Gov. Abbott Signs Billions in Homeowner, Business Property Tax Relief

Gov. Greg Abbott has signed three measures providing new property tax relief to homeowners and businesses. During a press conference in Denton on Monday, Abbott signed Senate Bill 4, Senate Bill 23, and House Bill 9 into law, which he says will bring the total amount of additional tax relief passed this session up to $10 billion. That number, however, includes some existing property tax relief passed in previous sessions. All three measures in the tax relief package were worked on by State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R–Houston) and State Rep. Morgan Meyer (R–Dallas), who were in attendance at the signing. The first measure signed, SB 4, raises the homestead exemption to $140,000.
Patrick Accuses Abbott of Trying To Legalize Recreational Marijuana in Texas

Gov. Abbott’s veto of legislation banning THC has created a rare public clash between two of the state’s top leaders.
Gov. Greg Abbott vetoes THC ban, calls for regulation instead

The move infuriated Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the powerful head of the Senate, who had called the ban among his top five bills over 17 years in the Legislature.
Did Texas lawmakers do enough for children with disabilities? These child care advocates say no.

Lawmakers added $100 million to a child care scholarship program but failed to expand access to free preschool for children with disabilities. LUFKIN — Texas lawmakers this year added $100 million to a scholarship fund to help families across the state pay for early child care, an extraordinary investment that may ease a waitlist to help thousands of children. However, advocates say legislators fell short in creating more opportunities for the state’s youngest living with disabilities. “Most families with children with disabilities are really struggling in one area, if not multiple,” said Bethany Edwards, director for research and evaluation at the Center for Transforming Lives, a North Texas nonprofit that helps single mothers. Edwards is also a parent of a child with disabilities. “And there's a lot that can happen from a policy standpoint to change these systems, but change seems to happen very slowly,” she said.
Gov. Greg Abbott orders special legislative session after vetoing 26 bills

Abbott will call lawmakers back to Austin to tackle Senate Bill 3, a proposed ban on THC products that he vetoed, as well as five others from his veto list.
Texas Gov Signs Bill Requiring Ten Commandments in Public School Classrooms

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill into law that would require all public school classrooms in his state to display the biblical Ten Commandments. The law, which goes into effect on Sept. 1, requires classrooms to display a poster or framed English translation of the commandments that is at least 16-by-20 inches and is able to be read from anywhere in the classroom. Texas has more than 5.5 million students throughout its more than 9,000 public schools.

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Socorro ISD reduces workforce to combat budget deficit, impacts fine arts staff

June 0508:25 AM

The Socorro Independent School District has finalized a plan to reduce its workforce as part of efforts to address a multi-million-dollar budget deficit. The district's board approved the non-renewal of contracts for several fine arts employees, a decision that affects teachers with term contracts who did not file an appeal. view article

Austin ISD to decide on school consolidation, repurposing ahead of next school year

June 0508:25 AM

Austin ISD is expected to decide on some changes for the upcoming school year during a virtual meeting Thursday. The district said it planned on consolidating schools beginning in the 2026–27 school year, which could include school closures, boundary changes and more. view article

Wimberley ISD names Human Resources director, Blue Hole Primary School assistant principal

June 0508:25 AM

The WISD Board of Trustees approved the hiring of Katie Willard as the new assistant principal of Blue Hole Primary School (BHP) and Jennifer Cooper as the district’s director of Human Resources. “I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve as the Assistant Principal of Blue Hole Primary School,” said Willard. “I look forward to partnering with the staff, students, and families of this strong, loving community. Together we will continue the important work of laying the learning foundation of our next generation of Texans!” view article

Texas Supreme Court Clears Path for Paxton To Investigate Illegal Alien Shelter 

June 0508:25 AM

Paxton accused the El Paso-based Catholic non-profit of harboring illegal aliens in February 2024.   view article

Gov. Greg Abbott signs $8.5 billion public education funding plan into law. Here’s how it works.

June 0508:24 AM

Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday signed into law a bill providing roughly $8.5 billion in new funding for Texas public schools, offering relief to districts for teacher and support staff pay, operational expenses, special education, educator preparation, early childhood learning and campus safety. The new dollars in House Bill 2, which lawmakers have dubbed “historic” because it marks the largest one-time public education investment in recent memory, will arrive after years of stagnant funding. That includes 2023, when the state gave schools targeted money in areas like school security but left billions more on the table due to the political fallout over private school vouchers. view article

Denison ISD announces nearly $2 million grant from Texas Instruments Foundation

June 0508:20 AM

Denison schools are getting a big boost. On Wednesday, Denison ISD announced that it is getting a $1.9 million grant from the Texas Instruments Foundation for STEM education view article

Covington Middle School student dies after end-of-year celebration: Austin school district

June 0505:00 AM

An Austin eighth grade student died Thursday morning after complications related to an incident at a school-related celebration, according to the Austin school district. Vadir Gonzalez-Arias, who was a student at Covington Middle School, died after an undisclosed incident during an eighth-grade celebration held at Dick Nichols Park in Southwest Austin, according to the district. The park is less than three miles from Covington. view article

Feds sue Texas over long-standing law allowing undocumented students to receive in-state tuition

June 0408:53 AM

The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Texas over its law allowing undocumented students to receive in-state tuition, days after the state Legislature adjourned without passing a bill to repeal the statute. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement that Texas is in conflict with federal laws and two recent executive orders from President Donald Trump that prohibit taxpayer dollars from being used to benefit undocumented immigrants, including by offering in-state tuition. “Under federal law, schools cannot provide benefits to illegal aliens that they do not provide to U.S. citizens,” Bondi said in a statement Wednesday. “The Justice Department will relentlessly fight to vindicate federal law and ensure that U.S. citizens are not treated like second-class citizens anywhere in the country.” The lawsuit was filed in the Wichita Falls division of the Northern District of Texas, where U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor hears all cases. O’Connor, appointed by President George W. Bush, has long been a favored judge for the Texas attorney general’s office and conservative litigants. view article

Education Department says it will not garnish Social Security of student loan borrowers in default

June 0408:49 AM

Borrowers who have defaulted on their federal student loans will no longer be at risk of having their Social Security benefits garnished, an Education Department spokesperson said Tuesday. The government last month restarted collections for the millions of people in default on their loans. An estimated 452,000 people aged 62 and older had student loans in default, according to a January report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The department has not garnished any Social Security benefits since the post-pandemic resumption of collections and has paused “any future Social Security offsets,” department spokesperson Ellen Keast said. view article

Texas moves to become hub for psychedelic drug development

June 0408:45 AM

The state hopes to turn a controversial plant into a breakthrough mental health therapy. Texas lawmakers have approved a bold new initiative to turn the state into a center for research and development of ibogaine, a plant-based psychoactive drug gaining traction as a potential treatment for addiction, PTSD and other mental health disorders. view article

House Republicans Urge Veto of Appraisal Board Bill

June 0408:40 AM

A group of 42 Republican members of the Texas House is urging Gov. Greg Abbott to veto legislation passed in the final days of the legislative session that would allow public school teachers to serve on local property appraisal review boards—a measure Abbott previously rejected. Brandon Waltens has the story. view article

Medical Liberty Legislation Awaits Gov. Abbott’s Approval  

June 0408:32 AM

Six measures aimed at expanding medical freedom in Texas are on their way to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk to be signed. The two most notable vaccine freedom-related pieces of legislation passed by lawmakers and highlighted by Texans for Vaccine Choice are House Bill 1586 and House Bill 4076. HB 1586 requires vaccine exemption forms for school enrollment to be available to print at home, simplifying the process for parents. HB 4076 prohibits organ transplant discriminat view article

RFK orders review of baby formula. Here’s what you should know

June 0408:32 AM

As federal health officials vow to overhaul the U.S. food supply, they’re taking a new look at infant formula. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has directed the Food and Drug Administration to review the nutrients and other ingredients in infant formula, which fills the bottles of millions of American babies. The effort, dubbed “Operation Stork Speed,” is the first deep look at the ingredients since 1998. view article

Texas’ DEI ban on public schools heads to Gov. Greg Abbott for final sign-off

June 0408:30 AM

The Texas Legislature approved a bill that would ban diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and programs in public K-12 schools. Senate Bill 12, authored by Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, will prohibit school districts from considering race, ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation in hiring decisions. The ban will also include training and programs on those topics unless they are required by federal law. Parents will have to give written consent to allow their children to join school clubs. They will also be able to file complaints if they believe schools do not follow the DEI ban. view article

El Paso ISD accepts Superintendent’s voluntary separation agreement; CFO appointed interim

June 0408:29 AM

The El Paso Independent School District (EPISD) Board of Trustees voted to accept Superintendent Diana Sayavedra's voluntary separation agreement with a 4-2-1 vote. The decision was made during a special board meeting Tuesday night. Before the meeting was adjourned, Sayavedra spoke to the crowd of community members, parents, and district staff who spoke and attended in support of her role as superintendent with the district. view article

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Marlin ISD Superintendent Darryl Henson has officially resigned

June 0408:29 AM

After five years of service, Marlin ISD Superintendent Dr. Darryl Henson officially resigned Tuesday, Henson confirmed to KWTX late Tuesday night. Henson said the board approved a voluntary separation at Tuesday night’s special board meeting. According to Henson, the district accepted his resignation, and his last day will be Sept. 1. view article

Austin ISD is creating more than 50 student mental health spaces as part of the 2022 bond

June 0408:26 AM

The Martin Middle School gym buzzed with activity in late May, just days before the school year ended. Students, school staff and community members gathered to celebrate the beginning of construction projects aimed at modernizing the East Austin campus. One of those projects is creating a mental health center at the school. "We feel like it's really important to provide this therapeutic support directly within the school settings where students are," said Amanda Toohey, Austin ISD’s administrative supervisor for mental health and crisis management. view article

Judge Adds Former Harris County DA Kim Ogg to Gag Order in Jocelyn Nungaray Murder Case

June 0408:26 AM

Ogg publicly accused one of the men charged in Nungaray’s murder of previously assaulting someone in Costa Rica. view article

Community reacts as El Paso ISD board accepts superintendent’s voluntary separation

June 0408:25 AM

The El Paso Independent School District will no longer be led by Superintendent Diana Sayavedra following a close 4-2-1 vote. The board of trustees voted to accept her voluntary separation. The decision came after an intense, hours-long special board meeting that drew a full house of community members, many of whom voiced their support for Sayavedra. view article

Governor Abbott to sign public education funding bill in Central Texas

June 0408:25 AM

Governor Greg Abbott will travel to Central Texas to sign a new public education funding bill on June 4, the Governor's Office has announced. According to the Governor's Office, Abbott will host a bill signing in Salado for legislation passed during the 89th legislative session, which he says will provide $8.5 billion in new funding for public education and $4 billion for teacher and staff pay raises. view article

Central ISD may propose another bond, but not next year

June 0408:23 AM

Central ISD must think about what comes next after their bond proposal failed for the second time last month. What do they do to address the issues the bond would’ve fixed if it passed? “Now we know that we’re not going to have the resources to address those problems, but the problems are still there,” said Central ISD Superintendent Justin Risner. view article

After Texas lawmakers kill reform bill, Austin ISD left scrambling to avoid state control

June 0408:21 AM

Austin Independent School District is racing to finalize a turnaround plan for three failing campuses, without the extra time district leaders had hoped would come from the Texas Legislature. House Bill 4, which promised to overhaul the state’s standardized testing system and extend deadlines for improvement plans, failed to pass before the legislative session ended last week. Lawmakers in the House and Senate couldn’t agree on who should control Texas’ school rating system, effectively killing the bill in the final days of the session. view article

North Texas school district implementing policy requiring cellphones to be turned off during the day

June 0408:21 AM

Cedar Hill ISD is implementing a new policy next school year requiring students to turn off their cellphones during the school day. School officials said the goal of the change is to increase focus, reduce classroom distractions, and enhance engagement. This policy applies to all grade levels and encompasses cellphones, smartwatches, headphones and other communication devices. view article

Killeen ISD awarded state grant to boost elementary literacy

June 0408:20 AM

Killeen Independent School District is among a select group of Texas districts awarded a two-year grant to enhance literacy efforts in elementary schools. The initiative, known as Texas Reads, Texas Leads (TXRL), provides professional development and instructional resources designed to ensure all students read on grade level by the end of third grade. view article

Hutto ISD launches First Offender Program to tackle vaping incidents

June 0408:20 AM

Hutto ISD has launched a new First Offender Program (FOP) aimed at addressing vaping incidents on campus. The initiative, in partnership with Williamson County Juvenile Services, provides students with an opportunity to avoid criminal charges through education, mentorship and structured intervention. Under the program, students caught vaping or possessing nicotine or THC products can participate in a structured intervention rather than facing immediate legal consequences. The program includes an online educational component, a written reflection and weekly mentorship meetings with an officer. view article

Officials can now kick unruly parents out of school sporting events without warning, thanks to a newly-passed law

June 0408:18 AM

Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill last month allowing a referee, judge, or other official of an extracurricular athletic activity to remove spectators without warning. The bill, SB 2929, was approved by the House and Senate and sent to the governor's desk during the last session. The bill allows officials at scholastic athletic events to remove spectators, without warning, from events sponsored or sanctioned by the school district or the University Interscholastic League starting in the 2025-2026 school year. view article

Texarkana police officer, school board member arrested for alleged sexual assault of a child

June 0408:03 AM

TEXARKANA, Texas (KSLA) - The Texarkana Texas Police Department has arrested one of its own officers for alleged sexual assault of a child. Zackary Gilley, 32, has been a police officer with the department since 2018, officials say. He was put on administrative leave just before his arrest Monday night (June 2). view article

‘We’re all at war with each other’ | Leander ISD considers consolidating some schools, drawing backlash from parents

June 0408:00 AM

As a parent of three students at Faubion Elementary School, Lindsey King cherishes her close connection to the campus. "I live two blocks from Faubion, and so my kids walk to school and I know people in this neighborhood do as well," King said. view article

Texas’ DEI ban on public schools heads to Gov. Greg Abbott for final sign-off

June 0303:30 PM

Sodas, candy to be banned from Texas food stamp purchases

June 0302:06 PM

For years, Texas lawmakers have tried to stop food stamp recipients from purchasing snack food. With support from the federal government, Texas’ first step to root out unhealthy foods from the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program, or SNAP, will become reality after Senate Bill 379 from state Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, made it through in the last week of the legislativ session. It comes just four months after fellow Texan and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins signaled to states that the agency would green light measures that prohibit SNAP recipients from using their subsidies to buy certain foods. The measure is likely to be signed quickly by Gov. Greg Abbott, who has already notified Rollins’ office he wants a waiver from federal rules to keep junk food from SNAP purchases. Indiana, Iowa and Nebraska have filed similar legislation and have been granted waivers. But opponents of such measures say keeping unhealthy foods from only SNAP recipients — and not all Americans — ultimately penalizes poverty.

Legislature Adjourns—Now the Governor Has the Last Word The Texas House and Senate have adjourned sine die.

June 0309:00 AM

140 days and 1,200 bills later, the Texas Legislature officially adjourned sine die on Monday, marking the end of the 89th Regular Legislative Session. The Latin term “sine die” means “without a day,” signaling that lawmakers are not scheduled to reconvene—at least not yet. While the regular session has concluded, the possibility always remains that lawmakers could be called back to the Capitol for a special session anytime during the next 18 months. That authority rests solely with Gov. Greg Abbott, who can summon the Legislature to address specific issues of his choosing. At the moment, it is not clear that Abbott will call a special session. If he does, however, one issue appears most likely to be the focus: efforts to strengthen bail reform measures aimed at keeping violent repeat offenders and illegal aliens accused of violent crimes behind bars. view article

Texas Education Agency extends Houston school district takeover through 2027

June 0308:55 AM

Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath applauded the district for its improvements while citing the need for more time to “achieve lasting success for students.” The state takeover of the Houston Independent School District will continue for two more years, the Texas Education Agency announced Monday. Education Commissioner Mike Morath had until June 1 to decide next steps for the state’s largest school district, whose former superintendent and elected school board members were ousted and replaced in 2023 due to years of poor academic outcomes at a single campus and allegations of leadership misconduct. view article

The 2025 regular Texas legislative session is over. Here’s what lawmakers did.

June 0308:44 AM

The Legislature wrapped up without the same drama that defined the end of the last two sessions, with state GOP leaders checking off nearly everything on their to-do lists. view article

San Antonio Educator Arrested for Sexual Assault of 12-Year-Old Student

June 0308:42 AM

Christopher Uresti met his alleged victim while working for Southwest ISD. A former San Antonio substitute teacher and special education aide was jailed on charges that he sexually assaulted a 12-year-old student multiple times. Christopher Patrick Uresti, 23, was arrested and charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child, a first-degree felony. Uresti reportedly met the girl when she was a fifth grade student at Kriewald Road School of the Arts, an elementary school in Southwest Independent School District, where he was a substitute teacher. The girl told authorities Uresti would buy her snacks. view article

Immigration Enforcement Bill Heads to Abbott After House, Senate Approve Deal

June 0308:40 AM

The Texas House and Senate have approved a bill that mandates sheriffs in counties with jails to partner with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) for immigration enforcement. The bill, Senate Bill 8, requires these sheriffs to enter into agreements with ICE, allowing local deputies to carry out certain federal immigration duties. It now heads to Governor Greg Abbott for his signature. view article

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TexasISD.com was the brainchild of Joe F. Smith. Joe retired early from a successful career as Superintendent of Schools for Hudson ISD, deep in the Piney Woods of East Texas. Due to a long battle with Post-Polio Syndrome the doctor made him hang it up and rest for six months. Never being the kind of person to sit still and also not being the person to listen to his doctor, Joe logged lengthy sessions in front of his PC researching school issues, reading papers and corresponding with his friends and colleagues in the education business.

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Legal Issues for School Secretaries - Virtual Conference September 16-18, 2025

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Legal Issues for School Secretaries - Virtual Conference

September 16-18, 2025