 votes to 40 — to clear the upper chamber. The funding package still needs to pass the House, where Republicans’ narrow majority affords them only a few defections unless they receive Democratic support.  If approved, the deal would fund the government through the end of January, with certain agencies funded through September, including those that provide food assistance payments. As part of the agreement, Democrats will also get a vote on an extension of the Affordable Care Act subsidies that have been at the center of the dispute, which has left thousands of federal workers without pay since the shutdown began Oct. 1. view article

President Donald Trump's administration is demanding states "undo" full SNAP benefits paid out under judges' orders last week, now that the U.S. Supreme Court has stayed those rulings, marking the latest swing in a seesawing legal battle over the anti-hunger program used by 42 million Americans.  The demand from the U.S. Department of Agriculture came as more than two dozen states warned of "catastrophic operational disruptions" if the Trump administration does not reimburse them for those SNAP benefits they authorized before the Supreme Court's stay. view article

The Amarillo Independent School District and University Interscholastic League (UIL) have both confirmed they are aware of a situation involving a possible ineligible player on the Amarillo High varsity football team. Multiple sources in Amarillo and Lubbock athletic programs reported allegations of an ineligible player to NewsChannel 10, claiming it may impact district standings and playoff implications. view article

The November supermoon, also known as the "beaver supermoon," lit up skies across the globe, offering a stunning view as the closest full moon of 2025. This astronomical event brought the moon within approximately 221,000 miles of Earth, making it appear larger and brighter than usual. Observers enjoyed unique atmospheric effects, including lunar halos and the Northern Lights, enhancing the spectacle. view article

When you walk the halls of Ben Milam Elementary School in North Texas, one member of the staff stands out — and walks on four paws. Journey, a 2 ½-year-old Golden Retriever-Labrador mix, is Dallas ISD’s only full-time scholar support dog. “This is her happy place,” said Dr. Charles White, a parent support specialist at the school. “Cause she wants to come to school.” view article

The funds will help the workforce training institution fix campus infrastructure and expand its footprint at a time when the state has seen a decline in skilled workers in some fields. view article

Another North Texas school district may be considering closing campuses. McKinney ISD has a special board meeting Wednesday night to talk about possible changes for the next school year. According to the meeting agenda, the board will talk about repurposing three unnamed elementary schools in the southwest area of the district. They will also discuss new attendance zones for elementary, middle and high schools for the next school year. view article

After weeks of hearing from frustrated parents, the Austin Independent School District announced Tuesday it plans to wait at least another year to implement proposed district-wide school boundary changes. In a letter to parents on Tuesday night, Superintendent Matias Segura said the board will still vote Nov. 20 on parts of the draft consolidation plan, including the plan to relocate schoolwide dual language programs and the proposal to consolidate 10 campuses. view article

It's the first Tuesday in November, and it's Election Day.  Seventeen changes to the state constitution are on the ballot. All Texas voters can have their say on the matter.  More locally, the voters of the city's 18th Congressional District will get to choose a successor for U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner, who died in March. A long list of candidates are running for the position.  There are other races happening here, from Houston City Council to the various school boards. If you haven't managed to get out and vote yet, you can consult our voter guide to help you make an informed decision at the polls.  view article

When Mandy Giles launched Parents of Trans Youth in 2022, her goal was to provide a support group for those coming to terms with having a transgender child.  Giles, a Houston-based mother who raised two nonbinary children, said that issue is no longer the primary concern for parents joining her group. In today's political climate, she says they mostly ask: “How do I keep my child safe?”  The question is often raised as the transgender community faces legal setbacks at the state and federal levels. LGBTQ+ youth have been particularly affected as laws like Senate Bill 12 bar them from hosting certain clubs at school in the name of “parental rights.”  view article