This month, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath didn't mince words: Fort Worth ISD's uptick in scores isn't enough. "Fort Worth has significant academic challenges; its level of grade level proficiency is materially lower than Dallas, even though demographically they are not any different," he said as he released accountability scores. Soon, Morath will be in Fort Worth touring different campuses as he plans the district's next step, which could include replacing the school board and the superintendent despite the improvement seen recently. view article

HUDSON — The Hudson ISD board of trustees held a public hearing for the district’s fiscal year 2025-26 budget and tax rate Tuesday evening inside the district’s boardroom.  The maintenance and operations (M&O) rate will be $.7552 per $100 taxable property valuation and the interest and sinking (I&S) rate will be $.084 per $100, for a total rate of $.8392, down from last year’s rate of $.8792. The average homeowner in Hudson ISD will see a tax decrease of $173.52 compared to fiscal year 2024-25, according to assistant superintendent Barrett Lankford.  The board unanimously adopted the property tax rate, which is the lowest in the county.  The board also unanimously approved a final amendment to the Hudson ISD and Stubblefield Learning Center budgets for fiscal year 2024-25, which ends Sunday. The district will end the fiscal year with a budget surplus of up to $367,379, Lankford said. view article

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Independent School District said it will not display the Ten Commandments, at least temporarily, after a preliminary injunction was filed by a district judge last week, according to a statement provided by the district to KXAN. view article

Round Rock ISD Board Pres. Tiffanie N. Harrison announced Aug. 21 that she will be stepping down from her role on the board to focus on her growing family. With the announcement, the board will now be tasked with appointing a new trustee to complete Harrison’s unfinished term, which ends in 2026.  “It has truly been one of my greatest honors to serve on this board. As someone who has walked these halls as a student, taught in our classrooms, and served as a trustee in roles from secretary to vice president and ultimately president, I have been honored by the trust this community placed in me,” Harrison said.  “Round Rock ISD has been at the heart of my life’s journey. The students, families, and staff of this district are incredibly special to me, and I am proud of the work we as a board have done to support the Round Rock ISD community. view article

The Leander Independent School District invited parents to give feedback Monday night ahead of a proposal its Board of Trustees will hear to consolidate several schools next month. Tensions were high Monday night as Cypress Elementary School parents tried to wrap their minds around a plan to consolidate their cherished campus with Naumann Elementary. view article

The Round Rock school board hopes to appoint a new president on Sept. 18 after Tiffanie Harrison announced last week she was planning on stepping down for personal reasons. Harrison, 39, has been a school board member since 2020. She became the district's first Black school board president in November when her fellow members appointed her to the position. view article

Maribel Gardea, a local advocate, was arrested at an Edgewood Independent School District board meeting last week but has since had all charges dropped. Gardea was taken into custody after speaking past her allotted time at the podium during a meeting where she was advocating for transparency, safety, and accountability from the district. view article

A routine school board meeting in Edgewood turned into a tense confrontation Tuesday night when a mother of two was handcuffed and escorted out of the district conference center after exceeding her speaking time. Maribel Gardea, 42, was addressing the board on student safety when her microphone was cut. The Edgewood ISD board president had announced at the start of the meeting that with 11 people signed up for public comment, each speaker would have two minutes. view article

Video shows the moment Edgewood Independent School District police officers removed a San Antonio woman from a school board meeting Tuesday night in handcuffs. Maribel Gardea was arrested on three charges: criminal trespass, resisting arrest and disrupting a meeting. Now, the nonprofit she represents is calling for action from the Edgewood ISD Board of Trustees. view article

A woman who was escorted out of an Edgewood Independent School District board meeting is facing three charges related to trespassing and disrupting a meeting, records with the Bexar County jail show. Maribel Gardea, 42, was taken out of the meeting in handcuffs on Tuesday evening after speaking past her allotted time during public comments, according to footage from the meeting posted on the district’s YouTube channel. view article

The Austin Independent School District superintendent said the district’s declining enrollment numbers are leaving too many schools under capacity and sees campus closures and consolidations as part of the solution. While he declined to pinpoint how many campuses could close, Matias Segura said it’ll be “more than a handful,” and added the district is looking to reduce costs by $30 million. view article

Beaumont Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Shannon Allen expressed her dismay over comments made by Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath regarding the district's recent STAAR test results. During a "Breakfast with the Superintendent" event on Tuesday, Allen addressed the situation, saying she was "shocked" by Morath's remarks. view article

The only time I can remember hearing sirens in Marathon (population 271) was for a school send-off. Six weeks into the 2024 academic year, I stood outside our K–12 public school with the student body and my fellow teachers on a dazzling West Texas morning to see our girls volleyball team off to regionals. Sheriff’s deputies, the fire department, and a fleet of pickups and Suburbans all lined up to escort the Lady Mustangs out of town. I was admiring the motorcade when I turned around and realized that my sixth-grade students had fled the school grounds and were sprinting down Avenue E—escaping!—in their Crocs. Panicked, I cried out after them.  “Don’t worry, they’ll come back,” another teacher assured me. They were only circling the block to catch the bus a second time. view article

Houston ISD's Board of Managers voted unanimously Thursday to formally opt out of allowing home-schooled students to compete in University Interscholastic League activities for the district.  In June, Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law requiring public school districts to allow “non-enrolled students” living in the district to participate in official UIL activities unless the school board votes to opt out by Sept. 1.  view article

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Recent polling shows both President Donald Trump's and Governor Greg Abbott's approval ratings have dropped into net negative territory among Texas voters. Governor Abbott's decreased favorability is significantly linked to public opposition to Senate Bill 3, a near-total ban on THC products, which he ultimately vetoed. President Trump's approval in Texas has gone negative for the first time in his second term, largely due to Texans' concerns about his performance on the economy and inflation. view article

Roughly 170,000 students kicked off a new school year at HISD Tuesday, as enrollment continues to shrink about 4% a year over the past two years under state-appointed leadership. The district plans to announce an undetermined number of school closures later this year due to years of declining enrollment.  HISD has seen numerous changes in that span, including the controversial New Education System, teacher turnover, enrollment declines, and improvements in state test scores and accountability ratings. Additionally, the district had to implement the state's new law banning student cellphone use during the school day as this academic year kicks off. view article

MIDLAND — La’Toya Mayberry is proud of many things.  She’s proud of her family’s West Texas roots. She’s proud of her two daughters, Aniyah and Erinn, two formidably academic athletes who are continuing the family’s basketball legacy.   And five years ago, she was proud of the Midland Independent School District. Its board of trustees had voted to rename a school carrying the name of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, which she considered a stain on the community, to Legacy High School.  That pride may soon give way to shame. A new configuration of the Midland school board is set to consider reverting the school’s name to Midland Lee, affixing Lee’s legacy once more. A vote may come as early as Tuesday.  “My daughter is going to this school, and she's an athlete, representing the school, not just in Midland, but when we travel,” Mayberry said of her youngest, Erinn, a junior varsity basketball player. “What does this say to her that you want to restore a name that meant whites only?”  The debate in this West Texas town echoes a renewed national debate over honoring the leaders of the Confederacy, particularly in the South. view article

The Judson Independent School District board will vote Aug. 18 on seeking voter approval for a tax increase that could cut its historic budget deficit by more than $24 million next year. If trustees officially call a tax election, it will go on the Nov. 4 ballot. view article

The TEA commissioner said the state is watching Fort Worth ISD closely and might replace the school board. view article

The Temple Independent School District Board of Trustees has been named as an Honor School Board by the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) as part of the organization's 2025 School Board Awards, the district has announced. According to the district, Temple ISD is one of only five districts throughout the state of Texas to be selected for the honor, which is reportedly meant to "recognize outstanding Texas school boards for commitment and service that has made a positive impact on Texas public school students." view article

Along with every other public school in the state of Texas, Lubbock ISD is banning the use of cell phones. House Bill 1481 prohibits the use of all personal communication devices not only in the classroom, but throughout the school day. Superintendent Dr. Kathy Rollo says this new protocol will be an adjustment for everyone, from teachers to principals, students and parents. view article

A Denton ISD student is calling for the removal of his football coach, claiming the team’s leadership has created a toxic environment that's causing athletes to quit. Braswell High School student Dustin Sharp addressed Denton ISD trustees during public comment at Tuesday night’s board meeting. The 17-year-old, who will begin his senior year this fall, used his three-minute window to voice concerns about campus athletic director and head football coach Kent Laster. view article

The district is seeking the approval of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the University of Phoenix to support a collaborative teacher preparation program aimed at expanding the local educator pipeline. view article

The Bryan ISD Board of Trustees approved the language of its new cell phone policy in accordance with House Bill 1481 at its regular meeting on Monday. HB 1481 bans students from accessing personal electronic communication devices during the school day, such as cell phones, tablets, Bluetooth headphones, and smart watches. view article

The Huntington ISD Board of Trustees on Monday accepted the resignation of longtime board vice president Ben Watson and appointed Jacob Sapp to fill the vacant Position 6 seat.  Watson, who had served on and off since 2002, submitted his resignation effective July 3. In a letter read aloud during the meeting, he reflected on his years of service and praised the district’s current trajectory. “I am excited about the new direction for HISD under the amazing leadership of Dr. Carolyn Fiaschetti,” Watson wrote. “I am stepping away with total confidence that the district is in a better place today than when I first started. … I’m proud to have served Huntington Independent School District. view article

Community members and advocates at Monday’s Tyler ISD board meeting urged the district to be more transparent about how immigration enforcement could affect undocumented students. Their call for action centered on the need for clear, consistent communication from the district as families prepare for the upcoming school year. view article

At least seven people have announced plans to run for Houston ISD’s five school board trustee positions that will be up for election on Nov. 5.  The elected trustees don’t currently have any power in the district due to the ongoing state takeover, but they will gradually resume oversight of the state’s largest school district once the Texas Education Agency ends the intervention into HISD after June 2027.   Once their elected control resumes, trustees will vote on items like HISD’s annual budget, the superintendent’s yearly evaluation and contract, the tax rate, employee terminations and district policy changes.  view article

The College Station ISD Board of Trustees met Tuesday evening for a workshop and regular meeting where the district’s top priorities took center stage: Student phone policies, school zoning, and staff pay. During the workshop discussion, trustees explored how the district plans to comply with House Bill 1481, a new state law that bans student use of personal communication devices such as cell phones on campus during the school day. view article

Conroe ISD will hold a meeting July 15 to discuss multiple items, including its compensation plan and zoning for its new schools. At the June 24 meeting, CISD Chief Financial Officer Karen Garza presented the 2025-26 compensation plan, which includes 6% raises for teachers and staff and a 4% raise for police and other administrative positions, as previously reported by Community Impact. view article

More than 100 potential cases of illegal voting are under investigation.   Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into more than 100 potential noncitizens accused of casting over 200 ballots during the 2020 and 2022 election cycles.   The majority of the suspected illegal votes are concentrated in Harris County, Texas’s most populous county. Additional instances are reportedly under investigation in Guadalupe, Cameron, and Eastland counties.  “Illegal aliens and foreign nationals must not be allowed to influence Texas elections by casting illegal ballots with impunity. I will not allow it to continue,” Paxton said.  view article

The San Antonio Independent School District board has named a new president to lead trustees in setting educational policy and improving outcomes for 44,000 students. At a meeting on Monday evening, the board voted unanimously to appoint trustee Alicia Sebastian as president. Sebastian will succeed Christina Martinez, who led the board for four years. view article

A Katy woman known for her advocacy at Katy ISD school board meetings has died from injuries sustained in a brutal hammer attack allegedly carried out by her son, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.  COMING SOON: The Dryer to open in Katy, transforming historic rice dryer into dining, music venue  Lisa Babin, 62, died June 20 — nine days after she was found severely injured in the backyard of her Katy home. view article

Austin Independent School District is grappling with its future as the Texas Education Agency votes on the district's turnaround plan for Dobie, Webb, and Burnet middle schools. The TEA is set to decide on AISD's turnaround plan, which could lead to a district-managed restart for the schools. Elizabeth Davis, co-president of Region 13 for the Association of Texas Public Educators and a Dobie Middle School educator, expressed her concerns about the potential for a TEA takeover. view article

Beaumont ISD unveiled its future budget plans at the most recent school board meeting, and teacher raises figured heavily into the district's plans for the 2025-2026 school year. The district was recognized for its six-year track record of fiscal responsibility heading into the next budget cycle, particularly for having a non-deficit budget, chief financial officer Cheryl Hernandez told the board during her presentation. view article