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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A new round of property tax cuts is headed to Abbott and Texas voters

May 3008:43 AM

So touching to see Faizan's dad go and pat/hug the first runner up before moving towards his son. What a fine show of character! Hats off to him for setting a fine example for his son and for every other child and parent watching. New property tax relief for homeowners and businesses is headed to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk and onto the November ballot. The proposal raises the homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000 for most homeowners, effectively reducing the taxable value of a home. The Texas Senate gave final sign-off on the tax cuts Thursday, days after the House view article

More North Texas school districts are switching to 4-day weeks. Here’s why.

May 3008:38 AM

More public school districts in Texas are turning to shorter school weeks, including several in North Texas. For the 2025-2026 school year, Kennedale ISD in Tarrant County and Ponder ISD in Denton County will transition to a four-day school week. At least 18 public school districts in the North Texas area have already made the change. view article

Fort Worth ISD trustees approved $109M in purchases. Here’s what they bought in April

May 3008:35 AM

What is it? The contract allows the district to accept debit and credit card payments for goods and services. What’s the cost? $143,926 Who’s the vendor? KEV Group Where’s the funding coming from? General fund What was the vote? 9-0 view article

Seguin ISD names interim superintendent, Vijil reassigned to superintendent emeritus role

May 3008:35 AM

Seguin ISD’s superintendent has taken on her new role early, and the board has named an interim to lead the district until it has hired its new leader. During a specially called meeting on Wednesday, the Seguin ISD Board of Trustees approved an amended retirement agreement that reassigns Superintendent Veronica Vijil to superintendent emeritus earlier than originally agreed upon and named Seguin ISD Chief Financial Officer Elizabeth Banks (formerly Oaks) as the interim superintendent, Seguin ISD Board President Denise Crettenden said. view article

Abilene ISD honors Jennifer Crisp as 2024-25 elementary teacher of the year

May 3008:34 AM

ABILENE, Texas — Abilene ISD officially named its 2024-25 Elementary Teacher of the Year. The award was given to Jennifer Crisp, a teacher from Taylor Elementary. “I was completely shocked, humbled, and honored,” Crisp said. “One of the great things about that event is that you hear all the stories of the excellent teaching happening in our district. It was inspirational, and I wish everyone in our district could have heard those stories. They make you feel good about education.” view article

Mercedes ISD superintendent resigns following DWI arrest

May 3008:29 AM

The Mercedes ISD school board voted to accept superintendent Benjamin Clinton’s resignation during a meeting on Tuesday. The school board voted unanimously on the resignation and to approve the interim superintendent agreement. Alicia Noyola was named interim superintendent on May 20. Noyola is the former Harlingen CISD superintendent, a position she held for more than two years. She retired from the position in August 2023. view article

Texas Legislature approves $8.5 billion boost for public schools after years of stagnant funding

May 3008:15 AM

Gov. Greg Abbott has already said he intends to sign the bill, which will give schools funding for salary increases, special education, teacher preparation and operational costs. view article

Trustees, parents would review school library books under bill OK’d by Texas House

May 3006:04 AM

AUSTIN -- School boards could pull books from school library shelves if they deem them profane or indecent under legislation given final passage Wednesday in the Texas House. Librarians, who are charged with curating the book collections, would need to seek the school board's approval before buying books under Senate Bill 13, by Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney. District officials could appoint local advisory councils, composed of parents, educators and community members, to review books and make recommendations to the school board. view article

Arlington ISD’s enrollment could shrink by 2032. Here’s what’s driving the decline

May 2908:40 AM

Arlington ISD’s enrollment could drop below 50,000 in the next seven years, a report recently presented to the school board revealed. The presentation showed two factors are contributing to the possible drop off in enrollment: competition with charter schools and the waning enrollment of kindergarteners. view article

Georgetown eyes new fees, service cuts to address possible budget gap

May 2908:40 AM

In a three-year budget model, Georgetown officials are evaluating ways to increase revenue and lower expenses as forecasts show the city’s operating expenses are outpacing revenue sources. At a May 13 City Council workshop, City Manger David Morgan said Georgetown could be facing an $80 million negative balance in the general fund by fiscal year 2027-28 if no action is taken. “This is not what we will propose, this is not what will happen,” Morgan said during his presentation. “This is ... us making sure that we're doing our due diligence to manage our budget.” view article

Texas to expand how schools discipline students

May 2908:40 AM

House Bill 6, which now heads to the governor, targets the increase in violence that has plagued schools since the pandemic Texas schools will be able to use harsher punishments to discipline students after the Texas Legislature passed a sweeping package on Wednesday — part of their efforts to stem student violence after the pandemic .“Disruptions are impeding both the ability of teachers to teach and the ability of students to learn,” said state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock. House Bill 6 would extend how long schools can place students in in-school suspensions from three days to as long as they see appropriate. Principals would need to review the placement every 10 days. Students facing in-school suspension still complete schoolwork in a different classroom on school grounds. view article

Bill that would have banned Texas minors from social media misses key deadline

May 2908:30 AM

House Bill 186, approved by the lower chamber in May, never received a vote in the Senate. A bill that would have banned minors from having a social media account has missed a deadline to pass in the Texas Senate. House Bill 186, filed by Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, sailed through the House 116-25 in May, but never received a vote in the Senate several days after a slew of teenagers spoke against it during a Senate committee hearing. The contents of the bill could still be attached to another as an amendment or as part of a budget stipulation, but it is unlikely this late into the legislative session, which ends Monday. view article

Texas just defined man and woman. Here’s why that matters.

May 2908:30 AM

The Texas Legislature has passed a bill that strictly defines man and woman based on reproductive organs. The bill has no civil or criminal penalties attached, but instead will take these new definitions and apply them across state records. When Gov. Greg Abbott signs House Bill 229, Texas will become the 14th state to implement one of these so-called “sex definition” laws in recent years. Supporters of the legislation say it’s necessary to protect women’s rights and spaces, and the immutable differences between the sexes. view article

Texas parents, school boards may have more control over school library books after House OKs bill

May 2908:30 AM

The Texas House approved a bill Wednesday that would give Texas parents and school boards a bigger role over what books students can access in public school libraries. view article

El Paso ISD leaves Superintendent Diana Sayavedra’s position unchanged

May 2908:29 AM

The El Paso Independent School District took no action regarding the future of Diana Sayavedra's role as superintendent. The special board meeting was called by Board President Leah Hanany to address Sayavedra's duties and employment status. view article

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New Webinar - Analysis of House Bill (HB) 6: What You Need to Know About the Statutory Changes Involving Student Discipline

July 15, 2025

Booming Texas town’s growth prompts school district’s massive land deal

May 2908:28 AM

Boerne Independent School District announced last week that it is in the process of purchasing 70 acres of land near the intersection of Interstate 10 and Old Fredericksburg Road in south Kendall County. The decision to enter the land deal was made May 20, and leaders say the move is to prepare for increasing enrollment projections. Last year, the school district announced it was raising the pay for school bus drivers in the wake of a nearly 1,000 increase in bus riders from the previous school year. view article

Edcouch-Elsa ISD appoints wife of school board member as interim superintendent

May 2908:28 AM

Edcouch-Elsa Independent School District has an interim superintendent. The former superintendent, Alda Benavides, retired last Wednesday and the school board selected Dr. Sandra Ochoa to replace her. Ochoa is married to sitting school board trustee Dr. Ricardo Ochoa. According to Edcouch-Elsa ISD attorney Benjamin Castillo, Ochoa's husband did not attend last Wednesday's meeting where his wife was selected. view article

Austin ISD school bus swerves off road, through grass embankment; 2 injured

May 2908:25 AM

Two people were injured after an Austin ISD school bus swerved off the road in north Austin Wednesday morning, according to the school district. ustin ISD says that Bus 1651 swerved off the road while driving on Steck Avenue in north Austin. They said the bus drove through the grass embankment before stopping on the MoPac frontage road, where they say it is now blocking the roadway. view article

Enrollment projections for Round Rock ISD shift with housing market changes

May 2908:24 AM

Round Rock ISD is projected to reach a district wide enrollment of between 45,893 and 48,690 students in the next decade, a new demographics report shows. In a departure from reports historically provided by Zonda Education, the range of possible results represents outcomes the district could face due to a few challenges in the local housing market, consultant Hudson Huff told trustees in a May update. view article

Aldine ISD Leader Named to National Superintendent Leadership Academy

May 2908:18 AM

Georgina “Gina” Foroi, executive director of family and community engagement for Aldine ISD, has been selected to join Cohort 15 of the Superintendent Leadership Academy, a national program offered by the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents. view article

Round Rock ISD Students Shine in Dell IGNITE Internship Program

May 2908:11 AM

Ten Round Rock ISD seniors were among the 21 high school students selected to participate in the prestigious Dell IGNITE spring internship program. This paid, 10-week STEM-focused experience was designed to give students real-world exposure to software, electrical, and mechanical engineering. The program, held on the Dell campus in Austin from February to April, welcomed a competitive cohort drawn from Round Rock ISD, Pflugerville ISD, Leander ISD, and local private and charter schools. Of the 74 applicants, 21 were selected, with Round Rock ISD students representing nearly half of the final group. view article

Judson ISD votes against closing 3 schools following hours of public comments

May 2808:48 AM

Judson Independent School District board members voted against closing three schools late Wednesday night. In the past few months, the district’s board has explored several cost-saving measures to slash a projected $48 million deficit for the next school year, including not having a librarian on every campus, putting a property tax raise up for voter approval that would unlock $12 million for the district and reducing calendar days for certain staff. Judson ISD’s financial woes are not unique, as nearly every school district in San Antonio faces multi-million budget deficits while being uncertain that the state would pass a public school finance bill before the legislative session ends on June 2. Earlier this year, North East ISD voted to close three schools to offset a $39 million deficit and address low enrollment and San Antonio ISD closed 15 schools last year for similar reasons. view article

Texas already gives public ed dollars to private operators. Here’s how that worked out.

May 2808:40 AM

At an April 2017 committee hearing in a meeting room tucked away in the Capitol’s underground extension, state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a bespectacled Houston Republican, touted a proposal of his then called Senate Bill 1882. The bill was meant to “turn around” public schools the state had deemed failing by tapping nonprofit charter school operators to take over and implement “innovative practices,” Bettencourt promised. The new system would be a “model of efficiency,” New Braunfels Republican Donna Campbell added to a chorus of bipartisan support. Co-author José Menéndez, a San Antonio Democrat, later told the Texas Observer that he aimed to tap into charter operators’ “highest expertise.” At the hearing, one public school advocate warned of the proposal’s high cost and lack of accountability, and another requested more protections for public school employees, but their testimonies were largely ignored, and SB 1882 passed. view article

South San ISD will activate ‘disaster pennies,’ unlocking free money for the district

May 2808:40 AM

South San Antonio Independent School District will tap into the state’s “disaster pennies” program to unlock $3 million in their budget for one-time expenses. Taken over by the state in February after a Texas Education Agency investigation found the district’s elected board members mismanaged funds and violated governing procedures, the Southside district faces a multi-million dollar budget deficit during a state legislative session that’s been slow to pass a public school funding bill. view article

Get ready San Antonio. More high school students are seeking workforce training and certifications.

May 2808:40 AM

Get ready San Antonio. More high school students are seeking workforce training and certifications. view article

More schools are adopting a 4-day school week. One Montana town tried to fight it

May 2808:40 AM

RAVALLI COUNTY, Mont. — After years of putting it off, Montana’s Florence-Carlton school district had to decide: Would it join the many smaller districts in the state with a four-day school week, or stick with a five-day schedule? This story also appeared in Chalkbeat and Montana Free Press Until recently, some local education leaders thought the four-day week was a poor fit for the town of Florence. Staffing problems, including having to cut nine employees, the end of pandemic-era education funding, and the loss of 50 students this school year, however, put the district of about 730 students in a tight spot. view article

School vouchers will soon pay for private pre-K in San Antonio. Who’s eligible?

May 2808:34 AM

Families who qualify for free preschool could use state education savings accounts, known as school vouchers, to pay for highly-rated private preschools. Signed into law for the first time in Texas history earlier this month, the ESA program allocates $1 billion state dollars for eligible families to cover the cost of private school tuition, therapy and other education-focused costs. Some families could also use school vouchers to pay for private early education for children age 4, a positive step in addressing early childhood needs, said Mark Larson, executive director or the San Antonio-based early education advocacy group Early Matters. view article

Bill allowing Texas colleges to pay their athletes gets Senate approval

May 2808:30 AM

Texas colleges could soon pay student athletes directly for the first time. The Senate unanimously passed a bill on Tuesday that would allow colleges to enter directly into what are called “name, image and likeness” agreements with athletes. Currently, only outside entities, like national advertisers or athletic boosters, can do so. “The Senate saved college sports in Texas,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said, jokingly afterward. The Senate was supposed to consider House Bill 126 on Sunday, but delayed after senators complained they hadn’t been fully briefed on the issue. Some then hopped on a call with college coaches across the state, who emphasized they needed the legislation to disperse millions of dollars as part of a court settlement that is expected to be finalized in the fall and to be able to effectively recruit top talent. view article

Texas will require state documents to reflect sex assigned at birth

May 2808:30 AM

Many trans Texans have changed the sex listed on their birth certificate, driver’s licenses and other documents. They say their identities will be invalidated under bill headed to governor's desk. Texas will require state documents to reflect sex assigned at birth view article

Mercedes ISD superintendent resignation approved by school board

May 2808:29 AM

Benjamin Clinton, superintendent of schools with the Mercedes Independent School District, has resigned. A motion to proceed with Clinton’s resignation was approved Tuesday evening during a special school board meeting. The resignation comes days after Clinton was arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated. view article

Grand Prairie ISD superintendent dismissed after hostile workplace complaints, documents reveal

May 2808:27 AM

Grand Prairie ISD paid its former superintendent more than $350,000 as part of a separation agreement reached after an investigation found "credible evidence" he harassed and discriminated against "non-Hispanic female employees," documents show. The district put former superintendent Jorge Arredondo on leave last September after only three months on the job, then voted 5-2 to fire him in December. He resigned effective March 31, according to the separation agreement. view article

Hidalgo ISD names J.A. Gonzalez as lone finalist for superintendent

May 2808:26 AM

The Hidalgo Independent School District school board voted to name J.A. Gonzalez as the lone finalist for superintendent at a special board meeting held on the morning of Memorial Day. By Texas law, there must be a 21-day waiting period after announcing a lone finalist to finalize a contract with the individual. Gonzalez is well known in the Valley education realm, serving as superintendent at the Harlingen and McAllen school districts. view article

Hutto ISD launches first-time offender program for nicotine, THC offenses

May 2808:25 AM

Hutto ISD launched a new partnership with Williamson County Juvenile Services in May to provide second chances to students caught vaping or in possession of THC and nicotine products on campus. view article

Spring Branch ISD In Houston Approves $76.9 Million Bond To Rebuild 50-Year-Old Natatorium

May 2808:25 AM

Swimmers who call the Spring Branch Independent School District in Texas home are about to get a major boon to their training. On May 3, voters in the Houston district passed Proposition C, a $76.9 million measure that will provide for the rebuilding and relocation of the W.W. Emmons Natatorium, which was built in 1975 and has served as the district’s competition pool. Voters approved three of four bonds totaling $558.6 million in improvements to athletic facilities. Proposition C was specifically for the natatorium, and it figures to be a major upgrade for the district and community. view article

Houston ISD’s Madison High School, Jones Futures Academy change principals

May 2808:25 AM

Houston ISD campuses announced principal departures at Madison High School, Jones Futures Academy, and Red Elementary School amid at least 21 principal changes. Madison High School welcomed Janet Orozco, formerly the Jones Futures Academy's principal, into the role that had been previously held by Principal Edgar Contreras. Contreras was Madison's third principal, following Yolanda Bruce and Tanisha Lee, since the June 2023 state takeover of the district. It is unclear whether he is remaining the district. view article

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New Webinar - Analysis of House Bill (HB) 6: What You Need to Know About the Statutory Changes Involving Student Discipline

July 15, 2025