A school district’s purchase of real property is a significant investment of time and money. Once a school district has decided to pursue a real estate purchase, district personnel should engage in project feasibility analyses to assist the board of trustees in deciding which tract to pursue, at what price, and when. To ensure that the district retains the right to use eminent domain in case the negotiations for the purchase fail, the district should carefully follow the process laid out in Chapter 21 of the Texas Property Code. Finally, the approach to negotiating which provisions will be included in, and which will be excluded from, the contract, should always consider any legal requirements and protecting the school district’s interests.

In hearings with budget writers in the House and Senate over the last several weeks, agencies said the cuts could jeopardize hundreds of jobs, child support collections, tax fraud investigations, prison security, juvenile probation programs and tax collections.  “The impact of not funding these core operations … will likely increase recidivism; cause growth in the prison population… and negatively impact both supervision in the community and security within the state’s institutions,” Texas Department of Criminal Justice officials wrote in a 539-page budget request.  Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows ordered the budget reduction in July for the 2028-29 spending cycle.   The state’s $1 billion-per-year private school voucher program is exempt from the limit. The guidelines also protect public school funding, Medicaid children’s health insurance programs and debt service.  view article

Attorney General Ken Paxton is investigating data center developments across the state for compliance with legally required water-use surveys.  Hundreds of Texas data center developments are under investigation for potentially failing to comply with state water-use reporting requirements.  Attorney General Ken Paxton’s investigation targets data center developments that have not responded to the Texas Water Development Board’s water-use survey.  Under Texas law, TWDB conducts surveys of entities using groundwater and surface water for municipal, industrial, power generation, and mining purposes. Paxton is demanding that data centers submit the required information and says his office has launched an ongoing investigation into data center developments across the state.  “My office is currently investigating hundreds of data center developments to ensure that they are transparent about their water usage and fully compliant with the law,” said Paxton.  “We cannot sacrifice our resources, water, or energy supply, and I will continue to fight for our communities across this state,” he added. view article

An avalanche of high-stakes litigation related to rogue artificial intelligence activity is just around the corner, and there is a significant split in the Texas legal community about whether the courts and existing tort law can handle such sophisticated and large-dollar disputes.  Is the legal system ready? view article

A Tarrant County judge has placed former Magnolia Mayor Matthew Dantzer on two years of deferred adjudication probation after he pleaded guilty to assaulting a pregnant city secretary.  Former Magnolia Mayor Matthew Dantzer has pleaded guilty to assaulting his city secretary while she was pregnant, but the plea deal keeps him out of jail.  Dantzer, 52, entered the plea Oct. 2 in Tarrant County to assault of a pregnant person, a felony, and official oppression, a misdemeanor. A judge placed him on two years of deferred adjudication probation, which means he can avoid a formal conviction if he completes the terms. view article

In an effort to block the release of records indicating the location of data centers, the Texas Public Utility Commission is suing Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office. As Travis Morgan details in reviewing the case, the commission's lawsuit asserts that terrorism concerns justify withholding what it describes as "critical infrastructure information."   The court must determine whether the withheld data concerns critical infrastructure vulnerable to acts of terrorism.  In 2025, the Texas Legislature directed the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) to collect and report data on the water use of certain industries that have an inverse relationship between energy and water usage. This included data centers and virtual currency mining facilities.  As a result, PUCT established the Energy and Water Use Survey, which was completed for the first time between April and May of 2026.  PUCT asserts that in the survey “confidential responses were provided to the Commission containing detailed critical infrastructure information,” including each facility’s physical location.  Specifically, the survey includes data fields for the county and state regional water planning area in which the data facility is located. view article

Gloria Resendiz is charged with child grooming and indecency with a child by sexual contact involving a Hebron High School student.  A high school teacher in the Lewisville Independent School District was jailed for alleged sexual misconduct with a student.  Gloria Martinez Resendiz, 35, was arrested and charged with indecency with a child by sexual contact, a second-degree felony, and child grooming, a third-degree felony.  Resendiz teaches at Hebron High School but has been on administrative leave while police conducted a criminal investigation.  According to a statement from the Carrollton Police Department, a school administrator notified police on September 27 about “concerning electronic communications” between Resendiz and a juvenile student.  The student was enrolled in one of Resendiz’ classes during a prior school year. Jail records show the offenses occurred in March 2026.  Police found evidence of an “ongoing inappropriate relationship” between the teacher and student and obtained arrest warrants for Resendiz. view article

Inside Legacy High School’s library, only a few yards separated three Mansfield ISD trustees from more than 50 residents in attendance. The gap was much wider on how trustees should be elected. view article

A federal judge has ruled that Klein ISD violated federal law by restricting Disability Rights Texas' access to campuses to monitor conditions for students with disabilities. U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett signed the final judgment and permanent injunction on Sept. 28. The order requires the district to provide reasonable, unaccompanied monitoring access, including opportunities for private communications with students, under protocols incorporated into the judgment. view article

A North Texas family is suing after an alleged hazing incident involving Marcus High School football players. The lawsuit claims their 16-year-old son was stripped down to his underwear and shot with a pellet gun at an off-campus offensive line team dinner in October 2025. view article

Lewisville ISD is being sued by the family of a former Marcus High School football player over an alleged hazing incident that the family says left their son with physical pain and mental trauma. view article

Conroe ISD acted immediately upon learning of the allegations against then-employee Mr. Durning on April 27, 2026. That same day, the district removed him from campus, placed him on administrative leave, and reported the allegations to CPS and TEA/SBEC. The Conroe ISD Police Department immediately began investigating and notified the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office as required by the interpretation of the law at that time. Mr. Durning is no longer employed by Conroe ISD. view article

Shelby Lashombe admitted having sex with two 16-year-old boys but struck a plea deal with McLennan County prosecutors. view article

A South Plains area band director was arrested Friday on a charge of child porn possession. Bruce Bailey Jr. was a band director at Post ISD. A Garza County Sheriff’s deputy confirmed Bailey is charged with possession of between 10 and 50 images of child pornography. Post ISD wrote on Facebook the district received information Thursday that led administrators to immediately place an employee on administrative leave, pending an investigation. The district notified state and local authorities, and parents, following board policies and applicable law. view article

A Galveston official said it would follow the judge’s order. The district, along with two others, was sued by the state in 2025 for alleged noncompliance of the new state law requiring the display. view article

A Galveston official said it would follow the judge’s order. The district, along with two others, was sued by the state in 2025 for alleged noncompliance of the new state law requiring the display. view article

For nearly 20 years, Barbers Hill ISD Superintendent Greg Poole pursued an unconventional strategy to grow the district’s finances. Lawmakers are now questioning the foundation’s aggressive investments, unusual structure, and potential conflicts of interest. view article

Former Klein High School head football coach has been arrested after an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse involving a former student, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Nicholas Alan Codutti, 43, faces charges of indecency with a child and sexual performance by a child. The alleged incidents occurred in Harris County in 2018 and 2019. view article

A 17-year-old suspect has been arrested following a deadly shooting that took the life of a Westbury High School senior near the campus on Friday morning. Police have not yet released the identity of the suspect who was arrested in the death of 17-year-old LePaul Warren. view article

A former Klein ISD athletic coordinator was arrested on Saturday, charged with multiple child sex crimes, according to court records. According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, 43-year-old Nicholas Alan Codutti was charged with indecency with a child and sexual performance by a child. view article

High temperatures violate the Constitution’s protection against cruel and unusual punishment, the judge ruled. Texas will appeal. view article

A College Station ISD custodian was arrested Wednesday on promotion and possession of child pornography charges, according to the district. Gerardo Gonzalez, 22, of College Station, was an evening custodian at Greens Prairie Elementary School, according to the district. He was hired in February 2025 and was terminated immediately when district officials were notified of his arrest. view article

Attorney General Ken Paxton has already announced that he will appeal the decision.  A federal judge in Houston has blocked Texas’ law prohibiting explicit sexual performances in front of children, finding it unconstitutional. Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is now blocked from enforcing the law, is appealing the district court decision to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.  The law known as Senate Bill 12—dubbed a “drag show ban” by its detractors—regulates sexually oriented performances on public property and in the presence of minors. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and local municipalities are responsible for enforcing it. view article

The Boyd ISD school board will meet today after a hazing incident led to arrests. view article

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A former Del Valle Independent School District Police Department officer has been indicted on six felony counts alleging he falsified records and information during the hiring process, according to court documents.Del Valle ISD police officer indicted  A Travis County grand jury indicted Ernest Ferniz on six counts of tampering with a governmental record with intent to defraud or harm, a state jail felony. The indictment was filed in the 460th Judicial District Court of Travis County. view article

Hope was dwindling for a group of Taylor residents after City Hall and the courts rejected their attempts to halt an artificial intelligence data center planned on land donated to the city for a public park.  “I will not allow any person or entity to disregard the rule of law or obligations owed to the public,” Paxton said in a statemen. “If the Taylor data center development is unlawful, I will do everything in my power to stop it and hold those who have violated the law accountable.”  Pamela Griffin and other Taylor residents first raised concerns about the project last year after Griffin learned the property next to her home was slated to become the site of Blueprint’s proposed $1 billion, 135,000-square-foot project. Taylor approved the project in 2024.  “I’m coming up here begging for a whole year, asking y’all to stop this data center because it’s going to harm human lives,” Griffin told Taylor City Council in July. “Do you all care about human lives?”  view article

A former Del Valle Independent School District Police Department officer has been indicted on six felony counts alleging he falsified records and information during the hiring process, according to court documents. view article

Did the Austin Independent School District act quickly enough after a mother reported a suspected sexual relationship between her 16-year-old son and an assistant high school band director? “They just dropped the ball all the way around,” the teen's mother told the KVUE Defenders. Now she's suing AISD and speaking out about what she thinks should have happened faster to stop the alleged abuse – as the district defends its actions. view article

A Del Valle ISD police officer has been indicted by a Travis County grand jury, the Travis County District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday. Del Valle ISD Officer Ernest Ferniz was indicted on Aug. 6 on six counts of tampering with a government record with intent to harm or defraud, a state jail felony. view article

A former Brinker Elementary School teacher who is facing multiple child sex abuse charges has paid bond and was released from the Collin County Jail last week. 64-year-old Paul Campbell, a former Plano ISD elementary school teacher who is facing one count of sexual abuse of a child and three counts of indecency with a child, posted bond on Friday, September 11, his lawyer tells FOX 4. view article

The second former Manor ISD educator to be arrested for injury to a child this month had more than a dozen "overly aggressive physical encounters" with students in roughly two weeks, according to documents obtained by KVUE. Documents show 51-year-old Pamela Craig was arrested for injury to a child earlier this week. Craig is certified as an educational aide by the State Board of Education and, as of Sept. 11, her certification is currently under review by the Texas Education Agency's Educator Investigations Division. view article

Two Lamesa ISD employees were arrested in connection with a law enforcement investigation involving allegations of a breach of computer security, according to a press release by the Lamesa Independent School District Friday morning. The Lamesa Police Department announced in a press release that authorities, along with the Texas Rangers, arrested 54-year-old Auerilo Garza at approximately 5:00 p.m. on Thursday for Criminal Responsibility for Conduct of Another in Lamesa. Shortly after, at around 5:45 p.m., the Martin County Sheriff’s Office apprehended 40-year-old Gabriel Flores for Breach of Computer Security in Stanton, Texas. view article

Two Lamesa ISD employees have been arrested in connection with an investigation involving allegations of a breach of computer security. Lamesa ISD said in a statement Friday morning “the allegations do not involve the disclosure of district data, including student, personnel, or security information.” The district said the investigation involves the alleged deletion of a set of records typically maintained by law enforcement. view article

Palestine High School head boys basketball coach Maurice Montez Heade was arrested Friday at the high school following an alleged assault involving a student, according to the Palestine Police Department. Palestine Police Chief Mark Harcrow confirmed Heade was arrested and charged with assault of a family or household member by impeding breath or circulation, a felony offense. view article

The Public Utility Commission of Texas on Friday gave its approval to a controversial, 370-mile-long transmission line project,  The Howard Solstice transmission line, as it is known, will transport electricity through South Texas to the oil and gas industry in the Permian Basin. The changes the commission seeks should reduce construction through grassland, the commission said.  The line will stretch across 14 counties, including Uvalde, Kerr, Bexar and Medina counties. The five-panel commissioners directed the two transmission companies to work with landowners to make further route modifications after residents expressed concerns that the lines would significantly damage their properties. view article