Grocery retailer H-E-B and the Butt Family have committed $10 million to the Uvalde school district to build a new school to replace Robb Elementary, the site of the mass shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers last month. The donations were made to the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District’s new nonprofit arm, the Uvalde CISD Moving Forward Foundation, which is seeking donations to make the district’s schools more secure, help build the new school and build a memorial park at the Robb location. “It’ll definitely be part of the healing process,” Hal Harrell, Uvalde CISD superintendent, said of the donation. H-E-B was founded by the family of Charles Butt, who is chairman of the grocery store chain, the largest privately held employer in Texas. view article

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — State Farm presented a $25,000 check to the Ysleta Independent School District Thursday to help pay for a special book festival to promote reading and address the literacy needs of the community.  Ysleta ISD was the only school district in El Paso to win the State Farm Neighborhood Assist grant.  Over the course of 10 days of online voting this spring, 88,000 people cast more than 2 million votes to determine the grant recipients from 34 states. view article

A $1.9 million grant from the Texas Education Agency will help dyslexic students with the Brownsville Independent School District. The money will allow the district to send educators to dyslexia training programs. The grant provides funding for the next two school years. view article

The Katy Independent School District is exceeding federally mandated requirements for pandemic-related funding it has received from the federal government, a district official said Monday. Christine Caskey is the district’s chief academic officer. She gave an update on the pandemic-related federal funding at Monday’s school trustee meeting. Caskey said the purpose of the program was to help safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools. In addition, the program is to address the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on students. Caskey said there are three federal stimulus laws when discussing the Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief (ESSER): view article

A $1.9 million grant from the Texas Education Agency will help dyslexic students with the Brownsville Independent School District. The money will allow the district to send educators to dyslexia training programs. The grant provides funding for the next two school years. view article

Without the state constitutional amendment that Rep. Brooks Landgraf will sponsor in next year’s legislative session, the six public school districts in Landgraf’s District 81 will get no bigger of a share of oil and natural gas severance tax revenues than they have now.  Landgraf said Article 3, Section 49-G of the Texas Constitution specifies the apportionment formula that divvies up the beaucoup oil and gas money that the Permian Basin sends to Austin each month and that he will seek voters’ approval of a fairer system.  “Under the current law, we won’t benefit more than any other school districts,” the Odessa Republican said Tuesday. “However, the increased production will lead to increases in the amount of property tax revenues.” view article

UVALDE, Texas (KXAN) — Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis donated $1 million to the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District to go toward security measures after the Robb Elementary School shooting that killed 19 students and two teachers. James Volz of the Uvalde Leader-News reported first that Davis met with Uvalde ISD superintendent Hal Harrell, formers Raiders player and Uvalde native Vann McElroy along with others for a videoconference to present the check.    (17) view article

The Ysleta Independent School District was awarded a $25,000 grant which will help pay for a special book festival to promote reading and address the literacy needs of the community. Ysleta ISD was the only school district in El Paso to win the State Farm Neighborhood Assist grant. Over the course of 10 days of online voting this spring, 88,000 people cast more than 2 million votes to determine the grant recipients from 34 states. view article

A group of Waco Independent School District students have spent the past few days feeding goats and rabbits before taking a nature hike in the summer sun, while another group is spending some time tackling the intricacies of a simulated archeological discovery. The school district’s free summer camp programs started this week, taking advantage of partnerships with local organizations to give students more than 15 camp options. Most of the camps are not orchestrated by Waco ISD. Rather, the district is paying for students to attend already established camps free of charge, using money given to the district in a federal COVID-19 relief package. Organizations hosting the camps include World Hunger Relief Inc., Art Center Waco, Waco Civic Theatre, Baylor’s University for Young People and Waco ISD schools for a couple of culinary camps. view article

Saltillo ISD celebrated their accomplished graduates this past week. Saltillo honorees are as follows: view article

Eanes ISD accepted a $2.75 million donation from the Eanes Education Foundation at its May 24 meeting. The funds will be used to provide financial assistance to all nine campuses by helping pay for staff compensation for 2022-23. The district also accepted $150,000 from the Westlake Chap Club booster organization for coaching stipends, team travel and more, along with a $31,030 donation from Barton Creek Elementary School Booster Club for the purchase of a digital marquee sign. view article

Studies show students who learn or know another language show heightened executive functions, attention control, cognitive inhibition and working memory. AUSTIN, Texas — In a partnership with Del Valle ISD, Latinitas, Austin’s only 100% bilingual STEM education nonprofit, brought its Startup Chica Conference to Del Valle on Saturday at the district’s Dailey Middle School. Open to girls, teens and non-binary students ages 9-14, attendees start a business for social good from concept to pitch. Having received $1.5 million in federal stimulus money in 2021 to expand its dual-language program, Del Valle ISD was chosen as the location for the organization's first bilingual conference. The whole district is dual-language integrated and offers multiple programs for bilingual students. view article

The Alice Independent School District Education Foundation awarded its first grants to William Adams Middle School art teachers Anthony Munoz and Ricardo Mireles, who are incorporating technology into traditional art classes. The $1,000 grants were awarded by the foundation Tuesday. The AISDEF works to enhance and enrich educational opportunities for students by offering grants to teachers for innovative teaching. view article

The Round Rock ISD board of trustees declined a Chapter 313 application from Toppan Photomasks, a manufacturer of components used in semiconductors, during its May 19 meeting. A total of $900 million in economic investments were proposed by the company. Trustees voted 3-3 to accept the application, meaning that the motion failed. Place 4 Trustee Cory Vessa recused herself from the vote due to conflict of interest, and the "no" votes came from Place 1, 2 and 7 Trustees Jun Xiao, Mary Bone and Danielle Weston. Trustees did not indicate why they voted the motion down. It is unclear whether this application may be brought before the board again, according to district staff. Place 3 Trustee and Board President Amber Feller spoke in support of increasing domestic manufacturing ahead of the vote. view article

The Georgetown ISD Education Foundation has received a sizable donation from a recently-dissolved homeowners association. The foundation received the largest individual donation in its 7-year history from the Village Homeowners Association (HOA), which encompassed 549 homes in the Village Neighborhood off Shell Road in northwest Georgetown. The HOA donated $450,000 and a 2.792-acre parcel of land valued at $343,568, located east of McCoy Elementary School on Bellaire Drive. view article

The Seguin ISD has a new name to thank. The name “Harvey Najim” is synonymous with “generosity” especially when it comes to making a difference in the lives of children in the greater San Antonio area. The Najim Charitable Foundation’s 16-year history of supporting children is now being welcomed into local classrooms in the Seguin ISD. Kelly Donegan Follis, executive director of the Seguin Education Foundation says The Najim Foundation came to mind when Steve Gonzalez, SISD director of digital learning, and Marcos Manrique, SISD digital learning specialist, approached her about some transformative technology. view article

EL PASO, Texas – The Canutillo Independent School District took top honors in the 20th annual H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards.  According to Canutillo ISD, the district was named the Best Small School District for its commitment to student achievement through innovative programs, parent and community involvement and professional development opportunities for teachers and administrators.  Pedro Galaviz, Canutillo ISD superintendent of schools, called the award an extraordinary honor.    (16) view article

The Georgetown ISD Education Foundation received a donation of $450,000 and a 2.7-acre parcel of land valued at $343,568 on May 12, according to a release. This is the largest individual donation the foundation has received in its seven-year history. The donation was made by the now-dissolved Village Homeowners Association, which encompassed 549 homes in the Village neighborhood located off Shell Road in northwest Georgetown. view article

The Round Rock ISD Partners in Education (PIE) Foundation’s 21st Annual Shining Stars Gala, “An Evening in Music,” at the new Embassy Suites by Hilton in Round Rock raised over $334,000. The funds raised benefit innovative programs in the classroom that are not supported by traditional tax dollars. This year’s event focused on the Round Rock ISD Fine Arts Department, a follow-up of the Police Department Behavioral Therapy Puppies, and the variety of programs offered to all students in Round Rock ISD. view article

MARSHALL, Texas (KETK) – More than 100 East Texas college students got unexpected news at their graduation on Saturday. Wiley College, a historically Black liberal arts college located in Marshall, surprised its students with news of a generous anonymous donation. $89 million Tyler ISD bond passes “You are debt free. You do not owe the college a penny,” Wiley College President & CEO Herman J. Felton, Jr. said. “If you have a balance, you had a balance. You no longer have a balance.” The announcement was met with cheers by graduates and their guests alike. The estimated total balances owed to the college by the graduating class of 2022 is $300,000. Now, that money is paid and these new Wiley graduates can move forward without worrying about college debt. view article

A Greenville non-profit has announced this year’s round of grants for local classrooms. The Greenville Educational Enrichment Foundation is a private nonprofit organization that supports the Greenville Independent School District. This week, the group awarded grants to 17 different Greenville ISD teachers, so they can buy supplemental equipment and materials for their courses. The Herald Banner reports the largest grant, for more than $4,800, went to Bowie Elementary School teacher Brandi Lopez. view article

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Residents can now get a closer look at how the Houston Independent School District is spending nearly $1.2 billion in federal COVID-19 relief dollars aimed at helping schools address education issues related to the pandemic. An online dashboard made public Thursday shows Houston ISD has already decided how to spend $607.8 million of the $1.2 billion that became available through two rounds of funding in 2021 as part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act and the American Rescue Plan Act. view article

The State Fair of Texas awarded $1.2 million in scholarships this year, including to students from six Dallas ISD schools – Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, Franklin D. Roosevelt, James Madison, Lincoln, North Dallas, and Woodrow Wilson high schools. Across the state, the State Fair is awarding 202 scholarships, including 77 Juanita Craft Scholarships, 119 Youth Livestock Scholarships, two Seasonal Employee Scholarships, one Benny Clark Memorial Scholarship, one Clarice Tinsley Journalism Scholarship, one Peggy Sloan Memorial Scholarship, and one Terry Griffin Memorial Scholarship. With the help of The Big Tex Scholarship Program, I am a step closer to pursuing my life goals and furthering my education to bigger and better places,” said 2022 Juanita Craft Scholarship recipient, A’Nyah Peters of Woodrow Wilson High School. “I plan on attending a four-year university, something that many of my family members did not accomplish. I will be majoring in nursing, in hopes to become a NICU nurse in the future. You can guarantee that your committee will be investing in a diligent student attempting to make a way out into the world. Thank you all for providing another opportunity to help fund my college expenses.” view article

The hallways of Greenville ISD's campuses were filled with the thundering of drums and cheers Thursday as representatives of the Greenville Educational Enrichment Foundation (GEEF) awarded 17 teachers with nearly $26,000 total in grants. GEEF is a nonprofit organization that provides teacher grants for educational opportunities that aren’t otherwise funded by the state or city. The foundation raises its funds through individual donations, voluntary paycheck withdrawals of GISD employees and events like its annual adult spelling bee. Each year, teachers and staff apply for grants so that supplemental equipment and materials can be purchased with the aim of enriching students' learning activities. This year's round of grants ranged from $235.29 to $4,807.90, and the recipients were: view article

Teachers throughout Humble ISD were happily surprised with applause, pom-poms, cowbells and shouts of encouragement on April 29 as the Humble ISD Education Foundation’s Prize Posse visited schools throughout the district awarding $243,661 in education grants to fund innovative teacher-designed programs. Three school buses traveled through Humble ISD, visiting schools in Humble, Kingwood and Atascocita, where the foundation volunteers distributed giant-sized checks to deserving educators. view article

Ector County ISD, Midland ISD and Big Spring ISD came together and received a Innovative Services for Students with Autism grant from the TEA for more than $2.2 million. ECISD will be the manager of the fund and the funds will be given to each district on a need basis. There will be special education classrooms across all three districts that are equipped with the proper tools to help students with autism. view article

The Ysleta Independent School District is among 200 nationwide – and the only one in El Paso – to be named a finalist for the $25,000 State Farm Neighborhood Assist grant, which provides funds for neighborhood improvement projects based on online voting by the public, which opens today. view article

BRIDGE CITY — The Bridge City ISD Education Foundation has been officially granted exemption status. Patty Collins shared the news with the school board Monday night. Collins is leading this nonprofit foundation’s effort to get up and running for the benefit of students. view article

MAGNOLIA, TX -- Magnolia ISD is proud to be one of the recipients of the Texas Education Agency’s Dyslexia Grant. This was a competitive grant program that was passed by the 87th Texas Legislature and aims to increase a school districts’ capacity to appropriately serve students with dyslexia and related disorders. Magnolia ISD was awarded $289,000 that will be utilized over the next two years in the following areas: view article

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) - Examples of investing in the future were on full display as College Station ISD’s Education Foundation toured multiple schools to see what the money they’ve raised for teacher and students have been put to use. 70 grants have been awarded during the school and were able to impact over 14,000 students and 2,000 faculty and staff members across the district.  A&M Consolidated High School and Spring Creek Elementary welcomed donors and displayed what their funds were able to purchase during a donor showcase. College Station ISD Education Foundation Executive Director Teresa Benden felt rewarded seeing all of their fundraising efforts pay off. “This is giving kids and teachers the ability to do things in their classrooms that they wouldn’t normally be able to do. And it excites them about learning, and it gets them excited about growing and reading and all of the things we’ve been able to support,” says Benden. view article

After raising nearly $100,000 profit at its recent Denim and Diamonds Dinner and Auction, the Celina Education Foundation today announced a gift of $50,000 in funds to be used for special projects that will further equip students and educators. The check was presented to Celina ISD Superintendent Dr. Tom Maglisceau at an April 12th board meeting of the Foundation. “We have tremendous support from the Celina Education Foundation,” commented Dr. Maglisceau. “This donation directly impacts instruction in every classroom, ultimately providing our teachers the resources necessary for planning high-quality, engaging lessons.” Programs provided by the Celina Education Foundation gift include online assessment resources/online curriculum resources, curriculum guides, Lead4ward (a tool that allows teachers to sort and review data from local and state assessments), a variety of Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) resources through Region 10, which provides Celina ISD’s curriculum, and a TEKS testing bank that will provide teachers with content-specific assessment guides aligned with state standards. view article

Rural Texas communities often don’t have the resources, technical experience, or ability to take on large amounts of debt to pursue state funds for water supply and quality projects. So, many simply don’t apply.  Rural areas of Texas receive only a fraction of a percent of bonds for state water plan projects, far less than what lawmakers intended nearly a decade ago when the program was conceived, a state report shows. The Texas Water Development Board is entrusted with billions of state dollars to issue bonds, provide loans and disburse grants for water supply, wastewater treatment, flood control and conservation projects. One of its programs, the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas, or SWIFT, issues bonds to provide low-cost loans to finance water supply projects.    (07) view article

Kilgore ISD received a federal grant intended to support ongoing safe, in-person learning at K-12 schools, according to a report from the district’s most recent school board meeting. Charles Presley, KISD’s Director of Safety and Emergency Management, delivered the report to trustees Monday. “This was a grant opportunity and I’m not a grant writer and don’t apply for many, but this was a little different from a lot of grants and it was very time-sensitive. It would not have even been available if our business office was not on top of the things that we needed to do,” Presley said. According to Texas Education Agency, the School Health Support Grant period ended March 31, and Presley said all of the funds received by KISD had to be spent by that time. The grant funds are slated to be used for personal protective equipment, hygiene and cleaning supplies, air filtration systems and other view article

WHITEHOUSE, Texas (KETK) — The Whitehouse ISD Education Foundation (WISDEF) is hosting the third annual Wildcat Den on Saturday, April 2 starting at 9 a.m. at Whitehouse Junior High School Cafeteria. WISDEF said they will award up to $50,000 in the Shark Tank-style grant contest. Launched in 2020, Wildcat Den expands WISDEF Grants beyond written applications that are graded by groups of judges. Applicants for Wildcat Den will complete an abbreviated version of the written application with the bulk of information is shared in a presentation to a panel of judges at Wildcat Den. Each applicant or group of applicants will give a six-minute presentation followed by a four-minute question-and-answer session from the panel of judges. view article

Ukrainian students across the Texas A&M University System’s 11 campuses and research centers will receive free tuition starting next semester, Chancellor John Sharp said Tuesday. The university system will cover all tuition and fees, as well as certain living expenses, for the students. At least 14 students from Ukraine have been identified as eligible for the financial support so far, Associate Vice Chancellor Tim Eaton said. The number is likely to increase as more students are identified, he said. The move is part of the university’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Earlier this month, Texas A&M announced it would be cutting research ties with Russian entities and might do the same with study abroad and faculty exchange programs in Russia. view article