Humble ISD board ousts Superintendent Elizabeth Fagen

Superintendent Fagen can file an appeal with the Texas Education Agency, a motion that could take months to review. In a 4-3 vote, the Humble ISD Board of Trustees voted to oust Superintendent Elizabeth Fagen Tuesday night, potentially ending her eight-year reign as head of the district.  The Humble ISD board hired independent attorney Giana Ortiz, who suggested the district fire Kite, citing comments he made about coworkers' clothing and bodies. Kite later stepped down following the report's release and filed a lawsuit in June against trustee Robert Scarfo, where he alleges Scarfo sexually harassed him while he worked for the district, according to the Houston Landing. Additionally, Kite's suit argues other trustees on the school board corroborated his exit from Humble ISD. view article  

Abbott touts Texas border initiatives at Republican National Convention. Here’s what he said

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott brought a familiar script with him to his prime time address to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Wednesday night, hammering against Democratic President Joe Biden's border and immigration policies and touting the Lone Star State's response to the surge in migrants at the Texas-Mexico border.  "Joe Biden deserted his duty on his first day in office," Abbott told the cheering delegates, many of who waved mass-produced bright blue placards saying "Mass Deportation Now!" "He gutted President (Donald) Trump's policies, and the result has been catastrophic. Under Joe Biden, illegal immigration has skyrocketed."  Abbott affirmed to the convention that Trump, if elected, would "send them back," referring to undocumented immigrants.  Since Biden ousted Trump from the White House after the 2020 election, Abbott swiftly assumed the mantle of the nation's loudest voice for beefed-up border security. And the three-term Republican governor of the U.S. state with largest border with Mexico made sure the GOP delegates inside Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum knew it.  Abbott has been a Trump stalwart dating back to the former president's first campaign in 2016. This cycle Abbott gave Trump his endorsement in November 2023, and in February the governor and the former president joined forces in Eagle Pass where Abbott had amassed a militarized encampment in that border city as part of his $11 billion Operation Lone Star initiative. view article  

Explained: Everything voters need to know about Austin ISD’s tax rate election

The Austin school board last month adopted a $1.2 billion budget for the 2024-25 school year that depends on voters in November approving a tax rate of 92.87 cents per $100 of property valuation. The approved budget would leave Austin schools with a $41 million deficit for the upcoming school year. However, district officials said the proposed tax rate would keep the district from having a $78 million budget shortfall. Statewide, many school districts are grappling with ailing budgets as the Legislature last year did not pass any meaningful increases to public school funding to keep up with rising inflationary costs and demands for additional programming and services as well as employee pay raises — leaving districts to turn to local taxpayers to close the gap. view article  

Explained: Everything voters need to know about Austin ISD’s tax rate election

The Austin school board last month adopted a $1.2 billion budget for the 2024-25 school year that depends on voters in November approving a tax rate of 92.87 cents per $100 of property valuation. The approved budget would leave Austin schools with a $41 million deficit for the upcoming school year. However, district officials said the proposed tax rate would keep the district from having a $78 million budget shortfall. Statewide, many school districts are grappling with ailing budgets as the Legislature last year did not pass any meaningful increases to public school funding to keep up with rising inflationary costs and demands for additional programming and services as well as employee pay raises — leaving districts to turn to local taxpayers to close the gap. view article  

Longview ISD releases contract details, First 100-Day Plan for new Superintendent Dr. Marla Sheppard

Dr. Marla Sheppard's official contract with Longview ISD includes an annual salary of $275,000 and is effective from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2027.  Terms of the contract include providing professional development and other benefits, including reimbursement for moving expenses and the requirement that Dr. Sheppard reside within the district. More information about Dr. Sheppard's contract is available on the district website: w3.LISD.org/leadership July 8, 2024 also marks Dr. Sheppard's first official workday as Superintendent and the new chief is not wasting any time! Her First 100-Day Plan outlines some of the immediate goals of her administration toward developing a long-term strategic vision for the entire district.  The plan emphasizes building transparent relationships with the board, fostering community engagement, and enhancing academic excellence, as well as fostering trust and buy-in within the greater Longview community.  Community members are encouraged to review the plan on the district website: w3.LISD.org/leadership For more information please contact LISD Communications at ask@lisd.org or call 903-381-2235.  

4th of July

Preventive Law: Thinking About Transportation Policies

Texas school districts are authorized to provide public school transportation. For those that do, motor vehicle accidents are fertile ground for claims against school districts. School districts may benefit from taking the time to review their risk management approach to the provision of transportation services.

Lockhart ISD providing free school supplies for 2024-2025 school year

During its meeting earlier this week, the Lockhart Independent School District Board of Trustees approved its budget for the year — which includes free school supplies for the 2024-2025 school year. Those school supplies are for all LISD students, the district said in a news release. view article  

Texas oil companies leak toxic gas near schools and homes. Is anyone stopping them?

Oil wells may be leaking toxic gas near your home or school. Across Texas, oil companies are belching hydrogen sulfide gas into communities with few or no repercussions, an investigation by the Examination and the Houston Chronicle has found. Known as H2S, the fumes escape from aging oil and wastewater tanks scattered within this community in the heart of the Permian Basin — one of the most productive oil fields in the world. Extremely high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide can kill quickly, but less attention has been paid to those breathing in lower levels of the gas in their daily lives. Studies have linked chronic low-level H2S exposure to neurological and other health problems. view article  

Billions in taxpayer dollars now go to religious schools via vouchers

Billions in taxpayer dollars are being used to pay tuition at religious schools throughout the country, as state voucher programs expand dramatically and the line separating public education and religion fades. School vouchers can be used at almost any private school, but the vast majority of the money is being directed to religious schools, according to a Washington Post examination of the nation’s largest voucher programs. Vouchers, government money that covers education costs for families outside the public schools, vary by state but offer up to $16,000 per student per year, and in many cases fully cover the cost of tuition at private schools. In some schools, a large share of the student body is benefiting from a voucher, meaning a significant portion of the school’s funding is coming directly from the government. view article  

H-E-B’s Charles Butt spends big to boost public schools. Why did he cut back before key elections?

Gov. Greg Abbott and pro-voucher groups pumped a record-breaking $15 million into flipping state House seats ahead of the March primaries, while the grocery giant’s political action committee spent just under $2 million supporting GOP incumbents. After bruising defeats in the first round, Butt spent even less in May’s runoffs, in which four more pro-voucher candidates won, securing a presumed majority in the House to pass Abbott’s plan next year to divert taxpayer dollars to private and religious schools. The week before the defeats, Butt’s political committee reported that it had left more than $10 million unspent in its account. view article  

Summer Posting Schedule

It's summer at TexasISD.com and for most of you as well. Summer tends to be slow for normal school news so we are adjusting our posting calendar for Monday through Thursday. In the event of special news or new superintendent vacancies those could still appear throughout the week.

May 2024 Bond List

Bond Election Data collected by TexasISD.com for public school bonds in the upcoming May 2024 election cycle.

Tarrant school districts fear consequences of new appraisal tax plan

Leon Fisher is no stranger to the economic challenges faced by Crowley ISD parents. Around 70% of Crowley ISD students are considered economically disadvantaged. The school district’s chief financial officer said those challenges are why Crowley ISD offers an exemption allowing homeowners to reduce the taxable value of their primary residence by 10% and why it strives to keep taxes low as growth in the area explodes. But Fisher fears the sweeping changes approved by the Tarrant Appraisal District’s board of directors July 22 — also intended to provide property tax relief to residents — could have dire consequences for public education in his community. “Parents are kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. They want the tax benefit from this proposal, but it’s really all about educating people on how it’s going to impact your school district,” Fisher said. “It’s going to have an adverse impact on your school district’s ability to both complete (bond) projects within the scheduled time and within the budgeted amounts that were initially identified for these bond projects.” view article  

Texas schools are suing over A-F ratings. How might the lawsuit shake out?

What outcome are school districts hoping for as a result of the lawsuit? That everything stays how it was, said Jo Beth Jimerson, a Texas Christian University education professor. I don’t really think anything changes, because they already know that the standards are eventually raising,” she said. “So, the schools already have targets and benchmarks they’ve been trying to reach.”  Cracks may show in the relationship between schools and the TEA if districts don’t win the lawsuit, Jimerson said.  “There has now been a seed of distrust sown,” Jimerson said. “You’re going to tell me what those rules are; OK, we now know what the higher standards are; are you gonna change those a year from now? Now we’d have a situation with Lucy and Charlie Brown … Lucy’s pulling the ball out.”Lower ratings are widely expected under the revised formulas.  view article  

James Morris, son of Gateway founder Robert Morris, resigns from church

A-F grades are coming to Texas schools regardless of the outcome of a lawsuit, according to an education expert.  Some districts are suing the Texas Education Agency to stop it from issuing grades under the newly revised accountability system.  The TEA revised formulas and cutoffs for letter grades as part of an update to the accountability system as required by state law. A-F ratings were introduced in 2017, and this year marks the first update.  What outcome are school districts hoping for as a result of the lawsuit? That everything stays how it was, said Jo Beth Jimerson, a Texas Christian University education professor. “I don’t really think anything changes, because they already know that the standards are eventually raising,” she said. “So, the schools already have targets and benchmarks they’ve been trying to reach.”  Cracks may show in the relationship between schools and the TEA if districts don’t win the lawsuit, Jimerson said. view article  

Former Uvalde school police officer pleads not guilty for child endangerment in shooting

One of the first school police officers to respond to the 2022 shooting massacre at Uvalde's Robb Elementary School pleaded not guilty to 29 counts of child abandonment and endangerment Thursday morning during an arraignment hearing in state District Court.One of the first school police officers to respond to the 2022 shooting massacre at Uvalde's Robb Elementary School pleaded not guilty to 29 counts of child abandonment and endangerment Thursday morning during an arraignment hearing in state District Court.  Adrian Gonzales was one of nearly 400 state and local officers who responded to the May 24, 2022, attack but waited 77 minutes to take down the 18-year-old gunman. A U.S. Justice Department inquiry into the massacre, which left 19 students and two teachers dead, concluded that "lives could have been saved" if officers had acted sooner, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in January.Prosecutors in a grand jury indictment unsealed last month accused Gonzales of hearing gunshots and "having time to respond to the shooter," but "fail(ing) to engage, distract and delay the shooter and fail(ing) to act in a way to otherwise impede the shooter until after the shooter entered Rooms 111 and 112 of Robb Elementary School."Adrian Gonzales was one of nearly 400 state and local officers who responded to the May 24, 2022, attack but waited 77 minutes to take down the 18-year-old gunman. A U.S. Justice Department inquiry into the massacre, which left 19 students and two teachers dead, concluded that "lives could have been saved" if officers had acted sooner, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in January.Prosecutors in a grand jury indictment unsealed last month accused Gonzales of hearing gunshots and "having time to respond to the shooter," but "fail(ing) to engage, distract and delay the shooter and fail(ing) to act in a way to otherwise impede the shooter until after the shooter entered Rooms 111 and 112 of Robb Elementary School."Gonzales' lawyers contend that there is no evidence that the officer should be singled out among hundreds of his colleagues for his role in the tragedy. view article  

Tarrant Appraisal District Directors Pass Reforms Requested by Taxpayers

view article  

Llano ISD Stops Local Citizen From Challenging Inappropriate Library Content

Bonnie Wallace attempted to challenge several library books, but was told the new policy only allows school employees and parents or guardians of current students to raise content concerns.  As the battle over inappropriate content in children’s libraries continues, one Llano ISD resident has been halted from challenging books by a new school district policy.   Bonnie Wallace, whose daughter graduated from Llano High School a few years ago, has a list of 207 books that she wants removed from the Llano ISD library shelves for vulgar or inappropriate content.   She submitted the paperwork to challenge 21 books at the beginning of the year. After being told it would take a month to review each book, she held off submitting any additional challenges.  view article  

Sherman ISD narrows search for new superintendent

Sherman ISD is a step closer in its search for a new superintendent. In a special meeting Monday, the board of trustees reviewed applications and selected candidates to interview. The interviews will begin next Monday. Once a finalist is chosen, Texas state law requires districts to wait 21 days after naming a finalist before offering a contract. view article  

Brock ISD: Superintendent Lone Finalist Named

At their Special Meeting on June 21st the Brock ISD Board of Trustees named Dr. Shannon Luis as the lone finalist for the district’s Superintendent position. By state law, the Board must wait 21 days before a contract can be offered and the hiring is official. “We are very excited to announce Dr. Shannon Luis as the lone finalist,” said Board President Cody Lane. “We listened to our staff and community stakeholders on the qualities they wanted to see in our next leader, and she checked every box. Her leadership experience in both small communities and fast growth districts will be a huge asset for Brock as we move forward.” view article  

Lake Travis ISD bans use of smart devices by PK-8 students for 2024-2025 school year

Lake Travis ISD announced Wednesday it will implement a ban on the use of smart devices by students in Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade for the 2024-2025 school year. The Superintendent of Schools Paul Norton sent a letter to parents and guardians informing them that the new smart device protocol will go into effect on the first day of school, Wednesday, August 14. view article  

Unequal pay in Arlington ISD’s special education frustrates visual impairment specialists

Years of stipend inequality in Arlington ISD’s pay scale is seeding high turnover among the district’s teachers for visually impaired students, according to current and departing specialists. view article  

Seguin ISD holds off on welcoming homeschool students to its campuses

Folks will have to wait and see whether the Seguin ISD will allow homeschool students the opportunity to participate in its UIL activities. The motion to table the decision was made Tuesday night by Trustee\ Denise Crettenden. Following a few seconds of silence among the other trustees, Crettenden opted to table the item instead of agreeing to the district’s recommendation not to allow non-enrolled students to participate in UIL activities at this time. view article  

Arlington ISD’s visual impairment educator turnover leaves family’s future uncertain

Kennedy Yanaros-Wilde held her father’s hand as she climbed up to her car seat. A strategic foot on the doorframe, a careful reach for an armrest, then a pull-up into the van. view article  

Godley ISD asks parents to acknowledge social media use ‘pledge,’ but says it’s not a mandate

A small school district serving students from Tarrant, Hood, and Johnson counties is asking parents to be kinder online. However, making this pledge part of the school registration process for the upcoming year has stirred a social media controversy. "It was definitely executed in a bad way, if that was their intent," said Godley ISD trustee Kayla Lain. view article  

Nacogdoches ISD well-staffed, but still needs 6 teachers

This time of year, many public-school districts are filling admin, support and teaching positions. While they’ve experienced shortages in the past, this year’s hiring situation is looking up at Nacogdoches ISD. As they get ready for the upcoming school year, Nacogdoches ISD is making progress in filling open positions. view article  

Nacogdoches ISD well-staffed, but still needs 6 teachers

This time of year, many public-school districts are filling admin, support and teaching positions. While they’ve experienced shortages in the past, this year’s hiring situation is looking up at Nacogdoches ISD. As they get ready for the upcoming school year, Nacogdoches ISD is making progress in filling open positions. view article  

Wylie ISD implements ‘No Cell from Bell to Bell’ policy: phones prohibited in the classroom.

For the new school year, Wylie ISD has implemented a new policy prohibiting students from using their cell phones during instructional hours. They’re calling it ‘No Cell from Bell to Bell,’ meaning that no student is allowed to use their cell phones from the time the first bell rings to start the school day until the last bell to dismiss them. Students’ access to their phones is restricted not only while they are in the classroom but also during lunch and any other intermittent time during the school day. view article  

Midland ISD, IDEA Public Schools to offer free meals under CEP at eligible campuses

Midland ISD and IDEA Public Schools announced that they will be implementing the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) under the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs for the upcoming school year. view article  

Fort Worth ISD trustees approved $38M in purchases in June. Here’s what they are buying

Fort Worth ISD trustees approved over $38 million in new spending during its June 25 board meeting, targeting areas such as insurance, educational services and after-school programs. Other purchases include investments in district infrastructure, such as repairs on air conditioning units and educational capabilities, including state-adopted curriculums for the coming school year. view article  

Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD superintendent to retire after 3 decades in education

Superintendent Jim Chadwell is retiring as the leader of Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD after 14 years. In a July 24 announcement, Chadwell detailed his plans to remain with the district through the fall semester as the school board launches a search for his successor. view article  

Laredo ISD staff prepare for upcoming school year with leadership summit

With roughly three weeks until the new school year begins, over 100 Laredo ISD principals and staff members recently participated in a leadership training session. Nixon High School Principal Cassandra Mendoza is among the hundreds of Laredo ISD staff members preparing for the new school year by attending the annual leadership summit. view article  

Mansfield ISD test scores outperformed Texas, region. Officials want to keep it going

Mansfield ISD students outperformed Texas and regional averages in 2024 standardized testing, meeting many of the district’s goals in a year when schools across the state have struggled to shake stagnant, post-pandemic test scores. Changes to teaching methods and an emphasis on subject-specific teacher training helped boost scores, district officials said during a July 23 school board meeting. view article  

No more phones for students. Katy ISD implements new policies for 2024-25 year

The Katy ISD 2024-25 school year kicks off August 14, and there are a few notable changes for the new school year. Here’s what parents and students need to know before school returns in the fall, according to district officials. view article