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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More Families Sue Celina ISD Over Locker Room Recording Scandal

November 0308:35 AM

More families are suing Celina Independent School District, accusing the district of gross negligence for enabling a middle school coach’s alleged illicit locker room recording of student athletes while the boys were undressed and showering. The new lawsuit was filed this week by families of three Moore Middle School students who were victimized by their coach William Caleb Elliott. Caleb Elliott is the 26-year-old son of Celina ISD’s longtime Head Football Coach and Athletic Director Bill Elliott. The petition describes Caleb Elliott as “a predator enabled by nepotism and willful blindness” and asserts that his father Bill Elliott’s “on-field success” in football “translated into outsized influence within Celina ISD.” view article

Less than half of arrested immigrants had criminal convictions

November 0308:30 AM

In its first term, the Trump administration focused on the southern border as hundreds of thousands of immigrants, many from Central and South America, came seeking asylum. The administration implemented policies such as the Migrant Protection Protocols, also known as the “remain in Mexico” policy, under which more than 70,000 non-Mexican people were forced to wait in Mexico until their asylum cases wound through U.S. immigration courts. But the second Trump administration has been even more aggressive in clamping down on undocumented immigrants in the nation’s interior, setting a goal for ICE of at least 3,000 arrests a day. The data show that in the first six months of this term, ICE averaged 727 arrests a day, more than doubling the 304 daily arrests under Biden. view article

Houston City Council Pushes Through $16 Million Homeless Hub

November 0308:30 AM

A $16 million homeless “super hub” that was pulled from two consecutive agendas amid public backlash has now been approved. The Houston City Council has officially approved a $16 million plan to create a homeless “super hub” east of downtown—despite objections from nearby residents who say City Hall shut them out of the process. view article

Dallas Sued for Enforcing Ordinances in Violation of Texas Constitution

November 0308:30 AM

Local residents are suing the City of Dallas for enforcing 89 ordinances that the City itself admitted are in violation of the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act and the Texas Constitution, according to allegations from the Texas Public Policy Foundation. The Texas Regulatory Consistency Act (TRCA)—referred to by critics as the “Death Star Bill”—is designed to rein in out-of-control local governments and protect Texans from tyrannical local regulations. The act—passed in 2023—preempts local governments from adopting, enforcing, or maintaining ordinances related to agriculture, business and commerce, finance, labor, natural resources, occupations, and property. view article

Inside Texas’ pregnancy care in prison: Where women such as Kristina Chambers stay and are treated

November 0308:30 AM

After being sentenced to more than 10 years in state prison, Kristina Chambers will join the small population of incarcerated expectant mothers. For pregnant women spending time in prison, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice maintains specialty programs and facilities to ensure that expectant mothers receive the proper care. A total of 7,995 incarcerated women were admitted in 2024, only 87 of whom were pregnant, according to last year's TDCJ report on pregnant inmates. Chambers, who is four months pregnant, was sentenced Monday to 11 years and 14 days in state prison for the 2023 death of a pedestrian she hit with her Porsche 911 Carrera while driving drunk. As of Friday, she was awaiting transfer to prison from jail. view article

Teachers, parents express hope, fear as Texas takes control of FWISD’s future

November 0308:00 AM

De Zavala Elementary parents see an opportunity through the state takeover of Fort Worth ISD: Possibly saving their school. Teacher Scott Blanco-Davis and FWISD PTA Council President Lupe Lynch said they will continue pushing for better support for educators and increased parental engagement. The United Educators Association’s Steven Poole, though, warned of a potential teacher exodus once the state fully assumes control. Parents, FWISD staff and community members voiced hope and concerns Tuesday during the trustees’ first meeting since the Texas Education Agency launched a takeover of the 67,500-student district. The locally elected school board will soon lose its authority to the state. view article

Secretary of State Moves to Dismiss Texas GOP’s Lawsuit to Close the Primaries

November 0305:00 AM

Secretary of State Moves to Dismiss Texas GOP’s Lawsuit to Close the Primaries Secretary of State Jane Nelson filed official responses opposing the Texas GOP’s effort to close the primaries in federal court late Thursday. Nelson’s filings urge dismissal of the GOP’s lawsuit against the State and directly oppose the joint consent judgment Attorney General Ken Paxton and GOP leaders sought earlier this month to close Republican primaries immediately. “This lawsuit is about protecting Republicans’ right to choose their own standard-bearers,” said Texas GOP Chair Abraham George when the party filed the lawsuit. Already implemented in states like New York and Florida, closed primaries would allow only registered Republican voters to select Republican nominees. Currently, Texas operates an open system where any voter—including Democrats—may vote in Republican primary elections. view article

Fort Worth ISD Parents Fear the Same Chaos that State Takeover Has Brought to Houston ISD

November 0305:00 AM

Despite months of community protests, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) announced last week that it would begin the process of taking over Fort Worth Independent School District, Texas’ ninth largest school district with 68,000 students. The move marks the second-largest district to be taken over by the state, next to the highly controversial takeover of Houston ISD in 2023, and is part of an increasing trend of state intervention into locally controlled public education systems. In a letter to district leaders, TEA Commissioner Mike Morath said he planned to appoint a superintendent, a conservator, and a new board of managers, thereby deposing the currently elected school board, after the appeal process ends on October 30. view article

Houston is home to the best charter middle school in Texas, U.S. News says

November 0305:00 AM

A new ranking from U.S. News & World Report says Houston is home to the best charter middle school in Texas, and two of the top 10 charter elementary schools in the state. Cornerstone Academy, an in-district charter in Spring Branch ISD, was ranked No. 1 in the state in the gorup's 2026 ranking of charter middle schools. It also ranked highly among the state's best public middle schools, earning the fourth spot in the region after two Houston ISD campuses and one in Stafford MSD. It's the second time Spring Branch ISD has topped the U.S. News list for charter schools. In August, Westchester Academy, a charter high school also in Spring Branch, was named one of the top 100 charter schools in the U.S. view article

Police confirm second Celina ISD teacher arrest this month at same middle school

November 0304:23 AM

The woman was a teacher at Moore Middle School, the same campus at the center of a case involving a coach recording children in the locker room. view article

2nd teacher at Celina ISD school arrested this month

October 3108:31 AM

A Celina ISD teacher is in jail after police said she was impaired while on the campus of Moore Middle School. She’s the second teacher from the school to face criminal charges this month. view article

Unnamed IDEA Charter School Teacher Under Investigation for Sexual Misconduct

October 3108:30 AM

A search warrant was issued after a 13-year-old student told police the teacher touched her. A Houston charter school teacher is under investigation after a 13-year-old female student accused the now-former educator of inappropriate touching and sending her lewd social media messages. According to a search warrant reviewed by ABC 13, the 28-year-old teacher—whose name has been withheld since he has not been criminally charged—previously worked at IDEA Hardy, part of the IDEA Public Schools charter network. view article

Why parents of Texas trans kids say a parental rights measure on the ballot is government overreach

October 3108:28 AM

When Mandy Giles launched Parents of Trans Youth in 2022, her goal was to provide a support group for those coming to terms with having a transgender child. Giles, a Houston-based mother who raised two nonbinary children, said that issue is no longer the primary concern for parents joining her group. In today's political climate, she says they mostly ask: “How do I keep my child safe?” The question is often raised as the transgender community faces legal setbacks at the state and federal levels. LGBTQ+ youth have been particularly affected as laws like Senate Bill 12 bar them from hosting certain clubs at school in the name of “parental rights.” view article

James Talarico Senate campaign says it mistakenly listed endorsement from Socorro ISD Superintendent James Vasquez

October 3108:26 AM

Socorro Independent School District Superintendent James Vasquez was incorrectly included on a list Tuesday of “more than 100 elected officials from every region of Texas” endorsing James Talarico, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, campaign officials said. view article

Mansfield Legacy High School teacher fired after arrest for child porn, abuse charges

October 3108:24 AM

A Mansfield ISD teacher was fired this week after his arrest on charges of child pornography, sexual assault of a child and improper relationship with a student. Jared Young, 33, was a science teacher at Legacy High School and a coach of freshman football and basketball teams. view article

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Experts Criticize Unauthorized State Energy Project

October 3105:08 AM

New transmission lines will cost over $200 per year for the average residential consumer in most parts of the state. view article

Texas DACA recipients ponder leaving the state amid push to revoke their work permits

October 3105:00 AM

A Trump administration proposal would strip Texas’ more than 86,000 DACA recipients of their work permits — including two nurses who say they’ll move to other states if that happens. t 16 years old, Ivonne Cruz felt hopeless. She was a single mother and an undocumented immigrant, working the register of a Dallas McDonald’s. Her career options seemed slim, but she told herself that if she worked hard enough, she could achieve her dream of becoming a nurse. view article

The best K-12 private schools in Houston

October 3105:00 AM

Every family has unique priorities when identifying the best private schools in Houston, but regardless of what’s on your must-have list, your perfect match may be listed here. The Houston K-12 private schools on this list were voted the Houston Chronicle’s Best of the Best Private Schools, giving them locals’ stamp of approval. These impressive schools offer students features like small class sizes, personalized attention and college preparation curricula to ensure higher test scores and post-secondary success. Review each school to find the best match for your young scholar. view article

First freeze of the season to hit Texas Panhandle, chance of first snow looms

October 3105:00 AM

Forecasters called it a "killing freeze" that will end the growing season for farmers.The first freeze of the season is arriving tonight across the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles, with temperatures expected to plunge well below freezing—the region's first real taste of winter. view article

Texas put its chief financial officer in charge of school vouchers. Here’s what you need to know.

October 3104:00 AM

Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this year signed a law authorizing a $1 billion private school voucher program, tapping the state comptroller’s office as the entity responsible for its creation. The law grants Texas’ chief financial officer tremendous authority to build the infrastructure around education savings accounts, a type of voucher program that will allow families to receive taxpayer money to cover their children’s private school or home-schooling costs. The agency’s responsibilities include choosing the companies that will receive millions of dollars to help administer the program, creating the rules that participating families must follow and producing annual reports on the program’s outcomes. view article

BREAKING: Texas Education Agency Takes Over Fort Worth ISD

October 3009:11 AM

n a move that's been months in the making, the TEA and Mike Morath will make FWISD their own. view article

New TASB Officers Elected for 2025-26

October 3008:50 AM

Austin— The 2025-26 officers for the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) were elected during the Association’s 2025 Delegate Assembly, which was held Sept. 13 in Houston. New TASB President Tony Hopkins of Friendswood ISD succeeds Immediate Past President Rolinda Schmidt of Kerrville ISD. Mary Jane Hetrick of Dripping Springs ISD now serves as president-elect. First vice-president is Dan Micciche of Dallas ISD, and second vice-president is Sylvia Sánchez Garza of South Texas ISD. Justin Chapa of Arlington ISD serves as secretary-treasurer. view article

Fort Worth ISD takeover was largely based on STAAR, despite plans to replace it

October 3008:39 AM

Both Republicans and Democrats have said STAAR sets students up for failure, raising questions about basing a state takeover on the test’s results. The state takeover of the Fort Worth Independent School District is largely based on student performance on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness — a testing system that came under scrutiny this year and led state lawmakers to replace it over concerns that it set students up for failure. view article

Texas Lawmakers Tackle Growing Threat to Cattle and Hunting Industries From Flesh-Eating Parasite

October 3008:35 AM

The House Agriculture and Livestock Committee heard from experts and concerned citizens about the dangers of a parasite making its way toward the U.S. border from Mexico. With Texas agriculture officials warning of the dire threat posed by a flesh-eating parasite advancing toward the U.S.-Mexico border, state lawmakers are considering how to confront the looming reemergence of the New World screwworm—an invasive pest experts say could devastate the state’s livestock and hunting industries unless swift action is taken. The New World screwworm is a parasite native to South America that eats the tissue of warm-blooded mammals. view article

State Rep. Mitch Little Calls for Transparency in Celina ISD Sexual Abuse Scandal

October 3008:34 AM

The case stems from a coach’s illegal recording of undressed middle school boys in the locker room. view article

Fort Worth ISD takeover was largely based on STAAR test, despite plans to replace it

October 3008:31 AM

The state takeover of the Fort Worth Independent School District is largely based on student performance on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness — a testing system that came under scrutiny this year and led state lawmakers to replace it over concerns that it set students up for failure. The widespread criticism of STAAR has prompted questions about the fairness of the takeover, including whether the state should replace an elected school board and a superintendent if the test driving the decision does not adequately capture student learning. view article

Many Texans will pay more for ACA health insurance. Here’s what to know about open enrollment.

October 3008:31 AM

The annual window to sign up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act opens Nov. 1, and many Texans are expected to pay more for coverage this year. Enhanced premium tax credits that have helped ACA enrollees shave off the cost of their premiums are slated to expire at the end of the year. The loss of the subsidies will have an outsized effect on Texas, where nearly 4 million people signed up for ACA coverage this year. Policy experts fear that ratcheting up the cost of ACA coverage will make it so unaffordable that people will drop health insurance coverage altogether. Additionally, funding for navigators, which helped 26,533 Texans sign up for ACA last year, has been reduced by 90% this year. view article

Texas AG Probes Security Camera Company for Potential Chinese Communist Party Ties

October 3008:30 AM

Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into Lorex Technology Inc. over concerns that its products may be tied to the Chinese Communist Party and present a risk to national security. Paxton’s probe targets whether Lorex, a security camera company that was previously owned by the Chinese tech giant Dahua, is deceptively marketing surveillance cameras to Texans as safe and secure. Lorex confirmed that it is aware of the attorney general’s probe and wrote, “We fully intend to contest the allegations made by the Attorney General, and we are confident that a fair hearing will determine that Lorex has taken the appropriate steps to safeguard customer privacy.” Federal agencies have flagged Dahua as a “Chinese military company” and have implemented bans and restrictions on its products due to hacking and surveillance risks. view article

Principal who held ‘not sanctioned’ meeting will not return to Dallas high school

October 3008:28 AM

The Dallas ISD principal who allegedly called a meeting of only Black students to discuss their academic performance will not return to her job. In a letter sent to parents Tuesday night, Dallas ISD Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde told Woodrow Wilson High parents that “after reviewing preliminary details,” principal Chandra Hooper-Barnett will not return. view article

Milano ISD mourning death of Superintendent Dr. Elisabeth Avila Luevanos

October 3008:26 AM

Milano ISD Superintendent Dr. Elisabeth Avila Luevanos has died following a recent accident, the district has announced. The district described Luevanos as a "devoted leader, educator and advocate for students whose impact on our schools and community will be felt for years to come." view article

Boyd ISD approves separation agreement with construction company

October 3008:26 AM

Boyd ISD is now looking for a new construction company after the district’s board of trustees approved a letter of separation with Gallagher Construction during its October meeting last week. Superintendent Tom Woody presented a letter from Gallagher Construction president Jeff Fisher citing the company’s desire to cancel its partnership due to a disagreement concerning the building of a road planned to be built on the district’s property on Cemetery Road. view article

Celina ISD faces lawsuit for sexual misconduct under new state law

October 3008:24 AM

Texas school districts could be held liable for sexual misconduct involving teachers and students thanks to a new state law. State Representative Mitch Little from Lewisville discussed that law on Wednesday at a press conference at the Collin County courthouse in McKinney, where a pending lawsuit against Celina ISD accuses a former football coach of filming students undressing in the boys locker room. view article

Austin ISD families rally to save Maplewood Elementary as district refines closure plan

October 3008:24 AM

Austin ISD is moving forward with updates to its sweeping consolidation plan that could close 13 schools, including Maplewood Elementary, a 74-year-old campus with a long community legacy and the district’s only “A”-rated school among those proposed for closure. As trustees listened to some of the adjustments during a Wednesday night work session, Maplewood families gathered in a different kind of meeting, one filled with music and messages of unity. view article

Lockhart ISD to break ground on $90M middle school in early 2026

October 3008:24 AM

Lockhart Independent School District will break ground on a $90 million middle school in early 2026 after it got a donation from the Red Oak Development Group. In a news release from Red Oak Development Group, the 589-acre land is in the “interconnected community” known as Moxie. Construction of Phase One (infrastructure) will begin in fall 2025, with a grand opening set for spring 2026. view article

Spring Hill ISD voters weigh tax rate election, $20 million bond for school upgrades

October 3008:22 AM

Spring Hill ISD voters will decide this November whether to approve a new bond package and a property tax rate increase. The district says the funds would support academic programs, facility upgrades and student services. Proposition A is the voter-approval tax rate election. Spring Hill ISD is asking voters to consider a 3.2-cent tax increase per $100 of taxable property value. The increase would provide additional funding for academic programs, extracurricular activities and student support services. 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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