ABILENE, Texas — The Abilene Education Foundation is awarding more than $51,000 in grants to around 70 teachers in Abilene ISD to help them make learning more fun and accessible.  The "Prize Patrol" will visit every Abilene ISD campus to surprise the winners who applied for the grants.  Nearly a dozen Abilene ISD teachers were surprised with their grants on Tuesday morning.  With the coronavirus pandemic, many teachers applied for grants to connect with students who aren't sitting in classrooms. view article

PHARR – The Texas Workforce Commission has awarded PSJA ISD with a $269,624 grant that will offer training and equipment to 140 students who are interested in pursuing careers in technical education.  The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) awarded a total of 41 grants amounting to $8,261,090 to colleges, technical institutes, and school districts throughout the state that focus on supporting high-demand occupations through the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grant program.  view article

Calvert ISD welcomed students back on Wednesday with a robust back to school plan. Students have the option to attend class in person or virtually. Before Calvert students step foot inside the school, they must have their temperature checked. “Bus riders are going to get a temperature check when they get on the bus, said Calvert ISD Superintendent, Thyrun Hurst. “Car riders will get a temperature check at the front of the school.” view article

The Hallsville ISD Education Foundation’s Purple Pride Patrol had to make its rounds virtually this year to hand out more than $34,000 in grant awards to district teachers just before the start of the school year. view article

With COVID-19 cases rising throughout the country, health staff at school districts are working on making sure another respiratory disease does not affect students and staff any more than what the pandemic has done to their education.  LISD and UISD are currently preparing for the flu season with the help of the Laredo Health Department in order to properly protect children this school year. They are expecting to vaccinate thousands of students throughout flu season.    (5) view article

AUSTIN — Texas schools are getting funding for devices that will enable better resources for remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is designed to provide funding for different industries during the COVID-19 andemic.  On Friday, Texas leaders announced $200 million in CARES Act funding will be allocated for the TEA to provide devices, hotspots, routers, and more based on needs identified by each local education agency. view article

Pine Tree ISD is continuing to increase its technology resources to ensure all students will have the materials they need in case of another closure. The district applied for and received a $97,000 technology lending grant from the Texas Education Agency, Director of Technology Todd Yohn said. view article

On Thursday, June 25, 2020, TEA was notified by USDE that they would be issuing an Interim Final Rule (IFR) under emergency waiver processes. This IFR is considered law once it posts in the Federal Register, which is expected to be July 1.The IFR changes the private school equitable services calculation process for districts applying for the ESSER grant under the CARES Act stimulus funding. This IFR change may impact the amount of equitable services to be provided to participating private schools and how that amount is to be calculated. TEA’s guidance, training, and application will need to be revised. view article

Port Aransas schools are getting reimbursed for measures they took to get things up and running after Hurricane Harvey. The district on Monday announced it had received a grant for more than $1.2 million Federal Emergency Management Agency to help pay for things such as generators, air dryers, portables and security. Those items and more were needed in the aftermath of the Category 4 storm hit the area Aug. 25, 2017. view article

The Round Rock school district awarded $1.9 million in grants to 34 campuses to help foster innovation in schools through programs, models or initiatives that enrich learning. The grants range from $7,500 to $100,000 and support the district’s strategic goal of implementing, enhancing and reinforcing innovative teachings and learning models, according to a district news release. view article

Texas Instruments (TI) (NASDAQ: TXN)announced today that its 2015 corporate and foundation giving to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education totals almost $6 million. Focused on collaborative strategies to improve student success and teaching effectiveness in STEM education, TI and the Texas Instruments Foundation designate "Power of STEM Education" grants to a variety of nonprofit partners and educators in targeted communities where the company has a major design or manufacturing presence. Special emphasis is given to programs that reach female and minority students who are underrepresented in science and engineering careers today. view article

A local school that has been underperforming for years, is shaking things up for the new school year with the help of a $4.8 million grant. Indian Spring Middle School is under a state mandate to turn things around and their principal is hoping this multi-million dollar grant will help them do just that. view article