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.
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.
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.”
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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Trial begins for officer accused of failing to protect children during Uvalde school shooting

January 0508:40 AM

One of the first police officers to respond to the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, goes on trial Monday on charges that he failed to protect children during the attack, when authorities waited more than an hour to confront the gunman view article

Dallas County sues Trump administration over clawback of public health funds

January 0508:35 AM

Dallas is the second Texas county to sue over public health cuts after a judge ordered the Trump administration to return $20 million to Harris County last summer. view article

Statewide battles, Latino voters and down-ballot contests: the biggest Texas political stories to watch in 2026

January 0508:30 AM

The Texas Tribune’s politics team has compiled five of the top stories we're watching this year, when voters will have their first chance to make their opinions known on the events of 2025. view article

Texas’ largest public transit system may come undone in 2026

January 0508:30 AM

DALLAS — A suburban mutiny against Texas’ largest public transit agency threatens to upend how tens of thousands of Texans get around in the state’s most populated urban area — at a time state transportation planners say the state needs more public transit. A quartet of Dallas suburbs — Plano, Irving, Farmers Branch and Highland Park — plan to vote in May on whether to leave Dallas Area Rapid Transit, or DART, following years of tensions between the suburbs and the North Texas region’s transit agency. Suburban officials complain that for how much they shell out to fund buses and light rail, their residents hardly use it. Among the four cities looking to pull out from DART, most kick in more sales tax dollars than they receive in bus service, rail and other forms of transit service, according to a consultant’s report last year. “We have just been dissatisfied with the service, the safety and certainly the ridership that is woefully low,” Plano Mayor John Muns said in an interview. “We’re paying an extraordinary amount for the service that we’re getting back.” view article

How the political tide turned on Mark Welsh, the four-star general ousted as Texas A&M president

January 0508:30 AM

The A&M Board of Regents came to want a more explicitly conservative leader who would shut down controversy before it reared its head, as members grew weary from the steady drumbeat of online posts accusing the university of embracing liberal ideology. view article

Dunbar honored with Texas Historical Marker

January 0508:16 AM

A historical marker was unveiled Saturday morning for Dunbar High School, commemorating its history and importance in the community. "A lot of familiar faces here, but I'm glad you are all in this room to celebrate this momentous occasion," Daniel Spikes said in his opening remarks. Kendrick Morris continued the ceremony, noting that Dunbar had undergone many changes over the years. "When I attended Dunbar, it was the intermediate school. I was here before it was changed to the education center," he said. "Today we are gathered at a site that represents much more than just bricks and mortar. view article

A national GOP push to exclude noncitizens from future redistricting could have big ramifications in Texas

December 1208:47 AM

The impacts of the latest fight over Texas’ political maps are still reverberating around the state, but there are other debates on the horizon. Future political representation could hinge on President Donald Trump’s renewed push to exclude at least some noncitizens from the population counts that help determine how political power is distributed in the U.S. In Texas, where Republicans pushed through a rare midcycle redistricting this year to try to maintain their advantage in Congress after the 2026 midterm elections, experts say that excluding noncitizens when drawing districts could open another way for the GOP to tighten its grip on the state Legislature and congressional delegation. view article

TEA will take over Beaumont ISD, district and board member confirm, as commissioner orders new board of managers

December 1208:43 AM

TEA will take over Beaumont ISD, district and board member confirm, as commissioner orders new board of managers view article

Texas issues urgent alert as a newly detected pest spreads across more than 20 counties

December 1208:41 AM

HOUSTON — Texas ranchers and hay producers are being urged to take a hard look at their pastures after state officials confirmed a highly destructive new pest has arrived in the Lone Star State. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller on Wednesday issued an urgent alert about the pasture mealybug (Helicococcus summervillei), an invasive species never before reported in North America that is already damaging pasture acreage in multiple Texas counties. view article

A Lubbock County commissioner announced his congressional campaign. Then he was removed from office.

December 1208:30 AM

Lubbock County Judge Curtis Parrish removed Commissioner Jason Corley from office this week, the latest twist in the Republicans’ fraught relationship. A West Texas county commissioner with aspirations for higher office was ejected from his seat this week, after the county judge accused the commissioner of violating the Texas Constitution — the latest twist in a yearslong feud between the two Republicans. view article

TEA demands policy change from North East ISD on cell phone use

December 1108:31 AM

North East Independent School District is under pressure from the Texas Education Agency to revise its cell phone policy, which the agency claims does not comply with a new state law. The district has been placed on a "corrective action plan" due to its handling of cell phones this year. The state law prohibits student use of cell phones during the school day, but North East ISD has allowed access during lunch and passing periods. view article

Grapevine-Colleyville ISD to vote on two school closures at special meeting

December 1108:25 AM

The Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District will soon take a crucial vote on the future of two elementary schools. The special meeting on Wednesday evening began with potential interim superintendents being interviewed in closed session. The public comment period began at 8 p.m., with 75 people signed up to speak. view article

North East ISD selects familiar face as interim superintendent. What to know.

December 1108:23 AM

The North East Independent School District Board of Trustees appointed Chief Instructional Officer Anthony Jarrett as the district’s new interim leader at a board meeting Monday.The North East Independent School District Board of Trustees appointed Chief Instructional Officer Anthony Jarrett as the district’s new interim leader at a board meeting Monday. view article

Students safe following Tyler ISD bus wreck on Highway 271

December 1108:23 AM

Students are safe after a Tyler ISD school bus was involved in a wreck Tuesday evening. Bus 9 had both middle school students and high school students on board when the wreck occurred on Highway 271, but no one was injured, according to Tyler ISD Chief Communications Officer Jennifer Hines. Hines said she did not believe the school was at fault in the incident. view article

Former U.S. Education Secretary, Houston ISD superintendent Dr. Rod Paige dies

December 1108:19 AM

Dr. Rod Paige, the former U.S. Secretary of Education and Houston school leader, has died, the mayor’s office confirms. Dr. Paige served as the seventh U.S. Secretary of Education. His position was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2001. He had previously served as dean of the College of Education at Texas Southern University, a trustee on the Houston ISD Board of Education and superintendent of the school district. view article

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Mount Pleasant ISD mourns loss of seventh grade student known for joyful spirit

December 1108:18 AM

Mount Pleasant ISD is mourning the loss of one of its students. Ava Claire Hageman, 13, passed away Sunday. The school district described her as a bright, joyful spirit with a tender heart. "She loved God’s creation, especially being outdoors creating and exploring. She was particularly gifted at fishing, golfing, and really loved running cross country, playing softball, and playing basketball. Wonder came naturally to her. She was exceptionally smart and had a special gift with children, always patient, playful, and welcoming. She was the life of the party," the obituary read. view article

4 Ways to Close Reading Gaps for Middle Schoolers

December 1108:14 AM

Current 8th-graders need close to a full academic year of additional reading instruction to catch up to their pre-pandemic peers, new research confirms. Here are four potential solutions for district leaders. Although many districts have adopted early literacy initiatives since the COVID-19 pandemic, the reality is that many students are ill-prepared for the rigors of middle school, particularly in reading, according to a new report from NWEA, a K12 assessment and research organization. view article

Fort Worth ISD approves zoning changes for fall 2026

December 1108:11 AM

Fort Worth ISD’s school board approved zoning changes last night for schools that will close at the end of the year. Parents of students at Kirkpatrick Elementary School, EJ Briscoe Elementary School, Charles Nash Elementary School, and Riverside Applied Learning Center now know where their children will go to school in 2026. The vote came after the student council president at Riverside spoke against the changes. view article

Gov. Greg Abbott wants a tighter lid on home values. Tax policy experts warn that’s a bad idea.

December 1105:00 AM

Gov. Greg Abbott wants a tighter lid on home values. Tax policy experts warn that’s a bad idea. Gov. Greg Abbott wants to put a tighter lid on how fast property values can rise in a bid to deliver property tax relief to homeowners and businesses — but tax policy experts across the political spectrum warn the proposal wouldn’t address the root causes of higher tax bills and would backfire with severe consequences. A property’s value is a key part of the equation that forms a property owner’s tax bill. That bill is determined by multiplying the property value by the tax rate set by school districts, cities, counties and other taxing jurisdictions. Texas property owners have seen steep jumps in their appraisals since the start of the decade as the state’s economy boomed, and have complained that those higher property values are driving their tax bills. Homeowners saw persistent jumps in their home values as fierce competition for homes put pressure on Texas’ limited housing stock and drove up prices. Those increases have since cooled, but remain a source of angst for property owners. view article

Why Gov. Greg Abbott wants to let taxpayers decide whether cities can raise — or cut — taxes

December 1008:38 AM

Texas cities and counties already face limits on how much revenue they can generate. Local leaders have warned that further restrictions would mean fewer services like parks and libraries. in the past. In a bid to rein in city and county tax bills, lawmakers in 2019 enacted tighter limits on how much more in property taxes cities and counties can collect each year without asking voters. On Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who leads the Texas Senate, announced his own plans to drive down taxes that focused on increasing tax cuts for homeowners. view article

Texas’ plan to stop a parasitic fly from destroying its cattle population is far from complete

December 1008:30 AM

McALLEN — As Mexican officials battle the spread of New World Screwworm, Texas officials are still working to finalize a response plan that would be enacted should the parasitic fly spread into the state. Texas lawmakers questioned state and federal officials on plans to combat screwworm during a Texas House committee hearing Tuesday. They also heard from industry groups on their concerns over how screwworm could affect their livestock and wildlife. However, a response plan being formulated by the Texas Animal Health Commission with the U.S. Department of Agriculture is facing pushback from industry groups. view article

Three top Alamo fundraisers step down over CEO Kate Rogers’ banishment

December 1005:08 AM

Three leaders of the Alamo's fundraising arm have quit in the wake of the forced resignation of Kate Rogers, president and CEO of the Alamo Trust, the San Antonio Express-News has learned. Three of the most active fundraisers on the board of Remember the Alamo Foundation - real estate developer Phil Bakke, philanthropist Tracy Wolff and retired Air Force Gen. Don Cook - have stepped down. view article

Harper ISD Teacher Re-Arrested for Recording Girls at School

December 1005:06 AM

Pedro DeLuna III faces six new charges related to his illicit dressing room videos of Harper High School students. A Central Texas teacher arrested last week for recording a teen girl in an off-campus bathroom has been re-arrested on six new charges involving videos of female students he recorded at school. Pedro DeLuna III was an assistant band director and music teacher in Harper Independent School District until his first arrest on December 1. He was released from jail the next day on a $50,000 bond. Gillespie County Sheriff Chris Ayala announced Monday that further investigation by his Criminal Investigation Division revealed DeLuna had several video recordings of “young females from a Theater dressing/changing room located at Harper High School.” view article

Paxton Launches Financial Transparency Investigation Into Nearly 1,000 Cities

December 1005:02 AM

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. view article

Rod Paige, former U.S. education secretary also known for the “Houston Miracle,” dies at 92

December 1005:00 AM

The former Houston ISD superintendent was the first Black person to lead the Department of Education and helped launch the No Child Left Behind Act. view article

Former Alamo Trust President Kate Rogers sues over exit

December 1005:00 AM

Interview with Dr. Kate Rogers, Executive Director of The Alamo Trust Fundación Consejo España - view article

Central Texas Teacher Accused of Recording Girl in Bathroom

December 0908:30 AM

A now-former Central Texas teacher is accused of recording a teen girl in an off-campus bathroom. Pedro DeLuna III was arrested and charged with invasive visual recording, a state jail felony. The alleged crime occurred on November 7. DeLuna was an assistant band director and music teacher in Harper Independent School District, located west of Fredericksburg. According to a statement from Harper ISD Superintendent Bonnie Stewart, the victim is a 15-year-old female, and the recording took place off campus and outside of school hours. view article

Colin Allred Drops Out of Senate Race, Will Run for Congress Instead

December 0908:30 AM

In a surprise announcement just hours before the candidate filing deadline, Democrat Colin Allred has dropped out of the 2026 U.S. Senate race and will instead run for Congress in Texas’ newly redrawn 33rd Congressional District. Allred, who previously represented the Dallas-area 32nd District and ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate against Sen. Ted Cruz in 2024, said in a statement Monday that a competitive Democrat primary would weaken the party’s chances in the General Election. “In the past few days, I’ve come to believe that a bruising Senate Democratic primary and runoff would prevent the Democratic Party from going into this critical election unified,” Allred wrote. “That’s why I’ve made the difficult decision to end my campaign for the U.S. Senate.” Instead, Allred is seeking to return to the U.S. House view article

US Supreme Court Rejects Attempt To Overturn Llano County Library’s Removal of ‘Explicit Books’

December 0908:30 AM

SCOTUS could still take up the issue after related cases are decided. The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a case about the Llano County library’s removal of explicit books, preserving a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that upheld the library’s action. Llano County had been sued for removing 17 books from the county library due to their treatment of racial and sexual themes. All of the books were tailored to children. view article

Abbott Cools on Casino Support as Gambling Interests Lose Ground in Texas

December 0908:30 AM

Gov. Greg Abbott is backing away from a casino expansion effort he previously signaled openness toward, marking a significant a shift after years of high-dollar lobbying and campaign cash from casino interests failed to move lawmakers toward legalized gambling. In a new interview with CBS 11 News, Abbott said he is “not there yet” on casino legalization, citing concerns over addiction and recent sports-betting scandals involving athletes. view article

Exclusive: Migrant families paint grim picture of life in Texas ICE detention facility, new court documents show

December 0908:30 AM

Immigrant families held at a detention facility in Texas describe prolonged stays, despondent children, limited access to potable water and agents offering money for families to voluntarily leave the country, according to new court declarations filed early Tuesday morning. The filings paint a portrait of the inside of the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility where, as of November, there were around 160 families who had either crossed the US-Mexico border or been picked up by authorities in the United States as part of the administration’s sweeping crackdown. view article

Houston ISD agrees to settle federal lawsuit with Bellaire HS parents who sued over preferred pronoun use

December 0908:00 AM

As part of a settlement agreement filed Friday in court, the district will direct staff at Bellaire High School to use pronouns that align with a student’s sex at birth until the student turns 18 years old. view article

Texas launches plan to open Turning Point USA chapters in every high school

December 0905:00 AM

Republican officials in Oklahoma and Florida have also launched plans to expand the presence of the conservative youth organization founded by Charlie Kirk. view article

CDC vaccine committee overturns decades-old hepatitis B recommendation for newborns

December 0809:00 AM

ATLANTA — A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention committee voted to eliminate a recommendation that all newborn babies receive a vaccine against hepatitis B, ending a policy that has been in place since 1991 to protect Americans against an incurable liver disease that can lead to cirrhosis, cancer and liver failure. The current three-dose series for hepatitis B includes one vaccine administered to infants within 24 hours of birth, and subsequent booster shots given one month and six months after the initial dose. The universal vaccination policy is credited with a 99% drop in serious infections among American children between 1990 and 2019. In its updated guidelines, the agency will continue to recommend that babies born to mothers who test positive for hepatitis B receive a vaccine at birth. However, in all other cases, the decision will be left to “individual-based decision-making,” a change that experts say will lead to an increase in chronic hepatitis B infections. The new recommendation also suggests that parents delay the first dose of the vaccine until at least two months after birth. view article

Howe ISD names new superintendent

December 0808:29 AM

The Howe Independent School District board of trustees have selected Ritchie Bowling as the next superintendent. Bowling previously spent 10 years with Howe ISD serving as the assistant superintendent and principal for the middle and elementary schools. The Grayson County native said he's ready to push the district forward. 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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