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.
Trials of two Uvalde school officers see delays amid federal lawsuit, venue change

Pete Arredondo, the district’s former police chief, and ex-officer Adrian Gonzales face charges over the slow law enforcement response to the 2022 school shooting. The trials for the two former school police officers facing charges over the slow law enforcement response to the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde will be delayed, and one will be moved out of the city where the attack occurred, their lawyers said Tuesday. Former Uvalde schools police chief Pete Arredondo and officer Adrian Gonzales have pleaded not guilty to dozens of counts of child endangerment and abandonment in connection with the massacre at Robb Elementary School. Both men were set to stand trial on Oct. 20. Gonzales’ trial will be moved to a January start in Corpus Christi, about 200 miles from the school, attorney Nico LaHood said Tuesday. Judge Sid Harle confirmed the agreement for a change of venue for Gonzales, but said no formal order had been filed yet.
Trials of two Uvalde school officers see delays amid federal lawsuit, venue change

Pete Arredondo, the district’s former police chief, and ex-officer Adrian Gonzales face charges over the slow law enforcement response to the 2022 school shooting. The trials for the two former school police officers facing charges over the slow law enforcement response to the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde will be delayed, and one will be moved out of the city where the attack occurred, their lawyers said Tuesday. Former Uvalde schools police chief Pete Arredondo and officer Adrian Gonzales have pleaded not guilty to dozens of counts of child endangerment and abandonment in connection with the massacre at Robb Elementary School. Both men were set to stand trial on Oct. 20. Gonzales’ trial will be moved to a January start in Corpus Christi, about 200 miles from the school, attorney Nico LaHood said Tuesday. Judge Sid Harle confirmed the agreement for a change of venue for Gonzales, but said no formal order had been filed yet.
Central Texas School District Confirms ‘Alphabet Soup’ Club on Hold Pending Review

A new state law prohibits school districts from authorizing or sponsoring a student club based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Austin ISD families and trustees respond to sweeping school closure plan

Families across Austin mourned the potential closure of or changes to their neighborhood campus over the weekend after the Austin school district released a proposal Friday to shutter 13 campuses, revamp six others as non-zoned special program schools and dramatically redraw attendance boundaries across the entire district. If approved by trustees in November, the plan will significantly shift boundaries for thousands of students only six years after another emotional school closure process. Roughly one-quarter of all district students could be impacted under the sweeping proposal.
Texas selects company that will help develop its school voucher program

Finance and technology company Odyssey will help design the application process, manage payments and review complaints for the state’s education savings accounts. Texas’ chief financial officer on Monday named the organization that will help the state build the school voucher program lawmakers approved earlier this year. Odyssey, a technology company, will work with the comptroller’s office, which oversees finances for all of Texas state government, to design the process through which Texas families can apply to receive thousands of dollars in taxpayer funds to cover their children’s private or home-schooling costs. Odyssey will also develop a system for those families to shop for educational products and pay tuition. Applications for Texans to participate in the program are expected to open at some point early next year. The program, named “Texas Education Freedom Accounts,” will then launch at the beginning of the 2026-27 school year.

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Houston ISD starts 2025-26 school year with 1 in 4 teachers uncertified

October 0205:00 AM

Houston ISD began the 2025-26 school year with about 1 in 4 teachers uncertified, an increase from the previous year, district records show. Nearly 2,500 out of HISD's 10,200 teachers were uncertified as of Aug. 12. One in 5 teachers — about 2,090 out of 10,550 — lacked certification on the same day in 2024. HISD did not respond to multiple requests for comment. view article

Austin ISD adopts lower tax rate for 2025-26, homeowners ...

October 0109:00 AM

Austin ISD adopted a reduced property tax rate for fiscal year 2025-26, which could mean hundreds of dollars in savings for homeowners. view article

Austin ISD adopts lower tax rate for 2025-26, homeowners could see savings

October 0109:00 AM

Austin ISD (AISD) adopted a slightly lower tax rate of $0.9252 per $100 of taxable value for the 2025-26 fiscal year, potentially leading to savings for homeowners despite increased property values. The district's board of trustees approved the rate on September 25th, and while the overall rate is lower, savings will vary by individual homeowners based on their specific property's taxable value. view article

Abbott asks DPS to ‘bolster security efforts’ around religious spaces

October 0108:40 AM

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Tuesday directed the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to “bolster security efforts surrounding places of worship in the wake of the escalation of violent attacks against people and places of faith across the nation.” In the directive, Abbott said local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies will partner to increase safety and security at churches, synagogues, and faith-based organizations in Texas. “Places of worship are sacred,” Abbott said. “We will marshal all resources necessary to safeguard our places of faith. To accomplish that objective, I directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to bolster security efforts to protect places of worship.” According to Abbott’s office, Texas Highway Patrol troopers, Criminal Investigations Division special agents, and Texas Rangers, supported by the DPS Homeland Security Division, will work with local and federal law enforcement to “identify threats and prevent life-threatening attacks before they happen.” view article

A high-stakes school board election has fractured Cypress conservatives, who could lose a powerful majority

October 0108:00 AM

Cypress-Fairbanks ISD conservatives appear to be splintering ahead of a November election, putting them at risk of losing the 6-1 board majority that has allowed them to infuse a conservative political agenda into the state's third-largest school system. The board president and vice president, who ran together on a conservative slate in 2021, are now running against each other in the same seat. Both Natalie Blasingame, a former administrator in Houston and Spring Branch ISDs, and Scott Henry, who works in sales, won the Harris County Republican Party's endorsement in 2021, but now the party has decided to endorse Blasingame in the race between the two. view article

Texas Tech Regents Appoint Brandon Creighton as New Chancellor

October 0105:16 AM

During a short meeting, the regents of the Texas Tech University System appointed State Sen. Brandon Creighton as its new chancellor and chief executive officer. The vote was unanimous. “This is a historic day for Texas Tech University System,” Regent Chairman Cody Campbell stated after the vote on Tuesday. “I know that we’re all looking forward to working together with our new chancellor to further the advancement of our system.” The appointment is effective November 10. view article

NRG Energy Awarded $562 Million From Texas Energy Fund for Baytown Natural Gas Plant

October 0105:01 AM

The plant is projected to power more than 180,000 homes by 2028. NRG Energy has once again secured a major taxpayer-backed loan to construct a power plant near Baytown. Gov. Greg Abbott announced Friday that NRG Energy will receive a $562 million low-interest loan through the Texas Energy Fund to build a new natural gas power plant near Baytown. The 721-megawatt facility is projected to generate enough electricity to power more than 180,000 homes during peak demand and is expected to come online in 2028. The loan carries a 3 percent interest rate and will be repaid over 20 years.

Union Advises Texas A&M Faculty To ‘Resist’ Reform and Accountability

October 0105:00 AM

Texas Scorecard obtained a seven-page letter from the Texas chapter of the American Association of University Professors—part of the Texas American Federation of Teachers—addressed to faculty at the 12 Texas A&M University System campuses. view article

Federal Judges To Decide Texas Redistricting Case

October 0105:00 AM

Left-wing advocacy groups are challenging the constitutionality of Texas’ new congressional map, which creates five new Republican-opportunity districts. A legal showdown over Texas’ new congressional map begins Wednesday in an El Paso federal court. The outcome will determine whether the state’s latest congressional boundaries can be used in upcoming elections. view article

Texas Education Savings Account Program

October 0105:00 AM

Texas is taking a bold step to expand educational opportunities. In 2025, the Legislature created the Education Savings Account (ESA) Program to give parents the freedom to choose the best path for their child’s future. Beginning in the 2026–27 school year, funds will be made available to children accepted into the program that can be used for private school tuition, educational expenses for home-schoolers, tutoring, career and technical education programs and more. It’s an exciting new chapter for education in Texas — designed to put parents in the driver’s seat. view article

Texans ask for eligibility fixes, stronger accountability in school voucher program

October 0105:00 AM

For the first time since Texas authorized the program, the state heard public testimony from people concerned about pre-K funding, special education provisions and data reporting. view article

The federal government has shut down. Here’s what it means for Texas

October 0105:00 AM

Many federal employees are required to continue working without pay, though furloughs — or the usual uptick in workers calling in sick — could disrupt some services. view article

Whitesboro Officials Approve Huge Property Tax Increase

October 0105:00 AM

City council members unanimously approved a tax rate that will raise average homeowners’ property tax bills by 61 percent—an extra $498. view article

Gov. Abbott Directs DPS To Step Up Security at Texas Churches

October 0105:00 AM

Texas has taken several steps in recent years to allow churches more freedom to protect themselves and their congregants. Gov. Greg Abbott has directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to ramp up security around places of worship across the state. The announcement comes after a horrifying assault over the weekend at a Mormon church in Michigan, where authorities say 42-year-old Thomas Sanford drove a truck into the building, opened fire, and set the structure ablaze. Four were killed in the attack, and eight others were injured. view article

Gov. Abbott Directs DPS To Step Up Security at Texas Churches

October 0105:00 AM

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Austin ISD School Custodian Arrested for Child Sex Crime

September 3008:41 AM

A regional custodial specialist in the Austin Independent School District was arrested by federal authorities and charged with sexually abusing a child. Agustin Ibarra Lopez was arrested September 24 by U.S. Marshals on a felony charge of indecency with a child, according to a letter Austin ISD sent to district families on the 25th. Talent Strategy Officer Brandi Hosack advised that Lopez had served as a custodian at several Austin ISD schools since 2016: Bowie High School (2016–17 and 2017–18 school years), Akins High School (2018–2021), Mendez Middle School (2022), Casey Elementary School (May 2022), and Anderson High School (2023-24 school year). view article

Texas investigation into teachers’ posts after Charlie Kirk’s death violates their free speech, experts say

September 3008:40 AM

Free speech experts say that when teachers speak in their personal capacity, even on school grounds but outside their official duties, they retain their right to comment on matters of public concern. view article

Shrinking Resources Cast New Doubt on Operation Lone Star Prosecutions

September 3008:34 AM

Texas’ border jurisdictions are scrambling to manage thousands of pending Operation Lone Star cases after key state partners abruptly pulled out, leaving local officials to coordinate housing and transportation for defendants. Kinney County Attorney Brent Smith told Texas Scorecard the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) and the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM), both of which helped provide housing for illegal crossers arrested under the border security initiative, are no longer handling those responsibilities. The Del Rio Processing Center is reportedly shutting down, along with Val Verde County’s detention facility—the original epicenter of Operation Lone Star (OLS) prosecutions. “We’re left holding the bag,” Smith said. “Counties are having to figure this out on their own without the infrastructure the state had in place.” view article

Diboll school board OKs partnership with Georgia-Pacific to train students through AC for jobs upon graduation

September 3008:33 AM

DIBOLL — Career technical education director Joshua Slack presented a new partnership with Georgia-Pacific to train students through Angelina College using DISD robotics and engineering equipment during the Diboll school board’s monthly meeting Monday evening inside the district’s administration boardroom. Slack said Diboll is very family-oriented, and students want to stay in town with well-paying jobs. The program will allow students to pursue two certifications: a 22-hour electrical apprenticeship and a 20-hour electronic technology certificate, thus rendering them eligible for jobs with Georgia-Pacific upon graduation. Slack said Georgia-Pacific is an important community partner that needs a sustainable worker pipeline. The board unanimously approved the program’s initiation, which will start in October with 12 lessons. Assistant superintendent Katherina Crager presented a report on the district’s rating through the Texas Education Agency’s. Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST). The 2024-25 school year rating was calculated based on data from fiscal year 2024. view article

Texas’ investigation into teachers’ posts after Charlie Kirk’s death violates their free speech, experts say

September 3008:30 AM

Retired Texas Elementary Teacher Arrested on Federal Child Porn Charges

September 3008:30 AM

A retired elementary school “Teacher of the Year” was arrested on federal charges of possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material. Robby Lynn Mason, 56, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count each of receipt and distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor under the age of 12 years old. Mason taught 3rd grade math at Sunset (Dumas South) Elementary in Dumas Independent School District from 2018 until 2023, when he retired. Dumas ISD is located in the Texas Panhandle north of Amarillo and has about 4,300 students and 650 staff. Mason previously taught in Sunray ISD and Canyon ISD. view article

Democratic Rep. Jon Rosenthal will run for Texas Railroad Commission

September 3007:30 AM

The day after the four-term Houston lawmaker launched his statewide bid, his former chief of staff, Odus Evbagharu, announced he was running to succeed his former boss in the Texas House. view article

Federal Judges To Decide Texas Redistricting Case

September 3005:00 AM

A legal showdown over Texas’ new congressional map begins Wednesday in an El Paso federal court. The outcome will determine whether the state’s latest congressional boundaries can be used in upcoming elections. The new congressional map—signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott in August—added five new Republican-opportunity seats ahead of the 2026 midterm election. view article

The Texas AI boom goes public: $715M IPO set to shake up the market

September 3005:00 AM

A high-profile IPO this week could make former Texas Gov. Rick Perry—and his family—very wealthy. Fermi Corp., a nuclear-powered artificial intelligence startup co-founded by Perry, is expected to hit the Nasdaq with a valuation that could top $8 billion. view article

Audit: Texas Inconsistent with Federal Commercial Driver’s License Requirements

September 3005:00 AM

A nationwide audit conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration shows a lack of compliance with federal law by several states for commercial license requirements, with Texas included on the list. Late last week, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy released new emergency rules to help clarify and strengthen the current licensing system. “What our team has discovered should disturb and anger every American,” Duffy announced. view article

UNT Police Agree To Protect Conservative Student

September 3005:00 AM

The University of North Texas Police Department has agreed to protect a student facing harassment and threats. An audio recording of a prior meeting revealed that police originally asked the student to come up with a safety plan. Texas Scorecard obtained a Sunday email from University of North Texas Police Chief Ramona Washington to Randee Hallmark, the mother of UNT student Mary-Catherine Hallmark. Washington offered for Lt. Christopher Boesch to meet with Mary-Catherine Hallmark to review a “safety plan.” Hallmark is the UNT student who opposed a classmate celebrating Charlie Kirk’s assassination. She said she’s been harassed and threatened since then. view article

Texas State Professor Calls for Overthrow of US Government

September 3005:00 AM

A recording caught a Texas State University professor expressing support for overthrowing the U.S. government. Tom Alter, associate professor of history, expressed these views this past weekend at the virtual Revolutionary Socialism Conference 2025. In a video obtained by author Karlyn Borysenko, Alter spoke about various left-wing groups during his address to the Revolutionary Socialism Conference. He asked, “[W]ithout organization, how can anyone expect to overthrow the most bloodthirsty, profit-driven, mad organization in the history of the world, that of the U.S. government?” This followed Alter’s discussion of why he found political organization—in this case through the Democratic Socialists of America—insufficient. view article

Apple Springs superintendent Moree retiring at end of year

September 3005:00 AM

APPLE SPRINGS — The Apple Springs Independent School District Board of Trustees has announced that superintendent Cody Moree will retire effective Dec. 31 after 20 years of service to the district. Since arriving in Apple Springs in 2005, served for eight years as principal before assuming the role as superintendent. Moree has guided the district through a period of growth, innovation and recognition, always with a focus on the district’s motto, “Where Character Counts.” During his tenure, Apple Springs became one of the first East Texas districts to provide one-to-one technology for every student and staff member, launched its own school app, and equipped every classroom with interactive monitors. The district also expanded academic opportunities through dual-credit college courses and industry-based certifications, with graduates entering the workforce as nurses, welders, cosmetologists and other licensed professionals. Apple Springs has also gained national and state recognition, repeatedly named among the “Best Schools in America” by U.S. News & World Report and designated a “Texas Honor Roll District.” view article

Communities In Schools of Texas

September 2909:00 AM

Communities In Schools (CIS) is a dropout prevention program funded in part by the Texas Legislature and administered by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). CIS works in collaboration with school personnel to develop and provide a comprehensive Integrated Student Support (ISS) program uniquely tailored to address unmet academic and non-academic barriers to students' success. CIS staff complete a thorough campus needs assessment to identify campus needs, gaps in service, available resources, and the goals and priorities of the campus administration. CIS staff use this information to then develop a plan of service to address identified needs. view article

https://texasscorecard.com/local/mom-still-concerned-after-plano-isd-addresses-moldy-murphy-middle-school/

September 2909:00 AM

Darcy Hood mailed her voter registration application to the Tarrant County elections department in July, after she turned 18. Months later, her application still hasn’t been processed. And it’s unclear when it will be. With the Oct. 6 deadline to register to vote in November’s constitutional amendment election approaching, tens of thousands of Texans are in the same situation, waiting in suspense for their applications to go through, a process that normally takes a few days or weeks In interviews, private conversations, and emails, county elections officials from across the state point the finger at the state’s voter registration system, known as TEAM, which has long had functionality problems. They say that after the software was overhauled in July, the problems began proliferating: Voters’ previous addresses override their new ones, their voting precincts don’t populate correctly, and sometimes the registration information doesn’t save at all. view article

These S.A. school districts are in danger of TEA intervention. Here’s how they plan to avoid it.

September 2908:59 AM

After several of their campuses received another failing grade on the state's accountability ratings, four San Antonio school districts now face the possibility of being assigned a state-appointed conservator to help boost student performance. The Texas Education Agency has ordered Northside, San Antonio, Judson and Edgewood Independent School Districts to submit turnaround plans for their schools that have continued to fall short of state standards. view article

Indian Tribe Building Casino in Polk County Offsite of Main Reservation

September 2908:35 AM

Indian Tribe Building Casino in Polk County Offsite of Main Reservation The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe has announced that it is building a new casino resort on land owned by the tribe but not located on its reservation. The proposed Class II casino would be built near Leggett, Texas, on land that is not on or contiguous to the main reservation. On December 6, 2023, the Biden administration adopted new rules allowing tribes to acquire and transfer land into trust for the development of casinos. The rules went into effect on January 11, 2024. These rule changes were opposed by state and local authorities because the process by which tribes would be allowed to acquire land to develop casinos would circumvent local stakeholders. Until the adoption of this rule, tribes were generally prohibited from this activity. view article

Anti-DEI crusader Sid Miller urged UT to enroll student emphasizing her race and socioeconomic status

September 2908:32 AM

In May 2023, Miller wrote a letter urging university leaders to reconsider admitting a student whom he described as a “biracial Latina,” who was also the daughter of his political associate. In January, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller declared “war on DEI,” directing his agency to stop working with businesses that embrace policies that give advantages to people based on “race, color, sex, sexual preference, religion, or national origin.” He condemned the Biden Administration for allowing “unfair” diversity, equity, and inclusion policies “to infect all aspects of our federal government, major corporations, financial institutions, the medical industry, and institutions of higher education,” Miller said in a press release. But in May 2023, he wrote a letter to leaders of the University of Texas at San Antonio and the University of Texas at Austin emphasizing a student’s ethnicity and socioeconomic status as he urged the schools to reconsider her enrollment. view article

Trump asks Supreme Court to let him end birthright citizenship

September 2908:30 AM

President Donald Trump is asking the Supreme Court to revive his controversial policy to deny birthright citizenship to children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants and to visitors on short-term visas. In petitions submitted to the high court on Friday, Solicitor General D. John Sauer asked the justices to hear arguments on the issue early next year, which would likely lead to a ruling by June. view article

Students and staff safe after threat at Lorenzo ISD

September 2908:27 AM

In a social media post Friday afternoon, the Crosby County Sheriff’s Office said they were working with Lorenzo ISD to investigate a phone threat made against the district. They stated that all students and faculty were safe and that no incident had taken place at the time of writing. In addition, they urged parents to not come to the school, with a normal dismissal schedule still in place. view article

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