Yua and Haruki Howk left public school for a private special needs school. Their journey shows what it takes to turn a voucher into a choice.  Before the sun had crept over the neighborhood, Yua Howk was already in the kitchen, in her pajamas, gazing up at her father. He handed over a hanger with a navy dress. A smile filled her rosy cheeks.  view article

Yua and Haruki Howk left public school for a private special needs school. Their journey shows what it takes to turn a voucher into a choice. Before the sun had crept over the neighborhood, Yua Howk was already in the kitchen, in her pajamas, gazing up at her father. He handed over a hanger with a navy dress. A smile filled her rosy cheeks. The new school year means a new school for these siblings with Down Syndrome. Yua, 12, and Haruki, 14, are leaving their public school to attend the Notre Dame School of Dallas, a Catholic school for students with special needs. Affording tuition became possible after they were approved for school vouchers.  This is the first year the Texas Education Freedom Accounts are available, and more than 85,000 students will use taxpayer-funded accounts to offset private education costs. That total includes 20,700 students with disabilities. While 70% of awardees were previously in private schools or homeschooled, some families, including the Howks, will transition out of public school.  view article

The San Antonio Independent School District board voted 5-2 on Monday to hire Adrian Bustillos as superintendent. First named as the sole finalist for the job in June, Bustillos will replace Jaime Aquino, who joined the district in 2022. Aquino is taking on an emeritus role and plans to fully part ways with SAISD in January.  Bustillos joins SAISD with 20 years of experience in public education. His most recent role was chief transformation officer in Aldine ISD, located in north Houston. There, he oversaw innovative school models and the district’s school choice program. view article