hen Aubrie was a freshman in the Houston Independent School District (ISD), she was assigned to an Algebra I class. On the first day of school, her teacher recognized her talent and moved her into pre-AP Algebra I, where she thrived.Two years later, at the beginning of the last school year, Aubrie was excited to take pre-AP Algebra II. She had always loved math and imagined a bright future in science. But three weeks into the school year, she and nearly 2,000 other juniors across Houston ISD’s 16 New Education System (NES) high schools were abruptly pulled out of Algebra II and placed into a remedial math course called Algebraic Reasoning/Texas College Bridge.  This move was not made to help students grow academically. Instead, we believe students were moved into this less rigorous course to artificially inflate campus accountability ratings, at the expense of student learning. Just sitting through the Algebraic Reasoning course and clicking through the online modules increases a school’s A-F rating, even if students never pass the state’s college readiness assessment attached to the class. It’s a loophole that state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles is exploiting at an unprecedented scale. view article

The Waco school district is one of the latest to partner with the Third Future charter network as a last-ditch effort to stave off state intervention.  WACO — Laneisha Latimer has heard about the strict way Third Future Schools plans to run South Waco Elementary School, where her son started the fourth grade.  School began Tuesday at South Waco and Dean Highland elementary schools under the control of the charter school operator Waco Independent School District chose to turn them around.   Latimer learned in May how tightly scheduled her son’s day will be. He will have to walk in silence in between one-minute transitions. Several times per class period he will have to demonstrate through writing or peer discussions that he understands the lesson. view article

San Antonio’s Celebrate Dyslexia, known for championing dyslexia services for children, is now working directly with educators who want to help students with the learning disability in the classroom. The Academic Language Therapy Association, a national group that sets standards for language therapy certifications, recently granted Celebrate Dyslexia’s train program an “independent course approval.” This means educators who go through Celebrate Dyslexia can now earn college credits for related masters or doctorate degrees, and the nonprofit can train students in teacher preparation programs at local universities and school districts. view article

The Waco school district is one of the latest to partner with the Third Future charter network as a last-ditch effort to stave off state intervention.  WACO — Laneisha Latimer has heard about the strict way Third Future Schools plans to run South Waco Elementary School, where her son started the fourth grade.  School began Tuesday at South Waco and Dean Highland elementary schools under the control of the charter school operator Waco Independent School District chose to turn them around.   Latimer learned in May how tightly scheduled her son’s day will be. He will have to walk in silence in between one-minute transitions. Several times per class period he will have to demonstrate through writing or peer discussions that he understands the lesson. view article

The number of Texas students using taxpayer money for private school or home-school could increase as more families accept invites.  More than 85,000 families are participating in Texas’ private school voucher program during its first year, a number that could increase as state officials finalize enrollment data, according to a new state report.  White families make up the largest share of participants so far, as do those considered low-income, the comptroller’s office noted in the report released Monday. The report did not say how many students previously attended private school or received home schooling, although earlier data showed that 57% of families invited to the program fell into that category. view article

The Lubbock Independent School District Board of Trustees has approved a memorandum of understanding with Texas Tech University to create Lubbock ISD Virtual Education, known as LIVE, a tuition-free online education program for eligible students. view article

The Waco school district is one of the latest to partner with the Third Future charter network as a last-ditch effort to stave off state intervention.  WACO — Laneisha Latimer has heard about the strict way Third Future Schools plans to run South Waco Elementary School, where her son started the fourth grade.  School began Tuesday at South Waco and Dean Highland elementary schools under the control of the charter school operator Waco Independent School District chose to turn them around.   Latimer learned in May how tightly scheduled her son’s day will be. He will have to walk in silence in between one-minute transitions. Several times per class period he will have to demonstrate through writing or peer discussions that he understands the lesson. view article

In less than three years, at least 150 public school campuses have closed or been approved for closure across Texas, records show. School boards voted to move forward with those closures to offset financial pressures and respond to state accountability issues at certain campuses, according to previous Community Impact reporting.  What’s happening  Among the closures are 57 schools in Community Impact’s coverage areas. Some districts have said that additional closures are not off the table. view article

Austin ISD trustees voted 7-2 on July 30 to close Paredes Middle School, and its 635 students will move to Bailey or Mendez middle schools this fall. This shift comes weeks before the first day of school Aug. 18, and marks Austin ISD’s 11th school closure in roughly a year.  District leaders point to years of failing state ratings at Paredes, most recently its third consecutive F in 2025, per TEA data. Superintendent Matias Segura called the closure disruptive but necessary to move students into stronger academic environments before another school year begins. view article

It led to a storm of comments from across the region.  A Houston-area mother's effort to help teachers collect classroom supplies ahead of the new school year has sparked a debate among Cy-Fair ISD parents and educators over whether district rules make it harder for teachers to share online "wish lists."  Aly Matei, a mother with children enrolled in Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District in the Houston community of Cypress, recently shared in a TikTok video her concerns regarding searching for classroom wish lists from teachers. Matei wanted to donate supplies before the school year, but she said she could not find many publicly posted lists. After reaching out to teachers on social media, Matei said several educators told her they were not allowed to publicly share their classroom wish lists. view article

Fort Worth ISD is down to 20 classroom teacher vacancies with fewer than three weeks before school starts Aug. 10. The board of managers received an update Tuesday night that provided a snapshot of where FWISD stands on staffing, from vacancies to lingering gaps in special education and bilingual instruction positions. view article

If you're starting to feel like summer is "flying by," hold on to your wings: students at several Dallas ISD campuses start the new school year on Tuesday. It's part of a district plan called Additional Days School Year, or ADSY. Students at 13 elementary schools – and sixth graders at select middle schools – will follow an extended calendar that includes additional instructional days, some of which fall on Saturdays. view article

Katy ISD board members will meet Monday evening to discuss developing a virtual high school, according to the board's meeting agenda. The creation of Legacy Virtual High School was discussed in a board meeting last Monday and faced no verbal opposition. view article

The threat of a state takeover is becoming harder for Texas public school districts to ignore as strict performance mandates put pressure on campuses and the leaders who run them. view article

The Austin school district is moving to immediately close Paredes Middle School before the start of the 2026-27 school year, a drastic step the district is taking as the campus faces the possibility of failing another state accountability rating and further state intervention.   While Austin ISD in a statement on Wednesday attributed the imminent closure to slow academic progress, labor union Education Austin said district leaders told the group they expected the campus to earn a fourth consecutive failed rating when state ratings are released in mid-August. view article

Fort Worth ISD’s Board of Managers has approved applying for a Texas Education Agency waiver that will allow the district to hire more uncertified teachers for the next two years, under the condition they complete an alternative certification program while teaching, the district announced Wednesday. view article

Austin Independent School District said it plans to immediately close Paredes Middle School after district leaders determined that academic growth has not progressed over the past year. Austin ISD Superintendent Matias Segura announced a proposal Tuesday to close the middle school immediately, despite the school year being weeks away. view article

The teacher-led Texas Classroom Commission will develop recommendations to improve student outcomes. view article

Austin ISD will fully operate Dobie, Webb and Burnett middle schools as the new school year begins. “This resoluti n will provide continuity for students and allow the district to build upon the student-focused efforts that began last school year,” Austin ISD Superintendent Matias Segura said in a statement. “Continued improvement in stud  “This resolution will provide continuity for students and allow the district to build upon the student-focused efforts that began last school year,” Austin ISD Superintendent Matias Segura said in a statement. “Continued improvement in student outcomes is a priority for our district and our actions through this school year will continue to reflect that commitment."  The Austin ISD Board of Trustees approved a three-year agreement with TCIS in March to improve grades at each school. All three campuses received their fourth consecutive "F" ratings from the TEA last year.  Under Texas law, if a public school receives five or more consecutive failing ratings, the TEA commissioner is required to either close the campus or take over the district.ent outcomes is a priority for our district and our actions through this school year will continue to reflect that commitment."  The Austin ISD Board of Trustees approved a three-year agreement with TCIS in March to improve grades at each school. All three campuses received their fourth consecutive "F" ratings from the TEA last year.  Under Texas law, if a public school receives five or more consecutive failing ratings, the TEA commissioner is required to either close the campus or take over the district. view article

Dobie, Webb and Burnet middle schools will be run by Texas Council for International Studies next school year, a high-stakes move that avoids a potential fifth failing accountability rating that could trigger a district takeover from the state.  After a brief debate over the group’s track record, Austin ISD board members voted unanimously Thursday night to surrender control of the three schools to the nonprofit for the next three school years, ceding day-to-day campus operations in an effort to reset performance. The decision temporarily shields the campuses from immediate state intervention. The vote came days before the March 31 deadline to apply to the Texas Education Agency under the Texas Partnerships program, which allows districts to turn over campus operations to an approved external partner. view article

Austin Community College leaders are set to hold a hearing Thursday on a measure that would make Pflugerville ISD part of ACC's taxing district. view article

Two Frisco ISD high schools finished in the top 10 of the UIL Lone Star Cup, an annual program recognizing the most outstanding high schools in Texas across sanctioned academics, athletics and fine arts/music competitions.  The UIL Lone Star Cup includes points earned for district, regional and state-level achievements in cross country, marching band, military marching band, volleyball, robotics, football, congress, spirit, swimming and diving, film, basketball, academics, theatre, track and field, golf, tennis, softball and baseball.  The winning schools in each size classification receive the UIL Lone Star Cup trophy and a $1,000 scholarship. The UIL Lone Star Cup has been active for 29 years, awarding more than 150 scholarships since its inception in 1997. view article

As the new school year approaches, El Paso ISD wants to remind families that students must attend 90 percent of the school days or class periods to receive course credit or a final grade. view article

Beaumont ISD’s new superintendent is taking her message beyond school walls, telling residents that turning around the district will require parents, neighbors and the broader community to step up for students. Superintendent Sandi Massey delivered that pitch during a neighborhood meeting, where the focus was not on typical local concerns such as potholes or code violations, but on what she described as the future of Beaumont’s children. Massey said the challenges facing Beaumont ISD are bigger than the school district itself and that improving student achievement will take a communitywide effort. view article

The Houston Independent School District (HISD), the largest school system in Texas, has seen dramatic improvements in student grades and test scores across its more than 270 campuses in the years since a state takeover. The sweeping intervention followed years of academic underperformance and drew ongoing accusations of racism and unfairness. view article

No state has taken over as many local public school districts as Texas. Just since 2020, the state education agency has installed its own hand-picked leaders in eight districts. Four of those came this spring. At least another 10 are at risk of takeover, including, as of last week, the Austin Independent School District (ISD). view article

Fort Worth ISD is shifting language services for students learning English after closing International Newcomer Academy in June, a move that comes as language-support students now make up about 42% of district enrollment. The state-run district’s new model moves support for newcomer and emergent bilingual students away from a centralized academy and closer to neighborhood and comprehensive campuses. view article

The move by Cy-Fair ISD will require transferring students to new campuses so they can access the specialized programs in Texas’ third-largest school district. The changes resemble Houston ISD’s special education restructuring, which prompted a federal civil rights investigation. view article

During the COVID-19 pandemic schools had to shift gears and move to online schooling, but even with students back in the classroom now, some are still choosing virtual. view article

Those who have attended a Houston ISD school board meeting in the past few months might think Gina Hinojosa is running for a trustee position by the way that speakers reference the importance of her campaign to the future of the district and its students. At a press conference Tuesday at Pyburn’s Farm Fresh Foods in Houston, Hinojosa confirmed that she is, in fact, seeking to unseat three-term Gov. Greg Abbott in November, and she’s absolutely campaigning on education issues. It’s the reason she got into politics, she said. view article

Texas is home to the second-largest public school system in the U.S., educating more than 5.5 million students across 9,113 schools within 1,202 districts. The Texas Tribune’s Public Schools Explorer gives you information on enrollment trends, demographics, teacher experience, pay and outcomes for all of those schools, at both the district and the campus level. view article

In 2019, the Texas Education Agency took over Shepherd ISD, citing academic failure. When the state takes over a district, it promises to improve it, but that hasn't been the case in Shepherd. Pulling into Shepherd, the first sign of community you see is the high school. view article

Following the closure of three elementary school campuses in McKinney ISD at the end of the 2025-26 school year, officials have announced plans to repurpose the facilities for other district uses. McKinney ISD Chief Operations Officer Greg Suttle presented the plan to the district’s board of trustees at a June 29 meeting. view article

More than 100,000 third graders didn't pass the STAAR reading test this year.  The Texas Education Agency is rolling out a new program that offers third graders who are struggling academically a way to get extra help.  The Parent Access to Supplemental Supports, or PASS, program offers $400 grants to third graders who didn’t pass the STAAR reading exam. Texas lawmakers created the program last year as a part of House Bill 2. The program launches this fall. view article

Houston ISD is overhauling its central office again, creating four new offices and promoting senior administrators, June district records show.  The roles are critical because managers in these offices supervise principals and make decisions that campus leaders and teachers must carry out in schools. view article