The layoffs are part of a broader restructuring due to a recent acquisition view article

The Department of Public Safety has shifted from Biden-era border enforcement to helping expel people from the country, a job once exclusively done by federal authorities.  Texas Department of Public Safety officers have helped arrest more than 3,000 undocumented immigrants across the state this year, according to public records obtained by The Texas Tribune that provide the most detailed glimpse yet of how state police are shifting their focus from the border toward aiding the Trump administration’s mass deportation crusade — an effort that state officials have kept largely under wraps.  From late January through early September, DPS recorded 3,131 previously unreported arrests connected to specialty teams created at the direction of Gov. Greg Abbott to help President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, the agency’s records show.  view article

Houston has the highest poverty rate among the country’s 10 most populous cities.  About 21.2% of Houston’s population lived below the poverty line last year, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released Thursday. That means more than 500,000 Houstonians made less than the federal poverty income threshold, which is $15,940 for one person and $32,130 for a household of four.  Houston’s high rate put the city just ahead of Philadelphia’s 19.7% and New York City’s 18.0%. Houston’s ranking above Philadelphia fell within the 1.2% margin of error, meaning the two cities' true positions could be swapped.  view article

Attorney General Pam Bondi warned that school officials will be held accountable if they threaten law-abiding parents. 
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is weighing in on the growing controversy at Texas A&M University, openly questioning the leadership of President Mark Welsh following revelations that a children’s literature course included instruction on introducing LGBT topics to minors.  In a post on X, Patrick blasted Welsh’s handling of the scandal: view article

An online campaign to fire a Goose Creek Consolidated ISD teacher has gone viral following her comments regarding the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, one of several teachers facing backlash for their response. Screenshots of Jennifer Courtemanche’s Facebook post surfaced on multiple platforms Wednesday afternoon, garnering calls for her dismissal from the school district. view article

When DaVion Tatum made history as Westfield High School's inaugural Black, male valedictorian four years ago, his college application story went viral. He applied to more than 20 universities, including seven Ivy League schools. On Ivy Day, when all eight Ivy League schools release their admission decisions for first-year students, Tatum was shocked to learn that all of his applications had been accepted.  At the time, 2021 marked a record-low acceptance rate for Tatum's dream school, Harvard University. Out of 57,435 applicants, just 1,968 students made the cut that year — fortunately, Tatum was one of them. view article

Slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk will be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, President Donald Trump said during a 9/11 memorial ceremony on Thursday.  Before paying tribute to people who lost their lives during and in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the president praised Kirk’s advocacy for conservatism, particularly for young people. view article

Students are assigned leftist readings, including an article by Ibram X. Kendi.  Texas A&M is offering a sociology course at its College Station campus this fall that promotes a racialized worldview. The university is already under fire after undercover recordings exposed an instructor encouraging the promotion of the LGBT agenda to children.  The class, Introduction to Race and Ethnicity, is part of the university’s core curriculum. Its syllabus outlines key topics, including “European colonization and its racial implications,” “racialized systems in modern American society,” race and wealth inequality, and immigration  The course textbook is “Racial and Ethnic Groups” by R.T. Schaefer. While a preview of the required textbook was not available, chapter titles and topics from the 15th edition are available. view article

SAN ANTONIO - A mother is demanding answers from San Antonio Independent School District after her 6-year-old daughter was sent home on a school bus she was never supposed to be on. view article

Pasadena ISD issued a statement late Wednesday night denouncing comments reportedly made by an employee after the shooting death of 31-year-old conservative political commentator Charlie Kirk. The district described the comments as "inappropriate and insensitive." It's unclear what was actually said in the comments. view article

The city of Midland has been vocal about its frustration with Midland ISD over it having to come up with funding to build and modify roads for the school district’s new high schools. Midland ISD has since responded. view article

A Baylor University graduate student assigned to Midway Middle School as an intern made “highly inappropriate posts and comments” on social media following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, said Midway Middle School Principal Kayla Brown
Principal. Brown said the individual who made the posts is not a Midway ISD employee, rather, a student-teacher intern. He will no longer be student-teaching with Midway ISD. view article

The cash made through donations at each of the 10 Goodwill Industries Inc. bins placed at campuses in the Canutillo ISD was delivered to the District in a ceremony. Goodwill representatives delivered the donation during a check presentation on Wednesday at Canutillo High School. view article

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has released updated guidelines for how Texas public schools should approach the implementation of Senate Bill (SB) 12, known as the “Parent Bill of Rights,” after recent reports of school nurses not providing first aid to students. view article

After nearly two years, the San Antonio Independent School District opened the bidding process to lease buildings and property at campuses it closed amid declining enrollment. The district is soliciting proposals from individuals, organizations and developers interested in leasing vacant school buildings or the land around them for residential, commercial or other uses, according to the bid website. view article

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — A Texas A&M professor has been fired, per a social media post from Governor Greg Abbott, and the Texas A&M University System will perform an audit of all courses, according to the Houston Chronicle -- two new developments following a recorded confrontation between a student and professor regarding the inclusion of gender identity in a classroom discussion.  The exchange, which took place in a children’s literature class, was captured on video and circulated by State Representative Brian Harrison of Midlothian. The footage shows a student questioning whether a professor’s remarks about gender identity were lawful, citing Governor Greg Abbott’s position that “there are only two genders” and his pledge to freeze funding for programs promoting what he calls “gender ideology.” view article

While the outcomes don’t create law or amend the state constitution, they do send a clear signal to lawmakers about what the Republican base expects from its elected officials.  When Republican primary voters head to the polls next year, they won’t just be choosing candidates. They’ll also be asked to weigh in on a series of ballot propositions that will help shape the party’s direction heading into the next legislative session.  The 10 propositions, approved by the State Republican Executive Committee during its meeting in Corpus Christi this past weekend, are not binding. Instead, they function as survey questions, designed to gauge grassroots opinion on major issues. Voters are asked to mark “yes” if they agree with each proposition or “no” if they disagree. view article

Research projects were backed by the U.S. Department of War, formerly known as the Department of Defense. A congressional report found researchers at two University of Texas campuses collaborated with academics linked with the Chinese military on U.S. Department of Defense projects. This follows troubling reports about research security at UT’s MD Anderson Cancer Center. The U.S. Congress’ Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party released a 79-page report on research security in U.S. Department of Defense-backed projects. The report includes case studies on projects involving researchers from multiple American universities. view article

Kelly Air Force Base, one of San Antonio’s economic and community lynchpins, was closed by the Department of Defense more than two decades ago.  The closure did not signal the end of the aerospace and aviation innovation in San Antonio. Port San Antonio, the research campus that has taken over the old military base, continues to grow as a hub for employment, technology and aerospace. view article

After the video fueled outrage, two college leaders were removed from their administrative roles for approving plans to teach content inconsistent with the course’s published description. view article

After the video fueled outrage, two college leaders were removed from their administrative roles for approving plans to teach content inconsistent with the course’s published description. view article

A Beaumont mother says she was stunned when her 5-year-old son came home from school covered in vomit because staff said they could not help him without her signature on a new consent form. According to a report from KHOU 11's sister station KBMT in Beaumont, Camila Sanjavier said her son, Oswaldo, walked out of Sallie Curtis Elementary “already bawling and he [had] vomit all over him.” She said the principal told her staff could not clean him up or provide a change of clothes because she had not signed the newly required waiver. view article

School has been back in session for several weeks and districts like Stratford ISD have already seen an improvement in student engagement following the passing of House Bill 1481. The bill is to ban the use of personal communication devices in Texas schools. Stratford ISD’s cellphone policy requires students to place their phones in a designated pouch that uses an automated, magnetic, locking system. view article

The Austin school district sent letters to families of 12 schools Thursday warning them their campus could close or undergo significant changes starting in 2026-27 because of failure to meet state accountability standards for three years in a row. The notice of change comes as district officials are undergoing turnaround plans at three North Austin middle schools and are preparing to make decisions about shuttering multiple campuses citywide for budgetary reasons. view article

As the clock wound down on the year’s second overtime legislative session, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the powerful leader of the Texas Senate, took a few minutes to say goodbye to his right-hand man, Sen. Brandon Creighton: The architect of a recent bevy of laws reshaping higher education in Texas — from the ban on diversity, equity and inclusion programs to limits on protests and faculty’s influence on campuses — was stepping down to take a new job overseeing those very changes.  Texas Tech regents voted Thursday to name the Conroe Republican their sole finalist for chancellor, the university system’s top job, betting that his political connections and influence at the Capitol will help secure funding, expand research opportunities and elevate the system’s profile. view article

A former Eanes ISD student has been taken into custody after suspicion that he had a weapon in his car near Westlake High School on Wednesday. In a letter to families, the district said several schools were placed in "SECURE" protocol Wednesday afternoon while district police responded to the incident near Westlake High. The district said it "heard unaffected schools were also placed in SECURE" and is investigating to learn more. view article

Denison High School’s quiet and empty stadium is about to come alive for the first time this season, but it will look a little different. “As of the 2025 football season, our party pit our Touch of Gold Marching Band and our Stingerettes will move to the home side of the field during all home games,” Brian Eaves, Denison ISD Public Information Coordinator, said. Bringing more Yellow Jacket pride to where it belongs ― on the home side. view article

Northside Independent School District has abruptly ended its adult-based masters swimming program, citing a shift in focus to other swim programs for students in grades K-12. However, some members of the Alamo Area Aquatics Masters program, which operated under the United States Masters Swimming (USMS) organization at the Northside Swim Center, believe the decision was influenced by other factors. view article

A major water leak has forced Clyde Independent School District to cancel classes Monday, officials announced. City officials notified the district that campuses would be without water for most of the day, according to a statement from Clyde CISD. The City of Clyde reported a 12-inch water main break and issued a boil water notice. view article

Healthcare costs for the Ysleta Independent School District are projected to exceed $43 million next year if no changes are made. In response, trustees voted 6 to 1 on Wednesday to approve a plan aimed at reducing these expenses. view article

Midland ISD issued a statement Monday regarding a backend payroll system issue that delayed some employee paychecks. According to the district, some staff members had not yet received their pay or seen pending payments reflected in their bank accounts. The district said it has taken steps to ensure all employees receive their pay by 5:00 p.m. today. view article

The Leander Independent School District invited parents to give feedback Monday night ahead of a proposal its Board of Trustees will hear to consolidate several schools next month. Tensions were high Monday night as Cypress Elementary School parents tried to wrap their minds around a plan to consolidate their cherished campus with Naumann Elementary. view article

According to Highland Park ISD, classes have been cancelled for today due to the school having no water supply. view article

U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Lubbock, and Texas Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, are in the running to be the next chancellor of the Texas Tech University System, according to four people with knowledge of the conversations.  The Texas Tech University System Board of Regents is scheduled to meet on Saturday at 11:15 a.m. to get an update on the search process and discuss “duties, assignments, and expectations” of the chancellor.  Arrington, a Republican who was first elected to Congress in 2016, is among the most powerful Texans in Congress. As the House Budget Committee chair, he shepherded Republicans’ tax and spending megabill through the committee earlier this year, negotiating with various factions of the Republican conference to ultimately pass the legislation. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act — President Donald Trump and Republicans’ signature achievement this year — bears Arrington’s name as lead sponsor. view article