The Socorro Independent School District is considering layoffs, pay cuts and a tax ratification election that could increase property taxes amid a $33 million deficit. “We could be considering a reduction in force or reducing the number of employees through attrition. … A lot of what they’re discussing would be to save personnel costs by increasing class sizes,” SISD Superintendent Nate Carman said during a January board meeting. “Options could include zero raises for all employees pending additional state funding to balance out the budget.” view article arw

The Katy ISD board of trustees on Monday rejected a divisive motion that would have enabled the district to hire chaplains as counselors or to allow them to volunteer in a religious capacity. The board voted 5-2 against a measure provided by Texas' Senate Bill 763, which allows school districts to hire chaplains to provide student support services or to volunteer in schools for similar purposes. The bill does not mandate that chaplains have any certification, training or licensing, and it does not establish limitations on what chaplains may teach children. view article arw

The Katy ISD School Board is hearing public comment about the idea of allowing chaplains as school counselors. It’s part of Senate Bill 763 that passed last year. Senator Mayes Middleton authored the bill which would allow school districts to hire or accept chaplain volunteers to “provide support, services, and programs for students as assigned by the board of trustees of the district.” Under the law, Chaplains aren’t required to be certified by the State Board of Educator Certification. It’s part of Senate Bill 763 that passed last year. Senator Mayes Middleton authored the bill which would allow school districts to hire or accept chaplain volunteers to “provide support, services, and programs for students as assigned by the board of trustees of the district.” Under the law, Chaplains aren’t required to be certified by the State Board of Educator Certification. view article arw

Del Valle ISD’s school board meeting kicked off with a major announcement on Tuesday: Board President Rebecca Birch said she was resigning, effective immediately. She had served on the board for nearly 12 years and spent more than half of that tenure as president. Birch’s decision came the same night the Del Valle ISD board swore in former Trustee Damián Pantoja. The board voted 5 to 3 last week to reappoint Pantoja to represent Single Member District 2, which includes part of the Montopolis neighborhood. Pantoja had to vacate the seat last summer after he claimed a homestead exemption within Austin ISD’s boundaries that violated residency requirements to serve on the DVISD board. Birch said the reappointment of Pantoja was a tipping point for her. view article arw

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - A special meeting of the Amarillo ISD Board of Trustees was held today to discuss the district’s declining enrollment. This year, the district has under 29,000 students. In 2016, that number was 34,000. “It is happening in a lot of places across the state as populations shift and as the birth rate declines. And that kind of thing is if you look at the Potter County demographic, you’ll see that only my age of people are growing and we don’t have little children anymore. The younger populations are shrinking in Potter County and that’s why we see less school aged children,” said Doyle Corder, president, Amarillo ISD school board. In an unanimous vote, the school board passed a motion giving Amarillo ISD’s Superintendent Doug Loomis some direction. view article arw

A Keller school district trustee has resigned after she accompanied a film crew to a high school campus without permission from district officials. Sandi Walker apologized in a Facebook post Sunday and wrote that she would step down. The post appears to have been since deleted. “I recently participated in a foreign documentary focused on public schools in Texas,” Walker wrote on Facebook. “Some filming took place while students were present. I take safety and privacy of our students seriously. I apologize for allowing students to be captured on film.” Walker was elected in 2022.  view article arw

Parents and students feel their safety and security have been violated after an unauthorized evangelical film crew from the Netherlands entered and filmed at Central High School on Feb 9. without authorization from the school district. "We were all so confused," said Sophomore Henry Hawes. "They came up and sat behind our table and started recording us."

A special meeting of the Amarillo ISD Board of Trustees was held today to discuss the district’s declining enrollment. This year, the district has under 29,000 students. In 2016, that number was 34,000. “It is happening in a lot of places across the state as populations shift and as the birth rate declines. And that kind of thing is if you look at the Potter County demographic, you’ll see that only my age of people are growing and we don’t have little children anymore. The younger populations are shrinking in Potter County and that’s why we see less school aged children,” said Doyle Corder, president, Amarillo ISD school board. view article arw

A Keller ISD trustee has resigned after bringing an evangelist film crew from the Netherlands to shoot a documentary inside Central High School without the school district's permission. Parents and students say the incident violated student privacy and school security and are calling for another trustee to resign. KISD Place 3 Trustee Sandi Walker posted to Facebook on Sunday night that she planned to step down. view article arw

Bryan ISD leaders met Monday to consider and discuss the district’s annual report, tackling crucial aspects such as realigning the annual budget and shaping the academic calendar for the upcoming school year and more. In a comprehensive review, school officials affirm that testing scores within Bryan ISD are in line with comparable districts across the state. The annual report delves into various student information rates, encompassing economically disadvantaged, emergent bilingual, at-risk, and mobile students. Additionally, Starr Testing scores in Reading, Math, Science, and Social Studies were meticulously compared with state averages and benchmarks from Bastrop, Duncanville, New Caney, Tyler, and Waco Independent School Districts. view article arw

At tonight’s Corsicana Independent School District board meeting of trustees, Leah Blackard submitted her resignation from her Place 6 position on the board via letter. Blackard was not in attendance at the meeting. Corsicana ISD released this statement in regards to Blackard’s resignation: view article arw

A Keller ISD school board member announced on Facebook Sunday she will resign from her position. In a post from her now-deleted page, Sandi Walker wrote she decided to resign as a trustee after prayer and conversations with friends and family. Walker added she was proud of what the board had accomplished in her nearly two years as a member. view article arw

A Keller ISD trustee has resigned after bringing an evangelist film crew from the Netherlands to shoot a documentary inside Central High School without the school district's permission. Parents and students say the incident violated student privacy and school security and are calling for another trustee to resign. KISD Place 3 Trustee Sandi Walker posted to Facebook on Sunday night that she planned to step down. "After spending time in prayer, conversations with family and close friends, I have made the decision to resign from my position as school board trustee," Walker wrote. The statement came nine days after Keller ISD officials said Walker brought a European film crew inside Central High School on Feb. 9 to film a documentary without the district's permission. "My son came home from school and mentioned that a film crew had filmed him and his friends at his lunch table," CHS parent Laney Hawes said. view article arw

A Keller ISD trustee has resigned after bringing an evangelist film crew from the Netherlands to shoot a documentary inside Central High School without the school district's permission. Parents and students say the incident violated student privacy and school security and are calling for another trustee to resign. KISD Place 3 Trustee Sandi Walker posted to Facebook on Sunday night that she planned to step down. "After spending time in prayer, conversations with family and close friends, I have made the decision to resign from my position as school board trustee," Walker wrote. The statement came nine days after Keller ISD officials said Walker brought a European film crew inside Central High School on Feb. 9 to film a documentary without the district's permission. "My son came home from school and mentioned that a film crew had filmed him and his friends at his lunch table," CHS parent Laney Hawes said. view article arw

Families in the Spring Branch Independent School District will be dealing with more budget cuts in their children’s schools as the district moves into the 2024-2025 school year. In a message sent out Friday afternoon by Superintendent Jennifer Blaine, the district said it was forced to take these actions after the 88th Legislative Session and four special sessions of the Texas Legislature concluded without the educational funding challenges of Texas public school districts being addressed. view article arw

Sandi Walker was one of two trustees who issued apologies after parents spoke out about the crew filming students without their consent. view article arw

On Monday evening, the Katy ISD school board will discuss its upcoming vote on whether to allow chaplains to serve as counselors in schools. The school board meeting is a workshop, meaning that the board will not vote on the issue during the meeting. However, school board officials will further discuss whether to allow chaplains to work as mental health counselors and the public will have a chance to weigh in. view article arw

The Bandera Independent School District will give Fridays off to its more than 2,000 students next school year in an effort to address mental health concerns, cut costs and boost teacher retention.  The district’s board voted unanimously Monday to implement a four-day school week starting in the fall. It will adhere to the shortened schedule for one year before revisiting the decision.  School days will begin 10 minutes earlier and end 25 minutes later than with a five-day week. Students will attend school on Fridays only in August, which will allow the district to finish the school year before Memorial Day 2025. view article arw

The North East Independent School District board of trustees voted Monday against creating a policy that would allow chaplains to be used as mental health volunteers across the district. Senate Bill 763, one of the hundreds of state laws that went into effect last year, gives districts the option of allowing chaplains to provide mental health services to students. Chaplains who are employed or are volunteering are not required to be certified by the State Board for Educator Certification. The law also requires every school board in the state to vote on whether or not they will allow chaplains to serve as counselors by March 1. North East ISD trustees Steve Hilliard and Marsha Landry asked for the topic to be added to the agenda of of a board meeting early last semester, showing early support for the idea. But when it came time to vote Monday evening, Steve Hilliard joined the board majority and voted to maintain North East ISD's current policies and not develop a specific policy related to allowing chaplains as counselors in the school district. view article arw

The Marshall ISD school board will host a special meeting on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. and immediately after host the district’s regular agenda review meeting at noon. During the special meeting, trustees will consider a number of items regarding the 2024 May election, including potential approval of a joint election agreement with the City of Marshall as well as a contract for election services through Harrison County. view article arw

The Lufkin ISD school board held a workshop on Tuesday to discuss compensation for employees who missed work due to the weather closure on Jan. 16. Lufkin ISD Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services Daniel Spikes said all employees will receive payment for the Jan. 16 school closure. view article arw

The North East Independent School District board of trustees voted Monday against creating a policy that would allow chaplains to be used as mental health volunteers across the district. Senate Bill 763, one of the hundreds of state laws that went into effect last year, gives districts the option of allowing chaplains to provide mental health services to students. Chaplains who are employed or are volunteering are not required to be certified by the State Board for Educator Certification. The law also requires every school board in the state to vote on whether or not they will allow chaplains to serve as counselors by March 1. view article arw

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) informed Marlin ISD that the transition of district governance from an appointed board of managers to an elected board of trustees has been started. As part of the transition, two elected Board of Trustee members will become part of the Marlin ISD Board of Managers. A letter was sent to Marlin ISD Superintendent Dr. Darryl Henson informing him that current members of the Marlin ISD Board of Managers, elected Marlin ISD Board of Trustees and Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath selected Billy Johnson and Rosalyn Dimerson as the first two elected trustees to join the Marlin ISD Board of Managers. view article arw

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) informed Marlin ISD that the transition of district governance from an appointed board of managers to an elected board of trustees has been started. As part of the transition, two elected Board of Trustee members will become part of the Marlin ISD Board of Managers. view article arw

A special school board meeting here ushered in a new era as a TEA-appointed school board and acting superintendent were welcomed to the district through public comments. The board then voted on employment and a relocation agreement for acting superintendent Marcey Sorensen. view article arw

FBI agents disrupted a plot by three men – two of whom said they were part of a militia – to travel to the Texas-Mexico border to kill Border Patrol agents and immigrants crossing illegally because they believed the country was being invaded, according to court documents filed in federal courts. One of the men also called and left a phone message to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office to alert him about their plans, saying: “If y'all cannot take care of this border and shut it down then we will be forced to come in and do it ourselves,” according to a criminal complaint. The complaint does not say when he left this message but that he summarized his message to a confidential FBI source on a recorded phone conversation on Oct. 3, 2022. view article arw

The board voted 6-1 to reprimand Valdez for his treatment of Edgewood ISD staff, censure him for “unprofessional behavior” and require him to complete mandatory professional training. If he fails to comply, Valdez could be stripped of his committee assignments and barred from district premises view article arw

Conservator overrides deadlocked Harlandale school board vote to appoint new trustee A new trustee was appointed to the Harlandale Independent School District Board of Trustees last week at the direction of Judy Castleberry, a conservator appointed by the state to oversee the district in 2020. Erica Salazar, a former school district administrator that now works for a real estate company, was named to the seat. The district 2 seat was left vacant at the start of the year after Christine Carrillo resigned following an arrest for being accused of physically assaulting her husband. view article arw

The general election is set for May 4, 2024. Mr. Tubb was first elected to the LISD Board of Trustees in 2018. Dr. Germanwala joined the board in 2021, and Dr. Simmons has served on the board since 1986. The nonpartisan board consists of seven trustees elected to overlapping three-year terms. They serve without compensation. Early Voting runs April 22-30 at the Longview ISD Education Support Center, 1301 E. Young St. Election Day voting will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at officially designated voting locations. view article arw

WASHINGTON — Texas Republican lawmakers in Congress, who represent a state with the most to win from a hard-nosed U.S. border package, stood firmly against a bipartisan deal that was blocked Wednesday by a 50-49 Senate vote and left on life support in a pivotal procedural decision. The Senate GOP leadership, which had championed the border deal, stepped back from pushing the $20 billion package, which makes up part of a larger $118 billion national security bill that includes aid to Israel and Ukraine, after it became clear conservative lawmakers did not think the legislation, which would revamp U.S. border and immigration policies, went far enough and that former President Donald Trump, the likely GOP nominee for president this year, was against the proposal. view article arw

Abilene ISD’s Board of Trustees approved policies affecting district volunteers and chaplains at their February meeting. The board approved the adoption of Policy GKG (Local) and a resolution regarding use of chaplains under Senate Bill 763. Alison Sims, Associate Superintendent for the Development of Human Resources, stated to the board the purpose of Policy GKG (Local) specifies how volunteers are used in AISD, which is primarily for support in the classroom for teaching and learning experiences and assistance with welfare of students and staff. view article arw

A Northside Independent School District trustee arrested last fall on suspicion of driving while intoxicated has entered a pretrial diversion program in the case, Bexar County court records confirm. Dr. Karla Duran, 44, was granted PTD Friday, five months after she was arrested by San Antonio police. view article arw

The driving while intoxicated charge against Karla Duran, the Northside Independent School District trustee, has been dismissed at the request of a special prosecutor allowed more leniency than the local DA’s office uses. County Court at Law No. 4 Judge Alfredo Ximenez dismissed the case on Feb. 2 in response to a motion by Michael Block, an assistant county attorney in Atascosa County, who the judge appointed to handle it on Oct. 16. view article arw

The Texas Education Agency installed a board of managers and a new superintendent to lead La Joya ISD Thursday after years of corruption at the school district. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath described the move as a last resort for the state, but one that’s justified in the case of La Joya. “First of all you have several board members that are sitting in jail — they’ve been convicted of fraud. And the current board tried to make the argument that that was really an isolated circumstance, but it is — in our judgement and the judgement of our investigators and the review of the administrative law judge that also reviewed this case — it is not isolated,” he said. “These are ongoing ethical dilemmas and an inability of the board as a whole to put aside their own interests and focus solely on meeting the needs of kids.” view article arw

They consist of three members appointed by board president Scott Henry.  Given that the membership falls below the number required for a quorum, they don’t have to post their agenda or discussions and are not subject to the Texas Open Meetings Act, according to the district’s general counsel Marney Collins Sims. Subcommittee membership is under quorum requirements and therefore doesn’t have to post their agenda or discussions, raising questions about accountability and transparency.  Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District’s school board recently amended its board operating procedures to create board subcommittees. However, these subcommittees will meet privately and actions and conversations happening in them will not be reported publicly.   The trustees voted to “use Board Sub-committees to govern the district,” according to a post from Trustee Julie Hinaman.   The sub-committees listed, so far, are finance and operations; academics, safety, vision, and planning; policy review; governance; and ad-hoc teacher retention. view article arw