Five Electric Reliability Council of Texas board members are resigning amid criticism that they live outside of the state. Board Chairwoman Sally Talberg, Vice Chair Peter Cramton and board members Terry Bulger and Raymond Hepper will resign following a Feb. 24 board meeting, according to a notice to the Public Utility Commission of Texas. view article

LA PORTE, Texas – Gratitude went much farther than the line that stretched into Sens Road Tuesday outside of La Porte Independent School District’s Support Services Center. The parking lot hosted a food distribution site that offered 400 boxes of produce to area families, including Lorena Perez. “I’m appreciative of this because right now, the stores, there’s not very many items and being able to feed the kids,” Perez said, adding some of those children rely on the school to receive fresh food. Each box brimmed with cabbage, carrots and other vegetables grown at local farms throughout southeast Texas. The farms provide food for La Porte ISD year-round, through The Common Market Texas, an organization that pushes sustainable farming. view article

Good morning! Kevin Mahnken leads our lineup today with an overview of state legislatures considering bills that would mandate schools offer in-person learning. view article

Five members of the organization that directs and manages the distribution of electricity in Texas have resigned in the wake of persistent blackouts caused by storms that blanketed the state with snow and ice last week. The resignations from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) include Chairwoman Sally Talberg, Vice Chair Peter Cramton and board members Terry Bulger and Raymond Hepper, according to a legal filing published Tuesday afternoon. The 16-member board has been under criticism for days in part because several of the members live out of state and therefore aren’t personally affected by the power outages. view article

One Thursday this fall, a middle schooler in Florida’s Brevard Public Schools received an in-school suspension. He had ripped off another student’s face mask and blown into a peer’s face. That same day, six other students across the district were written up for not wearing their masks correctly (including one who also faked using hand sanitizer), while an elementary school student was assigned three days of “private dining” for sharing food in violation of safety guidelines. Meanwhile, an e-learning student got in trouble for filming another student during class without permission. view article

Dallas ISD is one of six school communities across the nation that is a part of the Partnership for Social and Emotional Learning Initiative (PSELI), an initiative funded by The Wallace Foundation. A new podcast series from The Wallace Foundation shares findings and early lessons from a RAND Corporation study of PSELI. The five-episode series features in-depth conversations with school, district, afterschool and out-of-school time leaders about their experiences working together to help children develop social and emotional skills. view article

Frisco ISD has announced that all in-person elementary school students will be able to return to school Wednesday. The announcement comes as the district moves to reopen its roughly 80 facilities after some were taken “off the grid” in the wake of an energy crisis sparked by extreme winter weather in the previous week. “We prioritized elementary schools because these students have the most difficult time with virtual learning,” Frisco ISD Superintendent Mike Waldrip stated in a statement regarding the district’s reopening efforts. “Our middle schools and high schools will follow. Our plan is to try and open schools as they become available to operate.” view article

KILLEEN, Texas (KWTX) - Killeen ISD is still planning to return to instruction on Thursday, February 25, 2021. Three campuses will have amended return to instruction plans. Tonight the Board of Trustees amended the 20-21 Academic Calendar for the remainder of the year. The following information was shared with parents and employees: The progress made to our facilities over the last 24 hours has been substantial, however our ability to reopen campuses is now largely dependent on our access to water. At this time, we are still preparing for students to engage in learning on Thursday, February 25, 2021. If enough boil orders are lifted by tomorrow, all but one campus (Skipcha Elementary) will be open to students. We appreciate your continued flexibility as we navigate this unprecedented situation. view article

This week, Westex Federal Credit Union stopped by Lubbock ISD’s Wolffarth Elementary School to surprise one of its teachers. Melissa Catano nominated her daughter, Vanessa for this Week’s Pay It Forward. “She is so devoted to her students and she sincerely cares about each one of her students and goes above and beyond to fill that need,” said Melissa. “Vanessa believes in her students and she has high expectations for each and every student to succeed in her classroom and outside of her classroom. She does everything power to help her students.” view article

Leander ISD will return to in-person and virtual learning Feb. 24 after eight days of canceled school days due to the winter storm. Students at Giddens Elementary, Mason Elementary, Steiner Ranch Elementary and Running Brushy Middle schools will learn virtually starting Feb. 22. Families at these four schools will be updated Feb. 24 for learning plans for the following week, LISD said. view article

The Killeen ISD Board of Trustees has voted to amend the current academic calendar after severe winter weather and its subsequent effects forced the district to remain closed for an extended period of time. As of Tuesday, February 23, the district is preparing for students to return to instruction on Thursday, February 25. If enough boil orders are lifted by Wednesday, Killeen ISD says all campuses but Skipcha Elementary will open to students. view article

The Killeen ISD Board of Trustees has voted to amend the current academic calendar after severe winter weather and its subsequent effects forced the district to remain closed for an extended period of time. As of Tuesday, February 23, the district is preparing for students to return to instruction on Thursday, February 25. If enough boil orders are lifted by Wednesday, Killeen ISD says all campuses but Skipcha Elementary will open to students. view article

The Fort Bend ISD board of trustees approved the school calendar for the 2021-22 school year during its Feb. 22 meeting. The start date for students is Aug. 11, and the last of school is May 26. Additionally, the calendar retains a traditional holiday schedule with weeklong Thanksgiving and spring breaks and two weeks for winter break, according to district documents.

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At the beginning of the week, Killeen Independent School District was still working to get access to drinking water, as well as water for restrooms, cooking and district-wide fire suppression systems. The district initially said it wouldn't be able to reopen campuses until Thursday. view article

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — It was a rough week for everyone. For some, the nightmare goes on. Many students in Odem are trying to work around not having water because plumbers are all booked up or there are no supplies to do it themselves. view article

Houston ISD plans to remain closed Monday and Tuesday, then hold online-only classes for the last three days of next week, as the district manages the fallout from water and power issues caused by freezing temperatures. HISD officials announced the schedule Friday as employees continued to survey damage to the district’s 260 campuses and the city of Houston remained under a boil-water advisory expected to stretch to at least Sunday. view article

Following the lifting of water advisories across the Katy area, Katy ISD will reopen campuses Feb. 23 for both in-person and virtual learning, according to a news release from the district. Two campuses, Schmalz Elementary and Bear Creek Elementary, remain in areas under boil-water notices, the release said. Parents of students at those two schools will receive direct communication regarding the learning plan for Feb. 23. view article

Clear Creek ISD will be open Feb. 23 for learning, according to a district news release sent midday Feb. 22. With the majority of the area's boil water advisories lifted and the necessary repairs to schools completed, the district will be operating on a normal schedule with the exception of two schools, per the release. view article

Katy Independent School District campuses are set to reopen on Tuesday, Feb. 23, after more than a week of closures due to weather-related issues. In-person instruction and Katy Virtual Academy will see regular schedules beginning tomorrow. view article

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - In a Facebook post, Lubbock-Cooper ISD announced it will open its private shower facilities at its new middle school campus to any student needing to use them. This has now been extended to Lubbock ISD and Frenship ISD students as well. The facility will be available to students Thursday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Hot beverages will also be available. Students do not need to schedule a time. They may enter through the west doors into the gym and staff will provide direction. The district reminds students to bring all necessary hygiene items and towels. view article

Last week's winter storm was brutal for the whole state, but rural Texans faced particular hardships, like distance from helpful neighbors. And newborn calves.  As humanitarian aid workers in Armenia and South Sudan, Jerry and Meaghan Kenney have huddled around wood stoves to keep warm and bathed with buckets for lack of water. But the couple didn’t expect they’d need such survival skills to get through the winter storm at their home outside Hudson, in deep East Texas.  The Kenneys, who have a 1-year-old and 3-year-old, had only intermittent power and water last week, and remain under a boil water notice.  The family huddled together under the covers, built indoor tents with sheets and blankets and lobbed snowballs at one another. But after so many days, they grew weary of sitting in the cold and the kids lost interest in playing in the snow. view article

East Texas school districts suddenly are tentatively looking to return to school on Monday after having a week of classes interrupted by two historic winter storms that blew through the state. Winter storms one and two dumped almost a foot of snow on the region this week and lingering record low temperatures kept it in place, leading to most East Texas districts to either cancel classes completely or be forced to switch to virtual only. As of Friday evening, Marshall ISD is still set to return to in-person classes on Monday after having students learn from home through virtual classes this week. Hallsville ISD Superintendent Jeff Collum said his district will also return to in-person classes on Monday after having classes canceled this week due to the lingering snowfall. Jefferson ISD Superintendent Rob Barnwell said his district also hopes to return to in-person classes on Monday after switching his students to virtual learning only the past week. Waskom ISD Superintendent Rae Ann Patty on Friday said her students will not be returning to classes on Monday as the district is out all week next week on winter break. view article

Copperas Cove independent school district (CCISD) will resume classes on Monday, Feb. 22, more than a week after schools closed due to weather conditions, the school district announced in a release Sunday. Both at-home and on-campus classes will start back up, according to CCISD Superintendent Joe Burns. CCISC did experience some storm damage, but maintenance and custodial workers are preparing the facilities for students' return, according to the release. view article

Leander ISD has canceled all classes for Monday and Tuesday after determining over the weekend that 17 schools were damaged by last week's historic snowstorm, including five schools suffering … view article

Thirty-three of Plano ISD's campuses sustained damages due to the winter storms the week of Feb. 15. Water damage and HVAC, plumbing and electrical issues affected these campuses in different levels of severity, PISD shared in an email update Feb. 19. Four other district facilities were also affected by the storms. view article

Killeen ISD will remain closed through Wednesday, as a result of not having access to water needed for drinking, restrooms, cooking, and district-wide fire suppression systems. The school district says it remians in close communication with city leaders regarding the ongoing recovery efforts across our community as they work to assess the ability reopen campuses to students at the earliest on Thursday, February 25, 2021. “We are focusing all efforts on supporting our community, repairing extensive damage to facilities and preparing for reopening once adequate water supplies are re-established,” KISD said. view article

Tyler ISD will not be holding classes for its students Monday due to the continuing boil-water notice and the shortage of available bottled water, according to a post on the school district’s Facebook page. The post urged staff members to contact their supervisors for further guidance. view article

Magnolia ISD officials announced in an email and on social media Feb. 20 that the district will continue to be closed Feb. 22. The district continues assessing its campuses following the winter storm. view article

One North Texas elementary school teacher didn't let the winter weather stop him from encouraging his students to read. Brian Droege, a 4th-grade teacher at Kay Granger Elementary, and his four kids built a "Winter Reading Fort" in their front yard. They hauled snow in five-gallon buckets, shaped it in 76 snow blocks, and five hours later, the reading fort was ready. view article

Dripping Springs ISD schools will remain closed Feb. 22 as the area continues to recover from water and power outages resulting from winter storms. According to the district, Feb. 23 is planned as a fully remote asynchronous learning day, followed by a full return Feb. 24, including in-person classes. view article

Port Arthur ISD employees and students are set to resume classes beginning Monday, following a week of frigid weather that forced many school districts in Southeast Texas to shut down.  “For the past several days since the winter weather has subsided, the Port Arthur Independent School District’s Maintenance and Custodial departments, in conjunction with the City of Port Arthur, have begun the process to assess all district facilities,” Superintendent Mark Porterie said in a statement issued Saturday. “This will allow our staff to properly assess and prepare classrooms and departments for the students' return.”    (22) view article

Among the items taken up by the Copperas Cove School Board of Trustees at its monthly meeting Feb. 9 was the academic calendar for the 2021-2022 school year. The first day of class will be Aug. 18, and the last day of class will be May 26. Spring Break will be March 14-18, 2022. Christmas break will go from Dec. 20 through Jan. 3, 2022. Built into the schedule are six student holidays. Superintendent Joe Burns said the calendar went through numerous revisions after it was presented to a committee that worked with teachers and other district staff. view article

All Katy ISD campuses and facilities will remain closed through Feb. 19 because of the inclement weather, according to a statement from the district. "A number of our campuses have been experiencing power outages, uncertainty with water supply and wireless systems failures," the statement said. "Likewise, many of our Katy ISD families and staff continue to be without power." view article

Recent winter storms and rolling blackouts have caused a disruption in education across the region. There is one independent school district in the Texas Panhandle that is defying the weather. “The decision to open up today (Thursday), we didn’t take that lightly," said Blair Brown, superintendent at Panhandle ISD. "We just felt like in our situation with us already missing a week that we needed to be in school if we could possibly be.” view article

Many families throughout our area have gone several days without water and in response, Lubbock-Cooper middle school has opened their new locker room showers to families needing to freshen up. The brand new facility has private shower stalls and they are open to families in the area from 12 P.M. to 6 P.M. on Friday. There is no need to schedule a time. view article