Victoria Superintendent Quintin Shepherd provided an overview of school finances and academic performance Wednesday during VISD’s annual State of the Schools address. Shepherd, who delivered the address at Victoria Chamber of Commerce luncheon, talked about the school district’s upcoming tax rate, its recent accountability scores and increases in state funding that led to teacher pay increases during the next fiscal year. view article

People in the South San Independent School District said they feel like the problems between the board of trustees and superintendent are like a bad movie that keeps repeating. Rey Saldana, former District 4 councilman, spoke as a concerned resident before the board Tuesday night, saying the plot is always the same — in which the board blames the superintendent for the problems and then buys them out. It's a problem going back decades. view article

Poolville ISD board of trustees discussed amending the Student Handbook, particularly items related to dress code, during their meeting on Thursday. Superintendent Jeff Kirby said the handbook is vague in areas, and administration is reviewing the handbook to make it more specific and consistent. The proposed changes will come back to the board for approval. view article

The Texas Education Agency, the branch of state government of responsible for public education, gave Friendswood ISD an overall grade of 94 in its annual performance overview for the 2018-2019 school year. “I am proud that FISD and all (its) campuses received an ‘A’ rating from TEA,” Superintendent Thad Roher said. view article

Weeks after the Beaumont ISD school board president A.B. Bernard resigned, leaders have voted to appoint new leaders, signaling a shift in control. During a special meeting Tuesday, members confirmed Thomas Sigee as the new board president. Denise Wallace-Spooner was named vice-president. Nathan Cross remains as secretary, according to a statement from the district. view article

Details surrounding an investigation into Charles “Chad” Chadwell, Round Rock ISD board president, were made public Aug. 30. Following a two-hour closed session, trustees voted unanimously to release the findings of a monthlong investigation into a written complaint filed against Chadwell. Gayla Corley, an attorney with law firm Langley and Banack in San Antonio, conducted the investigation and presented her findings to the board. view article

The La Joya school board on Wednesday approved a nearly $396 million budget, which included higher pay for teachers and a significant raise for support staff. To balance the budget — which included nearly $391 million in revenue and nearly $396 million in spending — the board pulled about $5 million from the fund balance. view article

Brownsville ISD board member Erasmo Castro Jr. was arrested on a charge of DWI. The arrest occurred at about 1:37 a.m. on Monday on the 900 block of Morrison Road. Castro was arraigned and given a bond of $1,500. Local 23 has reached out to Brownsville ISD but has not yet received a response. view article

Alba-Golden ISD school board members voted unanimously to lower the district’s tax rate from last year’s rate Monday night. The tax rate for the upcoming 2019-2020 school year was set at $1.1276 which is lower than last year’s rate of $1.23. The full board of trustees, including Jason Stovall, Johnny Teel, Jackie Staley, Joe Carr, Mike Ragsdale, Chad Daily and Dwayne Thompson, were in attendance for the vote. view article

Waskom ISD trustees recently adopted a balanced budget and are set to adopt a proposed decreased tax rate on Sept. 9, Waskom ISD Superintendent Jimmy Cox said on Thursday. Waskom ISD trustees adopted about an $11.9 million overall balanced budget last week. view article

Denton ISD board members were presented a commemorative plaque from a Region 11 representative at Tuesday evening regular board meeting. view article

Katy ISD board of trustee meetings will be scheduled differently starting in September. Thanks to board approval at the Aug. 26 meeting, the board of trustees will only meet once a month, though the members can call for additional work or special meetings if necessary. Since at least 2013, the board has met two times per month for a work-study meeting and a regular meeting, according to a KISD archive of meeting agendas. view article

The Round Rock ISD board of trustees set a special-called meeting for 9 a.m. on Aug. 30. On the agenda, a consultation with the board’s attorney “regarding an investigation of a complaint against a Trustee.” The item is listed as closed session, meaning board members will engage in part or all of the discussion off the dais, as permitted by the Texas Open Meetings Act. view article

In a letter submitted to McKinney ISD Board of Trustees President Curtis Rippee during executive session of the August board meeting on Tuesday night, Kenneth Ussery announced his plan to step down from his Place 2 seat on the board because he is moving to a residence outside the Place 2 district.  view article

The Bryan school board unanimously approved a deficit budget of $1.7 million and a tax rate of $1.27 per $100 valuation Tuesday. The approved tax rate is 7 cents lower than the current rate because of a state-mandated compressed maintenance and operations tax. The $1.27 tax rate, which will support the approved deficit budget of $1,709,265, is made up of a 99-cent maintenance and operations tax rate and a 28 cent interest and sinking — or debt service — tax rate. view article

Trustees on Alamo Colleges’ board chose Judson Independent School District trustee Jose Macias to fill a vacant seat left open by Denver McClendon, who resigned from the board effective Aug. 1. Macias plans to submit his resignation letter to Judson ISD Wednesday, creating the potential for a special election or appointment on the school board. view article

School Trustees adopted a $40.5 million budget Monday and set a tax rate that is 7 cents lower than last year. The budget calls for pay raises for teachers and staff ranging from 4.3 to 7.1 percent. For teachers, counselors, librarians and nurses with up to five years experience, that means a $2,000 annual increase. Those with six to 17 years of experience will see a $2,500 increase. And teachers with 18 years experience, will see a $2,800 bump. The increase is $3,200 for 19 years experience and $3,600 for 20 years. Other employees will see a 3 percent increase from the midpoint. view article

Klein ISD has approved their budget for the 2019-2020 school year, which includes a projected increase of $21 million in funding from the state, a decreased tax rate and an expected increase in general fund revenues for the school district. During a meeting Aug. 26, the board of trustees reviewed and approved the budget and tax rate for 2019-2020. view article

Taler Jefferson is running for the Richardson ISD board of trustees District 4 seat. Jefferson is running for the seat recently vacated by former trustee Katie Patterson. Her opponents include Regina Harris, Patricia Price Hicks and Sakennia Reed. Community Impact Newspaper sent Jefferson a set of questions about her candidacy. This article is part of ongoing Nov. 5 election coverage, and does not constitute an endorsement of the candidate. Her answers have been edited for publication style. view article

Sakennia Reed is running for the Richardson ISD board of trustees District 4 seat. Reed is running for the seat recently vacated by former trustee Katie Patterson. Her opponents include Regina Harris, Patricia Price Hicks and Taler Jefferson. Community Impact Newspaper sent Reed a set of questions about her candidacy. This article is part of ongoing Nov. 5 election coverage, and does not constitute an endorsement of the candidate. Her answers have been edited for publication style. view article

The slate of candidates is set for the Houston school board elections in November, even as a state-appointed board of managers is looking more likely due to governance issuesand chronic low test scores at one high school. Of the four seats up for election, two incumbents — Diana Davila representing District VIII and Sergio Lira in District III — are running for another term.  But two other trustees, Rhonda Skillern-Jones and Jolanda Jones in Districts II and IV respectively, have decided to step down and not run for another term. In all, 11 candidates are vying for those open seats: seven in District II and four in District IV. view article

Last summer in the midst of a continuing saga involving leadership at Decatur ISD, the Messenger printed an editorial critical of the district’s lack of transparency. The editorial appeared after the board met for seven hours on the contract of then Superintendent Judi Whitis and came out and said little. It took a public information request for emails sent by then board president Wade Watson to Whitis to bring the issue to light. The editorial was also critical of the lack of discussion by the board on issues, including a planned addition at the high school. view article

Registered voters living in Cy-Fair ISD’s boundaries will see six names on the Nov. 5 ballot. The deadline for candidates to file to run was Aug. 19, and names on the ballot will include three incumbents—all of whom are running unopposed—and three candidates vying for the seat being vacated by Darcy Mingoia, who announced she would not run for re-election in July. view article

Five candidates are running for Position 7 on the Klein ISD board of trustees in the Nov. 5 election, according to KISD officials.  Mary J. Crosby, Rob Ellis, Maria Hartmann, Rebekah Schlichting and James Wang filed for candidacy before the Aug. 19 deadline.  Cathy M. Arellano is running unopposed for re-election for Position 6. She was first elected to the board in 2016, according to KISD’s website. view article

As Harlandale Independent School District awaits a decision on its appeal of a state takeover, trustees filled a vacant board seat, appointing Norma Cavazos to represent District 4.  The district has appealed a decision by the State Commissioner of Education to replace its elected board of trustees with a state-appointed board of managers. view article

Danny Lovett, Ed.D., Region 5 Educational Service Center Executive Director recognized the Bridge City Independent School District Board as Outstanding School Board of Region 5 for 2019-2020 Monday at a special reception. view article

The Harlandale Independent School District board has appointed a new trustee to fill its District 4 seat. Norma Anel Cavazos, a court coordinator at the Bexar County courthouse, was the sole applicant for the spot vacated by longtime trustee David Abundis in July, officials said. The board had the option of calling a special election but voted Monday night to appoint her. view article

A vote on changes to the San Antonio Independent School District’s Student Code of Conduct was tabled Monday by its board after a coalition of social justice advocacy groups said it didn’t adequately address the school-to-prison pipeline. Led by members of a caucus of the San Antonio Alliance of Teachers and Support Personnel, the union that represents SAISD teachers and employees, the group asked SAISD trustees to add stronger language to the code stating campus police officers won’t get involved in the discipline process in cases that don’t involve criminal charges. view article

Voters may be closer to having their voices heard for the future of WFISD schools. The school board is in agreeance that it’s time for another board workshop. On top of that, they’re considering taking opinions from the public with a voter survey. view article

Seven candidates are vying for three Spring ISD board of trustees positions up for election in the Nov. 5 election, according to SISD officials. The three positions up for election include Position 1, held by Deborah Jensen; Position 2, held by Chris A. Bell; and Position 3, held by Justine Durant. All three trustees filed for re-election. Jensen was first elected to the board in 2010, while Bell was first elected in 2013. Durant was appointed to fill a vacancy in Position 3 in 2006 prior to election in 2007. view article

Two Houston ISD trustees filed paperwork Monday to seek re-election and will each face a single challenger, while several candidates will jostle to fill two other open seats on a school board that could soon be stripped of power. HISD Board President Diana Dávila and Trustee Sergio Lira made their re-election runs official hours before Monday's afternoon deadline, while trustees Jolanda Jones and Rhonda Skillern-Jones will not seek another term. view article

By the close of the filing window Aug. 19, two incumbents and five newcomers had filed for a position on the Richardson ISD board of trustees. The Nov. 5 election will be the first under the district’s new majority single-member district electoral system. The change is the result of a Voting Rights Act violation lawsuit settled earlier this year. view article

I mean, I think we know what it’s going to be, but there are still some questions. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath came to and left the Greater Houston area Thursday without addressing one of the biggest issues on his agenda: the fate of Houston ISD’s school board. In the coming weeks, Morath likely will be forced to decide whether to replace all trustees governing Texas’ largest school district or close one of HISD’s most historic campuses, the consequence of historic Wheatley High School failing to meet state academic standards for a seventh consecutive time. view article

Questions surround school board President Michael Vargas’ emailed warning to board members and district employees. Last week, a district official emailed the message to the news media and district employees, apparently expressing concern an unnamed board member might have “leaked” information from a board’s closed-door meeting to a local newspaper. view article

In a move that seemed to stun the board, district staff and the public in attendance, Beaumont Independent School District board president A.B. Bernard resigned Thursday, effective Friday.  This is the second time Bernard has resigned this summer, but he said this decision will stick.  "I resigned once before and my phone rung off the hook," he told the board Thursday evening. "I am not going to change my mind this time." view article