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.
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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Texas Universities Are Auditing Curricula

October 0308:29 AM

The accountability measures are mandated by a new state law. More university systems in Texas are initiating audits of classes and curricula in order to comply with a new state law. This follows Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and the University of Texas-Austin announcing that they were running similar audits. “Texas Woman’s University System is in the process of establishing a review of academic courses and programs, in accordance with all applicable state and federal laws,” a spokesperson for the Denton-based system told Texas Scorecard on Wednesday. It was widely reported that on September 29, Michael Williams, the chancellor of TWUS’ neighbor, the University of North Texas System, had ordered a streamlined review of academic curricula and programs, including syllabi, to meet all relevant executive orders, court rulings, and state and federal laws. UNT campuses have a January 1 deadline to comply. The UNT System did not respond to a request for comment. view article

Teachers’ free speech rights tested as Texas investigates 351 complaints

October 0305:00 AM

Texas teachers don’t give up their First Amendment rights when they step into a classroom or when they speak outside of it, but protections are limited when what is expressed is considered disruptive, legal experts say. The Texas Education Agency’s decision to investigate educators accused of praising or excusing the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk puts free speech protections to the test. It has educators uncertain about what they can safely say off the job — a question Fort Worth ISD wrestled with in 2019 when a teacher was fired over anti-immigrant posts, highlighting the murky boundaries of educators’ First Amendment rights. As of Oct. 1, TEA has received 351 complaints tied to social media posts from public school employees across the state. Spokesperson Jake Kobersky said that number does not represent separate individuals and includes certified educators as well as other school staff. Each complaint is being reviewed and investigated, he said. view article

Denton ISD Voters Will Decide on Permanent School Property Tax Increase

October 0208:52 AM

School trustees unanimously voted to place the excess tax rate increase on the November ballot. view article

Plano Private School Teacher Gets 20 Years for Sex Crimes Against Student

October 0208:32 AM

Jacob Allred pleaded guilty to sexually exploiting a 15-year-old girl at Great Lakes Academy, which specializes in students with learning disorders. view article

Houston ISD terminates or reassigns nearly 450 employees as enrollment decline continues

October 0208:31 AM

Houston ISD has terminated or reassigned nearly 450 employees amid ongoing enrollment declines. The changes include cutting 160 uncertified teachers and 54 staff members as well as reassigning 232 teachers who are both certified and uncertified. In a video announcement Monday, district spokesperson Trey Serna called the process "standard." view article

Parents react as state pressures North East ISD to tighten cellphone ban policy

October 0208:31 AM

The Texas Education Agency is investigating North East Independent School District’s (NEISD) cellphone ban policy after receiving a complaint that it does not comply with the new controversial law. The district’s current policy states, “Students are prohibited from using a personal communication device while on school property during the school day, except under the circumstances described in this policy.” view article

Wife of Wells ISD superintendent dies following downtown Lufkin wreck

October 0208:29 AM

A Pollok woman died following a Monday wreck in downtown Lufkin, Lufkin police confirmed. Morgan Wright, 40, had been taken to the hospital following a two-vehicle wreck around 1 p.m. Monday. Wright was a speech pathologist at Lufkin ISD, and the district offered condolences to her family and friends on Tuesday. view article

Kingsville Athletic Booster Club disbands after volleyball coaches’ removal

October 0208:25 AM

Kingsville ISD is facing a major shakeup after the district confirmed two volleyball coaches were removed from their positions. The decision has prompted the Kingsville Athletic Booster Club to dissolve, raising questions about the future of support for student-athletes. view article

Academy ISD employee charged with sexual assault of a child, sheriff’s office says

October 0208:21 AM

The suspended Academy ISD employee jailed on a charge of displaying harmful material to a minor is now facing additional charges, including child sex assault, The Bell County Sheriff’s Office said. Earlier this week, deputies arrested William “Will” Anthony Blackburn, Sr. view article

Deputies say Cy-Fair ISD students were involved in Harris Co. shooting that left a family injured

October 0208:10 AM

No arrests have been made in a northwest Harris County shootout, the department says, which involved several teenagers. While no one is behind bars, the sheriff's office believes most, if not all, of the teens are current or former Cy-Fair ISD students. view article

No students injured after crash involving Tyler ISD school bus, cement truck

October 0208:02 AM

No students were reportedly hurt after a school bus accident, Tyler ISD officials confirmed Wednesday. The accident happened at 6:53 a.m. at 522 West 32nd Street near Griffin Elementary. Jennifer Hines, the Tyler ISD Chief Communications Officer, said early reports indicate that students were not injured. Tyler police later said a cement truck was waiting on the roadside to back into a driveway for a scheduled project when the bus “cut a little too close,” hitting the boom on the back of the truck. view article

Leftwing Groups Argue Texas’ New Congressional Map Is Racially Discriminatory

October 0206:22 AM

view article

Trump asks Supreme Court to let him end birthright citizenship

October 0205:26 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

How close is the Senate race between Ken Paxton and John Cornyn? We’re tracking the major polls.

October 0205:00 AM

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is trying to oust U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in what is shaping up to be Texas’ most closely watched primary race. Polls ahead of the March primary election show that the two Republicans are only a few percentage points apart. U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Houston has also been toying with entering the race, but he has yet to officially declare, even as he continues to sink hundreds of thousands of dollars into campaign ads airing statewide. view article

Legal Effort To Close the Texas Republican Party Primary Delayed

October 0205:00 AM

A judge has granted a 30-day extension for the state to answer the GOP’s petition. view article

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Teachers’ free speech rights tested as Texas investigates 351 complaints

October 0205:00 AM

Ken Paxton to school districts: Comply with Ten Commandments law or face potential legal action

October 0205:00 AM

Attorney General Ken Paxton promised to “vigorously enforce” the state’s Ten Commandments display law in a legal advisory sent to Texas public school districts, his office announced Wednesday. Paxton said his office and the Texas Education Agency will closely monitor compliance with the law. Any school district that fails to meet the standard set in Senate Bill 10 is subject to legal action, he said. “Texas law has spoken clearly: The moral foundation that shaped our nation deserves a prominent place in our classrooms — now more than ever,” Paxton wrote in the advisory. “As Attorney General, I will do everything in my power to defend this statute and ensure that Texas children may once again see, each day, the timeless truths upon which our laws and liberties were built.” view article

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

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

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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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