Texas Gov. Greg Abbott brought a familiar script with him to his prime time address to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Wednesday night, hammering against Democratic President Joe Biden's border and immigration policies and touting the Lone Star State's response to the surge in migrants at the Texas-Mexico border.  "Joe Biden deserted his duty on his first day in office," Abbott told the cheering delegates, many of who waved mass-produced bright blue placards saying "Mass Deportation Now!" "He gutted President (Donald) Trump's policies, and the result has been catastrophic. Under Joe Biden, illegal immigration has skyrocketed."  Abbott affirmed to the convention that Trump, if elected, would "send them back," referring to undocumented immigrants.  Since Biden ousted Trump from the White House after the 2020 election, Abbott swiftly assumed the mantle of the nation's loudest voice for beefed-up border security. And the three-term Republican governor of the U.S. state with largest border with Mexico made sure the GOP delegates inside Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum knew it.  Abbott has been a Trump stalwart dating back to the former president's first campaign in 2016. This cycle Abbott gave Trump his endorsement in November 2023, and in February the governor and the former president joined forces in Eagle Pass where Abbott had amassed a militarized encampment in that border city as part of his $11 billion Operation Lone Star initiative. view article

Bonnie Wallace attempted to challenge several library books, but was told the new policy only allows school employees and parents or guardians of current students to raise content concerns.  As the battle over inappropriate content in children’s libraries continues, one Llano ISD resident has been halted from challenging books by a new school district policy.   Bonnie Wallace, whose daughter graduated from Llano High School a few years ago, has a list of 207 books that she wants removed from the Llano ISD library shelves for vulgar or inappropriate content.   She submitted the paperwork to challenge 21 books at the beginning of the year. After being told it would take a month to review each book, she held off submitting any additional challenges.  view article

Pushing back against the recommendation to raise school meal prices, the Canyon Independent School District voted unanimously to forgo the state’s recommended increase and to seek a waiver for raising prices for the school year. The proposed price increase would have raised all meal prices by 10 cents across the board. All elementary lunches would have gone from $2.60 to $2.70, and secondary lunches from $2.80 to $2.90. Breakfast would have increased from $1.80 to $1.90 for both secondary and elementary students. No changes would have been made to the free or reduced lunch program. This price adjustment was to be done in accordance with the Texas Department of Agriculture’s guidance and federal standards. view article

The Texas governor used his time on the Republican convention stage to praise Trump on border security and to challenge the Democratic president.  MILWAUKEE — Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday sharply attacked President Joe Biden over immigration, telling Republican National Convention delegates that the current administration has abdicated its duty to secure the country before falsely crediting former President Donald Trump with “eliminating illegal immigration.”  “Biden deserted his duty on his first day in office,” Abbott told thousands of delegates gathered in Milwaukee. “He gutted President Trump's policies, and the result has been catastrophic.”Abbott also vowed to continue sending migrants to so-called “sanctuary cities” in northern states such as New York or Illinois, a policy that has cost Texas taxpayers at least $148 million since it was announced in 2022.  “When Joe Biden and Kamala Harris refused to even come to Texas to see the border crisis, I took the border to them,” he said. “...We have continued busing migrants to sanctuary cities all across the country. Those buses will continue to roll until we finally secure our border.” view article

The Texas governor used his time on the Republican convention stage to praise Trump on border security and to challenge the Democratic president.  MILWAUKEE — Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday sharply attacked President Joe Biden over immigration, telling Republican National Convention delegates that the current administration has abdicated its duty to secure the country before falsely crediting former President Donald Trump with “eliminating illegal immigration.”  “Biden deserted his duty on his first day in office,” Abbott told thousands of delegates gathered in Milwaukee. “He gutted President Trump's policies, and the result has been catastrophic.”Abbott also vowed to continue sending migrants to so-called “sanctuary cities” in northern states such as New York or Illinois, a policy that has cost Texas taxpayers at least $148 million since it was announced in 2022.  “When Joe Biden and Kamala Harris refused to even come to Texas to see the border crisis, I took the border to them,” he said. “...We have continued busing migrants to sanctuary cities all across the country. Those buses will continue to roll until we finally secure our border.” view article

The district’s state-appointed leadership faces an Aug. 18 deadline for deciding whether to place a bond measure on the Nov. 5 ballot. The proposed bond package would be the largest ever for a Texas school district and the first for HISD since 2012. view article

For her last major announcement for the school year, La Joya ISD Superintendent Marcey Sorensen officially announced at a board meeting last month the district’s new central office leadership team and the organizational structure it will be operating under. It’s been no secret that Sorensen intended to restructure the district’s leadership; La Joya ISD posted job openings for its new top-level positions in April. view article

The La Joya Independent School District policy barring employees from holding public office has caused a ripple effect well outside of the district’s boundaries resulting in multiple resignations, prompting cities to call special elections — all at the cost of the taxpayer. The policy, approved in April, prohibits employees who are equal to or above an assistant principal, center office employees that have the responsibility of public funds, and administrators or supervisors of other employees from holding public office. view article

Katy ISD's controversial new gender policy requires parents to be notified if students identify themselves as transgender, and it's impact is becoming clearer. Kade Carter is a lot of things: a gamer, a musician, and a son. But, the 17-year-old, who has won awards for his poetry and artwork, is a high school dropout. view article

Carroll ISD board President Cam Bryan updated district residents on the status of the district’s Title IX lawsuit during the board’s regular meeting June 24. During his remarks, Bryan reminded district residents the new Title IX rules being implemented by the Biden Administration will go into effect on Aug. 1 in Texas. He added that courts in Kentucky and Louisiana have stopped the implementation of the new rules in their respective states. view article

The Judson Independent School District Board of Trustees approved a 1% pay increase for teachers, librarians, counselors and nurses on Tuesday night. The pay increase will take effect during the upcoming 2024-2025 school year. A $500 one-time incentive payment will be provided to all other staff, to be disbursed in December. view article

THE COMO-PICKTON CISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES HAS BEEN NAMED THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS (TASA) SCHOOL BOARD OF THE YEAR FOR REGION 8. TASA CREATED THE SCHOOL BOARD AWARDS PROGRAM IN 1971 TO RECOGNIZE SCHOOL BOARDS WHOSE DEDICATION AND ETHICAL SERVICE HAVE MADE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE SCHOOL CHILDREN OF TEXAS. THIS YEAR, THE COMO-PICKTON CISD’S SCHOOL BOARD HAS EXEMPLIFIED THESE TRAITS AND WORKED HARD TO ENSURE THAT THE EDUCATION OF ITS COMMUNITY’S CHILDREN REMAINED ITS TOP PRIORITY EVEN AS THE DISTRICT OVERCAME OBSTACLES OF REBUILDING THEIR SCHOOL AFTER A DEVASTATING TORNADO. COMO-PICKTON BOARD PRESIDENT, DJ CARR, NOTED THAT HE WAS HUMBLED BY THE HONOR. HE PRAISED THE SCHOOL DISTRICT’S TEACHERS, STAFF, AND ADMINISTRATORS FOR ALWAYS KEEPING view article

A big congratulations is in order for the Marion ISD Board of Trustees, which has been selected as one of the top school boards in Texas. The Marion school board has been named the 2024 Regional School Board of the Year for Education Service Center 20. Marion ISD Superintendent Don Beck is thrilled by the recognition. Dr. Beck says this is a well-deserved recognition for this particular group of trustees. view article

Lockhart Independent School District will enter next year with a balanced budget. Last night, its board of trustees approved the budget for next year which will include pay raises for teachers and staff. “In Lockhart, we have a saying that we like to say, ‘Lockhart leading,’” said Lockhart ISD Superintendent Mark Estrada. view article

Title IX enacted in 1972 is a civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools or education programs that receive federal funding. The Biden administration’s new regulations are set to go into effect August 1 making clear that Title IX also prohibits discrimination based on gender identity of sexual orientation. view article

Conroe's new high school opening in 2027 will be named in reference to an early industry of the city. Additionally, two new elementary schools will be named after individuals who have contributed to the community. view article

There are multiple lawsuits trying to prevent President Joe Biden's changes to Title IX to include protections for gender identity from taking effect. The Carroll ISD school board in Southlake is among those suing. Some activists showed up at Monday’s school board meeting to support the district's efforts. view article

The Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees signed off on the budget for the next school year, the district now facing a multi-million dollar deficit. With that looming, the district is considering turning to voters for help. Thursday’s meeting was lengthy, with trustees approving the budget just before midnight. The district is set to be $41 million in the hole in the 2024-2025 academic year. view article

Contention over Lorena ISD’s handling of sexual abuse spilled over into city government this week even as the school district continued to deny responsibility in court filings. On Tuesday, Lorena ISD officials rebutted claims that they “looked the other way” or facilitated former substitute teacher Nicolas Scott Crenshaw in sexually abusing a 5-year-old girl in his classroom during the 2020-2021 school year. Meanwhile, two residents, including a Baylor business professor, were denied seats on a city economic development board this week due to their criticism of the district’s handling of the abuse reports. view article

The North East Independent School District, like many districts in San Antonio and across Texas, is planning to spend millions more dollars than its expected revenue for the 2024-2025 school year. NEISD trustees unanimously approved a $612 million budget for the general fund on Monday — nearly $63 million more than the district’s expected general fund revenue. view article

If Houston ISD continues to see improved academic performance like it did this school year, control of Texas’ largest district could return to elected officials in the next two years, according to Superintendent Mike Miles. Miles attended Tuesday's Houston City Council economic development meeting, marking the first time he publicly met with the city government and answered questions from council members. view article

Cypress Fairbanks ISD's conservative school board voted Monday night to give itself the first look at book title acquisitions and the final say on book challenges, despite concern from more than 100 community members who spoke out against both changes to the library policy and cuts to the district's science textbook.  view article

The Tyler ISD Board of Trustees publicly denounced President Joe Biden’s recent expansion of Title IX rules. President Biden announced the expansion, intended to add discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ students, last year. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has since sued the Biden administration and Gov. Greg Abbott publicly instructed the Texas Education Agency in April to ignore Biden’s ruling. Now, at Monday evening’s regular meeting, the Tyler ISD board also denounced the changes. view article

The June 18th College Station ISD school board meetings are the first since deciding to change its procedure for public speakers.  That means those wishing to speak have until Monday at 10 a.m. to sign up.  CSISD’s website has a registration form that requires speakers to disclose the topic they want to address, whether or not it is on the agenda.  There is no change in the amount of time a public speaker is given.  The updated policy includes public speakers referring to individuals by name. view article

The Frisco ISD Board of Trustees has adopted its 2024-25 priorities following two workshops dedicated to their development. These priorities are aspirational and intended to guide the District's work over the next year. This initiative is part of a framework for ongoing strategic change that Frisco ISD refers to as Dynamic Organizational Strategy, which replaces the concept of a long-term strategic plan in favor of continuous improvement. The 2024-25 Board priorities include: view article

At the June 18 meeting, the Conroe ISD board of trustees will conduct a hearing and consider a Level 3 appeal regarding a list of books that are in request for reconsideration. view article

Cy-Fair Independent School District has executed significant shifts heading into the summer. On Monday, the Cy-fair ISD school board voted to give themselves more power to ban books from district libraries, marking the second major decision regarding instruction and reading material selection in weeks. view article

Cy-Fair ISD officials are anticipating a $77.5 million shortfall in the $1.16 billion fiscal year 2024-25 budget, which the board of trustees unanimously approved June 17. Chief Financial Officer Karen Smith said the district will use reserves to fill the remaining gap. Budget discussions have been ongoing since Superintendent Doug Killian joined the district in January, and leadership was tasked with shrinking the original $138 million shortfall. view article

Humble ISD trustees voted narrowly Tuesday night to keep the district's current general counsel on leave for the two weeks remaining on his contract, a move that could effectively terminate the attorney. District spokesperson Jamie Mount confirmed the board is only receiving legal advice from external counsel it hired Tuesday. The board has racked up more than $1 million in legal fees over a year filled with legal challenges. Just last month, Superintendent Elizabeth Fagen was put on leave indefinitely without a reason from the board view article

A special meeting of the Henderson ISD board of trustees has been called, and the agenda shows the board’s intention to accept the resignation of the superintendent. Dr. Thurston Lamb was named superintendent for Henderson ISD in 2019, after being selected through a lengthy process. Prior to this role, he served as Chief of Schools in Duncanville ISD. In 2022, Lamb was named Regional Superintendent of the Year by the Region 7 Education Service Center. view article

A Houston ISD board meeting went late into the night to pass the budget for the upcoming school year. In a rare, split five-to-four vote, HISD trustees voted to pass Superintendent Mike Miles' $2.1 billion budget. As part of his plan, one-third of the funds, or $684 million, will go toward the 130 "New Education System" or "NES" schools. view article

In their most divided vote taken to date, members of Houston ISD’s state-appointed school board on Thursday narrowly approved a $2.1 billion budget that slashes hundreds of millions of dollars in spending in 2024-25. The unexpected 5-4 split on the district’s annual budget — one of the most important votes taken by a school board each year — marks a rare public disagreement between some board members and HISD Superintendent Mike Miles. The nine-member board and Miles, which were appointed to run the district in June 2023 as part of state sanctions against HISD, have generally moved in lockstep while dramatically overhauling Texas’ largest school district. view article

After voting to remove content from state-approved textbooks in May, the Cypress-Fairbanks school board is now considering overhauling its library collection policy to give trustees a first look at book title acquisitions and the final say on book challenges. Under a policy that could be voted on Monday, the conservative-majority board would receive a list of upcoming library acquisitions at least five days ahead of a public posting of those titles online for at least 30 days. view article

In their most divided vote taken to date, members of Houston ISD’s state-appointed school board on Thursday narrowly approved a $2.1 billion budget that slashes hundreds of millions of dollars in spending in 2024-25. The unexpected 5-4 split on the district’s annual budget — one of the most important votes taken by a school board each year — marks a rare public disagreement between some board members and HISD Superintendent Mike Miles. The nine-member board and Miles, which were appointed to run the district in June 2023 as part of state sanctions against HISD, have generally moved in lockstep while dramatically overhauling Texas’ largest school district. view article

The Karnack ISD Board of Trustees has approved the appointment of Kristi Stephens to the Place 5 Trustee seat. At the school board meeting on Thursday, the Board of Trustees approved a motion for the appointment recommendation of Stephens for the previously vacant Place 5 Trustee position. School board President Ray Polk described the appointment as a momentous occasion before administering the oath of office for Stephens. view article