Parents at two Austin Independent School Distirct middle schools are weighing a petition that could give them a voice in what happens next as AISD faces possible state intervention following five consecutive failing ratings at both campuses. Burnet and Webb Middle School parents are weighing a major decision as the district faces possible intervention from the Texas Education Agency. view article

Houston ISD administrators directed some campuses to cut staff and slash spending a month into the start of school, as the district confronts the mounting financial pressure of enrollment losses three years into a state takeover. view article

Houston ISD may begin to regain local control of the district by the end of this school year. In August, both Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath and state-appointed superintendent Mike Miles said Houston ISD could exit the intervention "relatively soon." The state's largest school district has been under state control since 2023, after Wheatley High School in the fifth ward earned more than five consecutive failing accountability ratings from the Texas Education Agency. The state intervention was renewed in June 2025 when Morath said the district needed to make more progress. view article

Houston ISD administrators directed some campuses to cut staff and slash spending a month into the start of school, as the district confronts the mounting financial pressure of enrollment losses three years into a state takeover. view article

The announcement comes after a Texas Tribune investigation revealed the reforms the district’s state-appointed superintendent implemented, known as the New Education System, are straining finances.  Houston ISD administrators directed some campuses to cut staff and slash spending a month into the start of school, as the district confronts the mounting financial pressure of enrollment losses three years into a state takeover.  On Monday, The Texas Tribune published an investigation revealing the sweeping set of reforms state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles has implemented, known as the New Education System, is straining district finances. HISD has dipped into reserves and had previous cuts to afford the costly reforms as it is losing tens of millions of dollars in state funding because of enrollment losses.  District officials characterized the recent reductions on Tuesday as part of its annual “campus leveling” process, in which schools receive more or less money depending on how closely their enrollment matches projections made in the spring. Employees affected by the reductions may be reassigned to other available positions, HISD officials said in a press release. view article

Waco ISD administrators have graded themselves on the district’s five-year strategic plan, finding 17 of 23 priority goals met for the plan’s first year but plenty of work ahead to meet next year’s metrics.The strategic plan, hammered out by Waco Independent School District administrators, trustees and community members and approved in June of last year, is Superintendent Tiffany Spicer’s road map to district improvement, with specific milestones each year to measure progress.  The plan covers four main priorities: students, staff, community and operations. During a board meeting Thursday, administrators told trustees the district met all goals in the staff and community categories, three of seven student goals, and five of seven financial/operations goals.  Waco ISD administrators have graded themselves on the district’s five-year strategic plan, finding 17 of 23 priority goals met for the plan’s first year but plenty of work ahead to meet next year’s metrics.  The strategic plan, hammered out by Waco Independent School District administrators, trustees and community members and approved in June of last year, is Superintendent Tiffany Spicer’s road map to district improvement, with specific milestones each year to measure progress.  The plan covers four main priorities: students, staff, community and operations. During a board meeting Thursday, administrators told trustees the district met all goals in the staff and community categories, three of seven student goals, and five of seven financial/operations goals. view article

The high price tag, coupled with less state funding from students leaving the district, raises questions about whether the academic improvements are sustainable in the long run and whether other districts can afford to replicate it. view article

Wanting to hold students more “accountable,” the school board at Judson Independent School District backtracked on a previous rule that let middle schoolers fail math or reading and still move on to the next grade level.  The new policy, passed in a 5-1 vote on Thursday, requires that students score an overall average of 70 in all their classes and a grade of 70 or above in English, math and science or social studies.   “I definitely think it’s the way we need to go,” said Kristin Saunders, chief instructional officer at Judson, during the meeting. “Is it going to be uncomfortable? 100%. It’s always uncomfortable. … the reality is we have to draw a line in the sand.”  view article

Attorney General Ken Paxton says he has successfully shut down a Houston “birth tourism” center following his lawsuit against the operation.  De’Ai Postpartum Care Center was accused of operating an illegal scheme that imported foreign nationals to give birth for U.S. citizenship. The center catered to Chinese nationals, communicating with clients through Chinese social media and websites.  It claimed responsibility for 1,000+ American-born babies. view article

The North East Independent School District has identified 16 schools that meet the district’s criteria for possible closure. All 16 are elementary schools, ranging from Redland Oaks south of Loop 1604 to Oak Meadow north of Hardberger Park. view article

The high price tag, coupled with less state funding from students leaving the district, raises questions about whether the academic improvements are sustainable in the long run and whether other districts can afford to replicate it. view article

Fonville Middle School hired learning coaches to help students falling behind in the classroom. It bought new state-of-the-art technology, such as webcams and smart boards. The school days are longer. view article

East Austin students could soon be officially zoned to Marshall Middle School for the first time since the campus opened in 2023 as part of an Austin Independent School District plan to redraw attendance boundaries at two schools. view article

The Cy-Fair ISD board of trustees unanimously approved two local board policy revisions, strategic plan goals and updated performance objectives for the 2026-27 school year during a Sept. 14 regular meeting. Local board policy revisions include those regarding parents’ rights and responsibilities regarding parent consent to administer student well-being questionnaires, or surveys pertaining to specific matters. view article

Austin Independent School District officials will not be involved in helping parents petition to close two schools in an effort to avoid a state takeover of the entire district. Parents from the impacted schools met on Monday night to learn more about options for their campuses and how that can have an impact on the whole district. view article

Prekindergarten partnerships are collaborations between local education agencies (LEAs) such as school districts or open-enrollment charter schools, and private child care or Head Start programs. LEAs, and private child care or Head Start programs, may establish formal or informal partnerships based on enrollment and development activities. The partnerships are developed to reflect the needs of children and families, local resources available, and community trends.  Public-private prekindergarten partnerships are encouraged because of the collaborative opportunities and benefits they foster, and are required by Texas Education Code 29.1533 in some situations. Providers must also meet solicitation, eligibility, and enrollment requirements required by TEC §29.171.  view article

The score changes are part of an annual process to review the accuracy of STAAR results, state officials said.  About a dozen districts will see a bump in school accountability ratings on Tuesday after a manual rescoring of thousands of STAAR tests improved some results. view article

Whatever the state decides about the Austin school district in coming months may not stop at schoolhouse doors. A takeover could shift control of one of Austin’s largest public institutions away from locally elected leaders, with consequences that could reach into the city’s housing, economy, health care and broader quality of life. view article

The Texas Art Education Association has named the Chisum ISD a District of Distinction for outstanding visual arts programs. More than 1,200 districts were eligible, but only 127 met the high standards of TAEA’s comprehensive 14-point rubric, placing their programs among the top 10% in Texas. It was the fifth consecutive year Chisum has been honored with the award.

Belton ISD’s two newest campuses are officially Purple Star schools, Belton ISD announced Tuesday. Hubbard Branch Elementary School and James L. Burrell Elementary School join four district campuses — Belton High School, Lake Belton Middle School, High Point Elementary School and Charter Oak Elementary School — that have received the distinguished honor. view article

Katy ISD added five A-rated campuses this year, bringing more than half of its schools into the state’s top rating category while the district’s overall score held steady. Katy ISD earned an 88, or a B, for the second consecutive year in the Texas Education Agency’s 2026 accountability ratings. At the campus level, 42 schools earned A’s, up from 37 last year, while four campuses received D’s, up from three. view article

On Friday, the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) completed its revision of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for social studies. Chairman Aaron Kinsey thanked the board for its work, which took more than a year to complete. Last week’s adoption of the U.S. History, World History, World Geography and Government standards completes the board’s work on K-12 social studies. view article

With several public school districts in North Texas and across the state on the cusp of state takeovers, Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath has increasingly encouraged them to turn to third-party organizations to run struggling campuses and avoid state intervention. Texas public districts are subject to a TEA takeover if one of their campuses receives five consecutive F grades in the state’s annual A-F Accountability rating system. That gives Morath the ability to name a new superintendent and replace the school board with a Board of Managers, a process that has already played out at both Fort Worth ISD and Lake Worth ISD in the last calendar year. Read more at: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/education/article317115155.html#storylink=cpy view article

The Texas State Board of Education is expected to vote Friday in Austin on high school social studies standards that require students to study early Islam through military campaigns and slavery, and to learn that Christian tenets shaped Western civilization, America and Texas.   KERA reported the 15-member board has been meeting all week on the last high school Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills updates after finishing K-8 changes this summer. The board has 10 Republicans and five Democrats and is expected to pass the package. CBS Austin said the high school standards, if approved, would take effect in the 2033-34 school year.   According to KERA, the proposed lessons would have students “explain early Islam in terms of the Prophet Mohammed’s brutal military campaigns against Jewish and Christian tribes, the normalization of slavery, and the taking of female captives as harem slaves.” They would also tie the Sept. 11 attacks to “radical Islam” rather than naming specific groups. The same draft requires students to understand “that important tenets of Christianity during the time of the Roman empire influenced Western Civilization, America, and Texas.” view article

Frustration boiled over during Fort Worth ISD Superintendent Peter Licata’s listening session at Arlington Heights High School. More than 180 people packed the cafeteria — nearly double the attendance of three previous meetings combined. Parents shouted at the superintendent, demanding he answer their questions and look at them when they spoke. Licata paced the room, at times looking down at his shoes.  One parent was ejected from the meeting over behavior that chief of staff Louis Kushner and the superintendent found unacceptable. view article

Nacogdoches ISD could face a potential state takeover if student academic performance does not improve at two of its elementary campuses. Texas Education Agency accountability report records show Brooks-Quinn-Jones Elementary and Mike Moses Elementary have received an F rating for four consecutive years (from 2023 to 2026). view article

Texas’ chief financial officer requested that lawmakers double the amount of money available for the state's private school voucher program, resulting in a total of more than $2 billion.In the appropriations request for 2028–29 biennium, Texas Comptroller Don Huffines wants the Legislature to raise the program’s base funding by $1 billion so more families can use taxpayer money to cover private school or home schooling costs.  Huffines also asked for an additional $226 million to accommodate funding increases for families currently participating in the program, which launched this school year.  “The Comptroller’s Office expects that the interest list will only grow larger as the state continues to promote the program and participating families communicate positive experiences to others in their communities,” according to the request. “The state has a moral imperative to serve these children.” view article

Conroe ISD kept its overall B rating for 2026, though the campus results were mixed: some individual campuses improved, but 19 schools dropped at least one letter in their ratings, according to recently released state accountability ratings. Each year, the Texas Education Agency grades all districts and charter schools from A-F. Ratings are based on standardized test performance, college and career readiness, and closing performance gaps between specific student groups. view article

More than 200 courses, including those on LGBTQ literature, cultural studies and climate change, will no longer count toward core degree requirements at 11 Texas A&M universities.  Students at 11 Texas A&M University System schools will see fewer classes related to LGBTQ literature, climate change and women writers meet graduation requirements under a proposal to remove more than 200 classes from general-education course lists.  System regents voted Thursday to scale back the classes that qualify after a review prompted by a new state law that requires public university boards to  examine what classes undergraduates must take regardless of their majors.  view article

San Antonio ISD students are two weeks into a new school year. At some elementary schools, they are navigating a new curriculum that critics call “Bible-infused.” The state-endorsed teaching materials are known as Bluebonnet Learning. San Antonio ISD is following South San ISD which implemented Bluebonnet Learning last year. view article

Diamond Hill Jarvis High School is under new leadership after its current principal was placed on administrative leave, according to a statement from Fort Worth ISD. In a letter sent to families, district officials say Principal Paola Rodriguez is on a leave of absence. During this time, Mr. Rian Townsend will be serving as acting principal. view article

More districts across Texas are at risk of intervention by the state’s education commissioner. Here’s what that means for public schools. view article

Lufkin ISD officials expect to spend the next several months determining how students, staff and programs will be distributed as the district prepares to transition its elementary campuses to a K-5 model for the 2027-28 school year.  Deputy Superintendent Jill Gaston presented trustees with a timeline for the realignment during a board work session Monday. The district is gathering community feedback and enrollment data through the end of August before beginning a more detailed analysis in September  That analysis will take aspects such as campus capacity, attendance boundaries, transportation, nutrition services, staffing and the placement of specialized programs into consideration. view article

The governor says foreign influence has “no place” in Texas classrooms.  Gov. Greg Abbott is calling on Texas lawmakers to ban foreign funding in public schools and prohibit districts from employing workers through the federal H-1B visa program.   Abbott announced the proposals Tuesday as part of a broader push aimed at eliminating foreign influence in Texas classrooms. “The minds of our students are driven by influences that they are exposed to in our public schools,” said Abbott. “Those minds should be shaped by policies that are approved by state lawmakers.”  Abbott pointed to Austin Independent School District’s acceptance of hundreds of thousands of dollars from Qatar to support Arabic language and culture instruction, as well as school districts that have participated in Confucius Classroom programs affiliated with Chinese government-backed entities.  “We cannot condone the quiet indoctrination of our children in the classroom,” said Abbott. view article

A false description of my research became the basis for an argument about the value of my work. School districts face a larger version of the same problem.   As Texas students return to school this month, some will get a lesson that is new this year: how to check whether a source is telling the truth.State policymakers deserve credit for prioritizing this critical skill set. By state law, every Texas school campus is now required to send a teacher and an administrator to civics training in media literacy — verifying information and sources, identifying and responding to logical fallacies — so they can teach those skills to students. Elementary educators completed that training for the first time this summer.  Media literacy should not be something we ask only of children. I learned that all too well last week when I read an article by Texas Scorecard, a news outlet connected to a conservative advocacy group. The article questioned whether the University of Texas System Board of Regents should approve tenure for several faculty members. view article