What to know before applying for Texas’ education savings accounts next year

The Texas comptroller’s office has released a set of rules to govern the state’s $1 billion education savings account program, or ESAs. Accepted families will receive thousands of dollars in state funds to send their children to a private school or homeschool them. The overview: Accredited private schools and education vendors can begin applying to join the program as soon as Dec. 9, and applications will open for interested families Feb. 4. Most families accepted into the program will receive about $10,300 per student, which can be spent on tuition at accredited private prekindergarten or K-12 schools and related expenses. Homeschooled students will receive up to $2,000 per year, while students with disabilities will be eligible for up to $30,000 annually.
Lt. Gov. Patrick Counters Abbott’s Plan to Reduce Property Taxes

Gov. Greg Abbott, meanwhile, has proposed tackling rising appraisals and local tax increases. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced a property tax reform plan aimed at increasing the homestead exemption for millions of Texas homeowners. The plan falls short of many of the elements of the property tax cut proposal introduced by Gov. Greg Abbott just last month. At a Tuesday press conference, Patrick outlined reforms that build on past efforts to raise homestead exemptions. He also introduced a new initiative known as “Operation Double Nickel.”
How Odyssey rose from tech startup to manager of Texas’ $1B school voucher program

When Texas chose a company to roll out the state’s $1 billion private school voucher program, it passed over more established vendors in favor of a four-year-old tech startup that said it could do it for almost half the cost. Now, Odyssey must execute on its promises to meet an aggressive timeline while avoiding missteps that have dogged other program launches. The New York-based company has rapidly expanded in recent years, launching programs in eight states that subsidize students’ private education costs with taxpayer dollars.
Paxton Launches Financial Transparency Investigation Into Nearly 1,000 Cities

Attorney General Ken Paxton is escalating his confrontation with local governments over property tax compliance, launching a sweeping investigation into nearly 1,000 Texas cities. This comes just months after previously ordering four municipalities to pause their newly adopted tax rates amid allegations of audit violations. Paxton’s office said the widened review is aimed at ensuring strict adherence to Senate Bill 1851, the new state law that bars any city out of audit compliance from raising property taxes above the no-new-revenue rate.
UNT is the first college in the state to get a naloxone vending machine

The University of North Texas is the first public college in Texas to get a free naloxone vending machine, and Regan Browne, director of the Recovery and Intervention Support and Education Center — called RISE — considers it a win. Browne is new to the director’s chair at RISE, and she was among locals who attended the unveiling of a naloxone vending machine at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios, a storied Denton music venue, in June. A teen survived an overdose there in April because a quick-thinking patron knew the signs and administered naloxone, the generic form of the brand-name drug Narcan. Naloxone is a nasal spray that can reverse the effects of opioids, even a potentially lethal dose.
A slate of new Texas laws go into effect December and January. Here’s what to watch.

Dozens of new Texas laws will take effect in December and January, bringing wide-ranging changes to the state’s education system, law enforcement, taxes and more. Over 800 laws from this year’s regular legislative session already took effect on Sept. 1, but more measures from that period as well as the second special session will soon activate. Some also had to wait for voters’ approval, such as more tax exemption for businesses’ inventory.

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Longer School Days Ahead For Arlington ISD Students

January 0508:15 AM

Arlington parents are hoping a few extra minutes in school every day will mean their students are out for summer break days earlier. The school district is about to lengthen its school days hoping to either provide a buffer in case weather-related school closures are needed or give everyone an early summer break. When kids go to school they’re literally on the clock. Their school year isn’t over until the school has clocked 17,600 minutes of student time. Arlington is hoping it can push all those minutes into a shorter school year. view article

Judson ISD board to discuss rescinding school’s name

December 0908:28 AM

A special board meeting for the Judson Independent School District is set to take place Wednesday night. On the agenda is the possibility of rescinding the name of Dr. Willis Mackey High School. The school was named after the district's former Superintendent who retired last year, and the topic has since been widely debated. view article

Hallsville ISD leader to resign

December 0708:29 AM

Hallsville ISD Superintendent Jim Dunlap says he will resign effective at the district's next board meeting Dec. 14. Dunlap, who recently went on the district's radio station, Bobcat Radio, to announce his decision, said he has no other comment until after the board meeting. "Really, all I wanted to say was to the staff, and that has already been broadcast on Bobcat Radio," he said this week. view article

Michelle Faust of Round Rock ISD Joins North American Solutions

December 0108:31 AM

North American Solutions (NAS), a leading provider of insurance and risk management services for public entities, is excited to announce that Michelle Faust, currently Director, Safety & Risk Management at Round Rock ISD, will be joining the NAS team in January. view article

Superintendents should have teaching experience

November 2307:45 AM

There is no replicating the classroom teaching experience, and having that experience should not be optional for public school superintendent job candidates. The State Board of Education is voting in Austin today on the states requirements for public school superintendents and is considering removing teaching experience from the list of qualifications. view article

School board extends student/teacher ratio

November 2307:45 AM

Extending the student/teacher ratio for a few third-grade classes and approving a request made by the Texas A&M Agri-life Extension office were the only highlights during November's Plainview ISD school board meeting Thursday. With a unanimous vote, PISD trustees voted to approve an application for a waiver to exceed the ... view article

Pottsboro ISD board identifies dangerous roads, stresses student safety

November 2307:33 AM

The Pottsboro Independent School District’s board of trustees discussed a resolution to receive funding for a service they already provide during their regular meeting earlier this week. PISD Superintendent Kevin Matthews explained that Texas law does not provide transportation funding to school districts if the district is transporting students that live within two miles of the schools they attend, unless those areas are dangerous for students to cross. In this situation, that is the case, Matthews said. The board identified five areas they qualified as hazardous: Highway 289, Highway 120, FM 996, FM 1417 and Cardinal Lane. - See more at: http://heralddemocrat.com/news/schools/pottsboro-isd-board-identifies-dangerous-roads-stresses-student-safety#sthash.NCQqqUs4.dpuf view article

TEA: LA MARQUE ISD’S ACCREDITATION REVOKED, TO BE ANNEXED BY ANOTHER DISTRICT

November 1608:20 AM

Officials with the Texas Education Agency confirmed Thursday that the troubled La Marque school district has lost its accreditation and will be annexed by another district. In a letter addressed to the Board of Trustees and La Marque ISD, Commissioner of Education Michael Williams says the school district will be closed, effective July 1. He cites the district's rating of "academically unacceptable" for 2011 and a rating of "improvement required" in the state of Texas' academic accountability rating system for 2013 and 2014. view article

Editorial: Hallsville ISD does a poor job dealing with bullying incident

November 1307:58 AM

Schoolhouse bullying is nothing new. It has been going on for decades wherever someone bigger, tougher or meaner believed they could get away with abusing another child. And wherever it's happened, it has been harmful to the person being bullied in degrees ranging from intimidation and fear to causing children to commit suicide, or even murder. view article

TEA announces closure of La Marque ISD

November 1208:40 AM

The La Marque Independent School District will officially be no more. The Texas Education Agency informed the La Marque ISD school board that the district will be annexed by another district after failing to meet standards for academic and financial accountability, TEA spokesperson Gene Acuna said. view article

Lighting mitigation plan a no for DSISD

November 1108:10 AM

The denial of an alternative light mitigation plan for Dripping Springs ISD’s new baseball/softball complex put in to motion an inventory of outdoor lighting at all district facilities. On Oct. 13, the Dripping Springs City Council turned down the Dripping Springs ISD’s proposed lighting mitigation. view article

Teen beaten by Pasadena ISD officer settles for $60,000

November 1008:16 AM

A teen who was severely bruised in a "brutal and excessive" nightstick attack by a Pasadena ISD school resource officer has settled his federal lawsuit for $60,000. Cesar Suquet Jr. was 16 in May 2014 when he went to the principal's office at South Houston High School to retrieve his cell phone, which had been confiscated earlier that day. His request was declined and he was told to leave. view article

Texas Supreme Court Hears Case Over Texas Homeschool Rights

November 0408:10 AM

When Gene and Shirene McIntyre met with an attendance officer in the El Paso Independent School District in November 2006, their nine grandchildren had already been homeschooled for more than a year. But they were concerned the kids weren’t getting a proper education. view article

Weaver Elementary School launches Chinese language program for kindergartners, first-graders

October 3008:15 AM

Six-year-old Harry Brown plopped down on the colorful rug in his kindergarten class and shook a clear little plastic container with two dice. He looked at the sets of dots facing up, added the two numbers aloud and pointed to the total number in Mandarin Chinese on his worksheet. view article

Identity Crisis: Managing the Tx Digital Textbook Nightmare (Updated)

October 2908:32 AM

School districts have been caught flat-footed in the last two years, facing an onslaught of digital textbook providers who follow no standard data file creation process. This problem is called "user provisioning," (a.k.a. account provisioning) a fancy way of saying that you have to create usernames and passwords in EVERY online system students and staff will need to use. view article

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El Paso: Only on ABC-7: Chapin High teacher’s draws explicit image on student’s assignment

October 2708:00 AM

An El Paso ISD parent was shocked by what she says a Chapin High teacher drew on her son's class assignment. "I'm an educator myself so I said, there's no way the teacher really did this," said parent Sandra Green. According to Green and the EPISD -- it happened. Chapin High Language Arts teacher Kim Juzdowski drew a penis across the student's assignment because he wasn't doing anything in class -- if you get the metaphor. view article

TEA assigns monitor to Marfa ISD

October 2608:30 AM

Marfa ISD board of trustees groaned when Superintendent Andrew Peters announced he hired a Professional Service Provider (PSP), also known as a monitor as a result of the school district not meeting Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) academic standards. Holly Roberts, recently retired at Midland ISD, will assist MISD to meet TEA standards. Marfa ISD received an “improvement required” in TEA’s 2015 accountability rating, the only district in the tri-county area to get that moniker. Schools in Alpine, Fort Davis, Valentine and Presidio met standard and also received distinction designations. view article

Marlin ISD expects answer from TEA by Christmas

October 2108:20 AM

Marlin Independent School District Superintendent Michael Seabolt said during Tuesday’s board of trustees meeting that he thinks Commissioner Michael Williams will decide before the end of 2015 whether the district should stay open. view article

Harrison County DA: Hallsville ISD coach under investigation

October 1508:10 AM

Harrison County District Attorney Coke Solomon says there is a criminal investigation involving a Hallsville High School coach on administrative leave who recently resigned. Solomon said his office forwarded a request for information about Dean McDaniel to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office for an opinion on whether to withhold the information because he believes releasing it could interfere with the investigation. view article

Carrollton: C-FB ISD approves settlement in voting rights lawsuit

October 1208:06 AM

The Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD (C-FB ISD) Board of Trustees on Thursday approved a settlement agreement with Guillermo Ramos and Brewer Storefront in relation to a voting rights lawsuit. The board approved the settlement agreement by a 5-2 vote. Board members Frank Shor, Nancy Watten, Nancy Cline, James Goode and John Mathews vote in approval. view article

More TX Students Expected To Fail STAAR Tests This Year As Grading Gets Tougher

October 0908:28 AM

The standardized tests Texas students will take in the spring will be harder to pass. That’s because state Education Commissioner Michael Williams this week announced tougher grading requirements. But student performance on the so-called STAAR test hasn’t improved as expected, and one education expert believes more students will fail. view article

Business Owner Sues Arlington ISD Over Planned Ag Center

September 3008:25 AM

For nearly 15 years, the Arlington Independent School District has been searching for the right project to fill a piece of land it owns in the 3200 block of Pioneer Parkway. When voters approved a bond package in 2014, officials said they finally found a good one. "We want to make this a successful district facility that serves both the community and the students well," said Leslie Johnston, spokesperson for Arlington ISD. view article

Irving ISD student detained for ‘suspicious device’

September 1608:28 AM

A MacArthur High School freshman said school officials overreacted and called police after mistakenly thinking a digital clock he rebuilt looked like a fake bomb. "They arrested me and told me I committed a crime of a hoax bomb - a fake bomb," he told News 8. view article

Socorro ISD seeing increase in ‘Next Level Learning’

September 1608:16 AM

With its refreshed, laser-sharp focus on creating a college-going culture via Operation College Bound, Socorro ISD is seeing significantly more students taking Advanced Placement courses and earning college credit through exams now than what was seen just three years ago. view article

Michael Hinojosa Expected To Be Named Lone Dallas ISD Superintendent Finalist Today

September 1508:29 AM

This afternoon, the Dallas school board is expected to name interim superintendent Michael Hinojosa the lone finalist to be the permanent school leader. He already had the job for six years before he left in 2011. Trustees who served when he was here offer their take on Michael Hinojosa 2.0. view article

Aune resigns position on Argyle ISD school board

September 0107:45 AM

Greg Aune, an Argyle ISD school board trustee, has resigned. Board members discussed in closed session whether to leave Aune’s position vacant, appoint someone to the seat or hold a special election to fill the position at Monday night’s school board meeting. view article

Things to know: Garland ISD passes $454 million 2015-16 budget

August 2807:57 AM

The Garland school district’s $453.8 million budget for 2015-16 passed this week. Here are the highlights: Taxes are going up: There’s a 10-cent per $100 valuation tax increase tied to theNovember 2014 passage of a $455 million bond package. Garland ISD previously had the second-lowest tax rate among 16 districts that tax in Dallas County; the bond will bring that closer to the midpoint. view article

Tomball ISD welcomes new administrators

August 2807:37 AM

Tomball Independent School District recently welcomed a few new faces for the start of the new year. Marcy Canady has been selected as the district’s director of bilingual services. Canady has worked in education for 28 years. She joined Tomball two years ago as the principal of Canyon Pointe Elementary. She began her career as an elementary bilingual teacher in Goose Creek ISD. She also served in Tyler, Spring Branch, and Katy. Her background includes both campus and central office experience. view article

Midland ISD Still Facing Teacher Shortage

August 2708:16 AM

School starts on Wednesday, August 26 in Midland, but the school district is facing a major issue. They are still short teachers. Elizabeth York, Communication Specialist with Midland ISD, said, "Starting the school year for Midland I.S.D, we are short about 60 teachers, so we're still looking for about 40 elementary and about 20 secondary teachers." view article

Tyler ISD to build aquatics center

August 2708:05 AM

Tyler ISD trustees have set aside up to $4 million for construction of an aquatic center, which would include an uncovered outdoor, Olympic-size swimming pool that officials envision would serve all students, not just the swimming team. What to do about the existing, rapidly deteriorating, indoor swimming facility near the intersection of New Copeland Road and Shiloh Road has been a simmering issue in the community for many years. view article

Beaumont: EDITORIAL: BISD teachers must buy into changes

August 2408:32 AM

Every week brings more evidence that John Frossard gets it. In ways big and small, the new superintendent of the Beaumont ISD is doing one thing after another to help turn around the district. The latest example came last week, when Frossard brought in Larry Bell as the keynote speaker for the teacher in-service convocation. "Keynote entertainer" might have been more accurate, and not in a bad way. Bell - part preacher, part comedian, part singer and part dancer - energized and motivated BISD teachers to do their best this new school year. Frossard has known Bell since both were teachers in northern Virginia years ago. view article

Killeen ISD’s Chamber membership questioned

August 1108:41 AM

The Killeen Independent School District board of trustees and the community seem to be at odds over an issue involving $10,000 and the Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce. Currently, Killeen ISD pays $10,000 annually to the chamber for membership dues for 11 administrators. Board president Terry Delano brought this fact to light at a July 27 workshop meeting. view article

Killeen ISD’s Chamber membership questioned

August 1009:12 AM

Taft High School will cap attendance

August 0508:04 AM

Northside ISD will cap attendance at Taft High School because of overcrowding in the area. Northside ISD said about 200 students will have to enroll at Brennan High School, which is roughly four miles from Taft High School. view article

Lampasas ISD board discusses budget, tax rates

August 0507:54 AM

The Lampasas Independent School District met Monday to discuss the district’s fiscal year 2016 budget and proposed tax rates. “My idea was still to give everyone a tax break, but to make it 1 cent right now, and we could change it in a year if we need to,” board member Sam Walker said. “I think we are jumping the gun by dropping it 2 cents.” view article

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