Texas homeowners are taxed by local entities such as school districts, cities, counties, hospital districts and municipal utility districts. State lawmakers spend billions of dollars annually to reduce how much Texans pay school districts in property taxes, although Abbott noted June 11 that since the state does not levy property taxes, it also cannot make direct tax cuts.  “I know Texans are frustrated about what's going on. ... Local jurisdictions, in my opinion, have imposed too much property taxes on our fellow Texans,” Abbott said in an interview from his office at the state capitol in Austin.  In February, Abbott urged lawmakers to “stop making it so easy for local taxing jurisdictions to increase property taxes.” He said at the time that taxing entities should be required to receive two-thirds approval from local voters during a general election before they can raise taxes. view article

The Ysleta Independent School District is exploring several options to address its significant budget deficit, including the potential closure of two elementary schools. Superintendent Xavier De La Torre said that the district's projected $35.2 million deficit might necessitate the closure of schools with low enrollment, such as Presa Elementary in the Lower Valley. view article

A judge on Tuesday ruled that the PSJA ISD school board can censure a trustee as long as that person is provided three-day notice and a proper resolution for the action. The judge also extended a temporary restraining order prohibiting the censure until June 16. School board member Cynthia Gutierrez filed the lawsuit against board president Diana Serna, and fellow trustees Carlos Villegas and Yolanda Castillo on May 27. view article

The Judson ISD board of trustees unanimously approved eliminating 25 vacant non-teaching positions and reducing four vacant nursing staff positions to licensed vocational nurse positions on June 5. The decision will save approximately $1.43 million in the 2025-26 fiscal year budget, according to agenda documents. view article

Dallas ISD trustees will consider policy changes Thursday to Senate Bill 12, which bans Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Texas’ public K-12 schools. SB12 requires districts to eliminate DEI policies and programs in aspects like hiring and training. The bill is currently on Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk; if signed, it would go into effect Sept. 1. view article

A longtime Alice Independent School District school board member has resigned just one month after being re-elected to a second term. Albert Molina's resignation was accepted during Monday, June 9, school board meeting, ending his eight-year tenure on the board. view article

More than a month after first announcing her resignation, Fort Bend ISD Trustee Sonya Jones officially resigned from her role during a board meeting Monday. The Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees discussed her resignation during a nearly hour-and-a-half closed session Monday, after which the board president, Kristin K. Tassin, announced that the board would be deciding on a course of action to fill the position 5 trustee vacancy at a board meeting on June 23. Jones was not up for reelection during the May 3 election. view article

Two years after Stephanie Muth became Department of Family and Protective Services commissioner, staff turnover is down and the number of children without a placement has dropped. Stephanie Muth, who took the reins of the Texas foster care agency two years ago, announced late Monday she is stepping down at the end of July.  “Commissioner Muth has led with unwavering dedication and service to the children and families of Texas,” Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement. “Under her guidance, the Department of Family and Protective Services made meaningful progress to improve care for our state’s most vulnerable children. Her commitment to expand innovative community-based solutions will leave a lasting impact on the state of Texas.” view article

District chief counsel Jeremy Binkley stated the board would either appoint a replacement or call a special election.  Brittnai Brown, elected to Position 4 on the Humble Independent School District Board of Trustees on May 3, has been declared ineligible to serve due to violations of Texas residency requirements.  Brown’s opponent, Tracy Shannon, first raised the issue during the district’s May 13 school board meeting. Shannon presented election records showing that Brown voted in the October 2024 general election using an address within Houston ISD and signed an affidavit of residency there. view article

Round Rock ISD trustees on Tuesday night approved a compensation plan for the 2025–26 school year. With the Texas Legislature in session this year, school districts had to wait to finalize compensation plans and annual budgets as lawmakers worked on a public school funding bill. view article

As the Fort Worth Independent School District bids farewell to 18 of its campuses over the next four years, educators and residents are reflecting on how the parting schools have left their mark on the community. view article

Answers could soon be coming regarding a Fort Bend Independent School District trustee who announced more than a month ago was resigning. A Fort Bend ISD trustee board meeting item on Monday's agenda has parents, including Adeel Akhtar, who spoke with ABC13, anxiously awaiting. "I wish there were a little bit more communication by the school district," Akhtar said. "Perhaps they have their reasons, but I think we're going to find out really soon what's going to happen." view article

Austin ISD is beginning early planning for a school consolidation process that could result in campus closures starting in the 2026–27 school year. District officials say the move is driven by long-term budget pressures, declining enrollment, and the need to ensure schools are better staffed and resourced. view article

Adam Rivon, one of the four recently ousted members of the Houston ISD Board of Managers, won’t speculate on why he was suddenly removed from his role this week, though he said “people are intelligent and they can make their own assumptions.”  Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath unexpectedly removed Rivon, along with three other appointees, from their roles on the Board of Managers this week, and replaced them with four new board members. Morath also announced the extension of the state intervention of the district through June 1, 2027.   In an interview with the Chronicle, Rivon said the TEA told him they “wanted to bring in a new team,” but he wasn’t given any specific reasons why they decided to remove him from the appointed board after serving in the role since the state takeover of Texas’ largest school district in June 2023. view article

A bill headed for Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk may not go into effect until 2027. Election administrators say the changes could create staffing challenges.  Texans will have a new schedule for early voting in coming years under new legislation that starts the voting period later but slides it right up to Election Day, eliminating the three-day break in between.  Experts say Senate Bill 2753, which lawmakers approved this week, will likely boost turnout, as it includes more time for voting on weekends. The author of the bill, Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood, told Votebeat that the change also “simplifies the process” and would reduce the cost of election operations and equipment.  But local election officials said they aren’t so sure of that, and are still determining how it will work and what it could cost counties. The bill doesn’t allocate any funding for counties to implement the changes. view article

The El Paso Independent School District (EPISD) Board of Trustees voted to accept Superintendent Diana Sayavedra's voluntary separation agreement with a 4-2-1 vote. The decision was made during a special board meeting Tuesday night. Before the meeting was adjourned, Sayavedra spoke to the crowd of community members, parents, and district staff who spoke and attended in support of her role as superintendent with the district. view article

As a parent of three students at Faubion Elementary, Lindsey King cherishes her close connection to the campus. "I live two blocks from Faubion and so my kids walk to school and I know people in this neighborhood do as well," King said. But the future of the school could be up in the air along with others. Several elementary school campuses at Leander ISD are operating below capacity, under 60%, and enrollment is slowing down in certain portions of the district. view article

The May 3 election put union-backed trustees in control of the Northside Independent School District board. On Tuesday, they locked down all three officer positions. Trustees selected Karla Duran to serve as president of the seven-member for the next year. Newly elected Sonia L. Jasso was chosen board vice president on her first night on the dais, and trustee David Salcido was reelected board secretary. view article

As state lawmakers tout new investments in public education, Leander ISD leaders say it’s still not enough to prevent school closures and deep staffing cuts. During a packed school board meeting Thursday night, families, students, and educators pleaded with trustees to save their neighborhood campuses from possible consolidation. view article

Mansfield ISD trustees approved Superintendent Kimberley Cantu’s performance and contract during a special meeting that saw trustees talking behind closed doors for nearly three hours. The school board amended Cantu’s contract to expire in 2030, rather than 2029, and raised her annual longevity bonus from $20,000 to $35,000. view article

Austin ISD is asking the community to weigh in on the criteria it will use to evaluate schools for potential closure. “We’re really wanting to hear from the specific communities that could be impacted, which right now is any community,” Raechel French, the director of planning, said. “We’re looking at all schools.” view article

There is big change coming to Austin ISD as the district is beginning the process to close and consolidate schools. The district said the move comes after six years without an increase in school funding from the state, as well as declining enrollment. There were 74,645 students in Austin ISD in the 2021-22 school year and in the 2023-24 school year there were 73,707. view article

There is big change coming to Austin ISD as the district is beginning the process to close and consolidate schools. The district said the move comes after six years without an increase in school funding from the state, as well as declining enrollment. There were 74,645 students in Austin ISD in the 2021-22 school year and in the 2023-24 school year there were 73,707. view article

Judson Middle School, Candlewood Elementary School and Franz Leadership Academy will remain open for the time being. Board members in the Judson Independent School District passed motions on Wednesday night to not close the campuses. Families and students expressed strong feelings about the potential school closures. The district cited financial hardships and declining enrollment as reasons for considering the closures. view article

Lamar Elementary School, one of eight El Paso Independent School District schools that was to close next year, will remain open indefinitely after the newly elected school board on Tuesday voted 5-2 to reverse the previous board’s decision. Daniel Call and Valerie Ganelon Beals, the only remaining trustees on the board who voted in favor of the closures in November, voted against keeping the school open. view article

Fort Bend ISD is built for more than 100,000 students, but recent demographic projections show enrollment stagnating around 80,000 students until 2034, an outlook that could force school closures to save money, officials told a full boardroom Monday. Closing or consolidating some of the 19 elementary campuses with less than 600 students could save the district $13 million, auditors said. view article

The El Paso Independent School District's board voted 5-2 to reopen Lamar Elementary, one of eight schools previously slated for closure as part of a district-wide redesign plan aimed at addressing a $32 million deficit. Board member Daniel Call strongly opposed the proposal, stating, "This is an arbitrary reopening of only one school, with no real rationale." He added, "Reopening Lamar Elementary is going to cost 3.2 million dollars per year." view article

A candidate who won her bid for the Humble ISD school board on May 3 has now been declared ineligible after her opponent challenged her candidacy, a district spokesperson confirmed Tuesday. Brittnai Brown, a former educator, was sued by opponent Tracy Shannon after the election, and the lawsuit cited voter records that showed that Brown did was not registered to vote in the district for the required six months before the filing deadline to run for the board. view article

The Calvert ISD School Board unanimously voted to censure member James Green at an emergency board meeting on May 7. He was among a dozen suspects arrested during a 2-day prostitution sting in Waco in late April. view article

The Canutillo Independent School District, like many across the Borderland, is grappling with a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall. At Tuesday’s board meeting, trustees took steps to begin closing that gap, voting not to renew the contracts of nearly a dozen teachers. view article

Fort Worth ISD’s school board votes Tuesday night on whether to approve a district plan to close 18 elementary and middle schools over the next several years. Education reporter Wayne Carter is at the district headquarters for the meeting. view article

Fort Worth ISD students took to the District Service Center on the night of May 20 with a message: Keep their schools open. For their teachers. For their friends. For their education. “I think Edward J. Briscoe is one of the best schools and the teachers are so kind,” elementary student Aniyah Henderson told trustees. view article

Trustee Chris Todd resigned, effective May 31, after deciding to move to Florida. Todd said he was not planning to leave in the middle of his term, but he will be taking a new job opportunity at a church, and it is the right decision for his family and him. “It is exceptionally hard to leave the community that ... I've spent basically my entire life in,” Todd said. “This is a super special community, and I hope that this board will realize and remember that the work that you're doing really does make a difference for this community.” view article

The Fort Worth Independent School District Board of Trustees voted 8-0 with no discussion or comments, to approve a plan developed by district administrators to close 18 campuses, mostly elementary schools, over the next five years. Parents from Briscoe and De Zavala elementary schools packed the board room Tuesday night, many took a back seat and allowed their children to speak about why their schools should stay home. view article

Fort Bend ISD is built for more than 100,000 students, but recent demographic projections show enrollment stagnating around 80,000 students until 2034, an outlook that could force school closures to save money, officials told a full boardroom Monday. Closing or consolidating some of the 19 elementary campuses with less than 600 students could save the district $13 million, auditors said. view article