Harmony Public Schools broke ground on its first Georgetown campus March 22. What you need to know HPS representatives broke ground on the future campus for Harmony Science Academy Georgetown, a STEM-focused charter school that will be located on 22 acres at 201 Blue Ridge Drive, Georgetown. It joins 62 other HPS campuses across the state. When the Georgetown campus opens in August 2025, it will serve kindergarten through sixth grade, expanding each year to serve a new grade level with a final goal of serving up to 12th grade. A second building will be constructed to serve these additional students. At full build-out, HPS's Georgetown campuses will comprise an elementary, middle and high school. view article arw

A judge in Kentucky struck down a 2022 state law that allows public funding for charter schools and said that it would create a “separate and unequal” system of schools that violates the state’s 1891 constitution. In his decision, Circuity Court Judge Phillip J. Shepherd said that the law, known as HB9, violated a section in the Kentucky constitution that prohibits the collection of taxes for any educational purpose other than “common schools” without the consent of voters. Common schools are traditional public schools, which are funded by taxpayers and overseen by public entities. Charter schools are publicly funded but privately operated, sometimes by for-profit companies, and educate about 7 percent of U.S. schoolchildren. view article arw

Just days after putting the state's largest charter school network under conservatorship for misusing public funds, the Texas Education Agency agreed to let the network, IDEA Public Schools, carry out a major expansion. IDEA is allowed to increase student enrollment from 78,200 to more than 90,000 by the 2025-2026 school year. The 10 new campuses will be mostly in Fort Worth and the Permian Basin, with two in Humble, near Houston.  The application went in on March 6 — the day TEA assigned a pair of conservators to oversee IDEA — and was approved on March 8.  “This is an insider deal, behind-the-scenes, shady transaction that had no public input whatsoever,” said Patty Quinzi, director of public affairs with the Texas branch of the American Federation of Teachers union.   TEA spokesman Jake Kobersky wrote in an emailed statement that the new IDEA schools met the requirements in state law to be eligible for expansion and would lead to “improved educational outcomes for students.”   The charter network said the expansion would allow it to serve more students.  view article arw

LEWISVILLE, TX (Feb. 27, 2024) — Texas Online Preparatory School (TOPS), which offers full-time online education for students in grades 3-12, is now accepting applications for the 2024-2025 academic school year. view article arw

The state had been investigating IDEA Public Schools since 2021 and raised questions on its spending on things like a luxury driver and private jet.  Texas’ largest charter school network has been placed under conservatorship by the Texas Education Agency after a years-long investigation into improper spending within the system of 143 schools.  The arrangement, announced Wednesday, is part of a settlement agreement between IDEA Public Schools and the TEA. IDEA had been under investigation since 2021 following numerous allegations of financial and operational misconduct.  It was revealed that IDEA officials used public dollars to purchase luxury driver services as well as $15 million to lease a private jet, just two weeks after promising TEA it would be “strictly enforcing” new fiscal responsibility policies put in place in response to ongoing investigations, as reported by San Antonio Express-News. view article arw

High school students at El Paso Leadership Academy will soon have the opportunity to graduate with both a high school diploma and two years of college credit. The locally run charter school recently received approval from the Texas Education Agency to operate as an early college high school. It’s East campus on Joe Battle Boulevard, attended by 300 high-schoolers, will open the new program for the 2025-26 school year. Terry Cannon, dean of college career readiness and dual credit coordinator at the charter school, said they began working to obtain the early college designation from the TEA in 2021. view article arw

Elon Musk is launching a new private K-12 school in Texas — potentially as soon as this summer — focusing on science, technology, engineering, and math. With the loose regulations of Texas' private educational system and his vast wealth, the billionaire entrepreneur is positioned to quickly become a player in the booming ecosystem of alternative "microschools" in Austin. The school is part of Musk's mysterious new nonprofit The Foundation, which has generated buzz for its plans to eventually build a futuristic university. But experts say its proposals for a K-12 school could materialize much faster. Texas is one of 17 states that don't require private schools to be accredited, licensed, or approved, according to the most recent federal 50-state analysis done in 2009. view article arw

Tara Polansky and her husband were torn about where to enroll their daughter when they moved back to Columbus, Ohio, a year and a half ago. The couple, who work for a nonprofit organization and a foundation, respectively, were concerned about the quality of the city’s public schools and finally decided to send her to Columbus Jewish Day School. It was a long drive out to the suburbs every day, but they admired the school for its liberal-minded outlook. view article arw

Wellman-Union CISD had an early release day on Friday, February 2, 2024 due to the unfortunate passing of Wellman-Union Elementary student, Bentley Payne, according to a press release by the school. Per the press release, the school district will have counseling services available on campus for the rest of the school day on Friday, February 2 as well as Monday, February 5 to help assist families and students. view article arw

Are you a highly motivated student with a passion for doing something exceptional beyond the standard curriculum? At Alpha High, our two hour learning model allows you to learn two times faster, leaving you four full hours each day to dedicate to your personal masterpiece project. Alpha High is the place where your passion gets the time, attention, and focus you need to flourish. If this sounds like your kind of challenge, we're excited to see what you can do. Alpha High School in Austin is offering a rare opportunity to a number of select students: full, merit-based scholarships worth $40,000 a year. For the 2024-2025 school year, we're inviting passionate 8th-11th graders to tell us about yourself and learn how Alpha can help you transform your passion into tremendous purpose. We’re ready to invest in your future — are you? view article arw