This '90s stoner trend is now the latest Gen Z obsession: the hacky sack  Hacky sacks are the hot new trend sweeping high schools this spring. They were a symbol of Gen X stoners in the '90s.   Teens are starting clubs at school and making ironic social media pages about their new hobby.  The sudden fad started just a few weeks ago, and the footbags are sold out in many places.  Why did hacky sacks appeal to Gen X?  What drives Gen Z's nostalgia for '90s?  How do social media trends evolve? view article

Dallas leaders want to cut $2.6 million from the city's library budget without closing any libraries. Their latest plan would slash dozens of jobs and designate five libraries as flagship hubs while others operate with reduced hours and staff.  A proposal from city staff in January suggested closing four neighborhood libraries across the city while adopting the regional flagship model. But the idea of closing libraries didn’t fly with council members and residents. view article

Midland ISD held a TIA Big Check Tour on Friday, visiting campuses to deliver checks to teachers who earned the Teacher Incentive Allotment designation. The school district recognized 387 teachers, awarding a total of $3.8 million for their effectiveness and performance. view article

The Texas Education Agency closed its investigation into Bellaire High School without finding district-level wrongdoing, according to records released this week. This wraps up a case that drew statewide attention after a Houston mother alleged her daughter was being secretly addressed by a different name and pronouns without her knowledge or consent. The investigation was ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott in February 2025, following a school board meeting where Denise Bell, chair of the Harris County chapter of Moms for Liberty, testified on behalf of an anonymous parent. view article

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has ordered a Richardson-based institution calling itself “Texas American Muslim University at Dallas” to immediately cease operations, saying it has been illegally offering higher education programs in Texas without state authorization.  The “TexAM University at Dallas” or “Texas American Muslim University” (TexAM) has been marketing itself as a new Islamic-centered university offering STEM degree programs combined with mandatory Islamic studies coursework. view article

About 550 more students living in Austin Independent School District boundaries have been awarded a Texas Education Freedom Account, or private school voucher, according to numbers released by Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts on Monday. view article

The Lake Worth ISD boardroom was quiet Wednesday night — no public comment, no speakers at the podium. In the audience, three elected trustees watched as the district’s new state-appointed board of managers took control and immediately made its priority clear.  “This new governance team is committed to focusing unrelentingly on improving student outcomes,” new board President Tom Harris said.  The special meeting marked the first gathering under the new board of managers and superintendent installed by Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, who shifted decision-making authority away from locally elected trustees after years of low academic performance.   Managers focused on establishing the foundation for the work ahead, including electing board officers, suspending some policies and approving a short-term contract with Superintendent Ena Meyers. view article

A Houston high school culinary club was "ecstatic" when two members qualified for a state competition. But that excitement quickly faded after the Houston Independent School District reportedly denied them the chance to attend—something that students, parents and advocates say reflects an ongoing pattern. view article

A North Texas school district closed campuses and postponed a scheduled school board meeting following severe weather that caused widespread damage and power outages across the community. view article

A motorcyclist was critically injured after crashing into the back of an East Central Independent School District school bus on the Southeast Side, according to the San Antonio Police Department. The crash happened just before 2 p.m. Monday in the 3300 block of South W.W. White Road. view article

An Oklahoma high school principal was crowned prom king just weeks after he was shot and wounded while stopping a gunman in the lobby of the campus. According to NBC affiliate KTEN in Oklahoma, students at Pauls Valley High School surprised Kirk Moore with the touching tribute during their prom on Friday. Video from the event shows students cheering for Moore and giving him high-fives as he walks through the crowd at the dance to the tune of the Nickelback song "Hero." view article

The camp, organized through the Texas A&M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine, provided students with early exposure to medical, nursing and allied health professions. Participants engaged in hands-on activities, connected with faculty and explored educational pathways designed to prepare them for careers in healthcare. Some of the topics covered were head-to-toe health assessments, bandaging and basic life support measures. view article

Ariah studies on her tablet, using Khan Academy as she sits on a narrow bunk bed in a compact, utilitarian room, the only other fixtures a steel toilet and wall-mounted table and chairs. It is her goal to earn her GED in hopes of finding a job after she leaves the Kent County Correctional Facility. view article

It’s no surprise that I believe our district is home to exceptional teachers and high academic standards. But what truly sets us apart is our commitment to supporting every aspect of each student’s growth and well-being. Beyond the classroom, our students benefit from the generosity and dedication of our staff, PTA, Partners in Education Foundation, Booster Clubs, and our many business and faith partners. Together, they help meet a wide range of student needs and create a community of support. Here are just a few examples of the incredible people who give so selflessly to support our students. view article

Springtown Independent School District announced it would be closed Monday, April 27, citing significant storm impacts on local families, including damage to homes and infrastructure and ongoing power outages. District officials said the school board meeting originally set for April 27 has been rescheduled to Monday, May 4. view article

Dallas leaders revised a police policy to clarify cooperation with federal immigration authorities after Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to withhold funding. The state has since extended a deadline as both sides respond and community groups weigh in. NBC 5’s Candace Sweat has more. view article

Dallas leaders revised a police policy to clarify cooperation with federal immigration authorities after Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to withhold funding. The state has since extended a deadline as both sides respond and community groups weigh in. NBC 5’s Candace Sweat has more. view article

A Longview nurse practitioner and an educator for Longview ISD died following a head-on crash in the Diana area early Sunday. The wreck happened on Highway 259 in the Diana area at about 3 a.m. Hospitality Health Nurse Practitioner Joel Mack and LISD Foster Middle School Teacher were both killed in the crash. According to a DPS report, Joel Mack was northbound on U.S. 259 at 3 a.m. when he was struck head-on by an SUV driven by Kimberly Law. Law died at the scene, and Mack was taken to a hospital, where he died. view article

A Longview ISD teacher who died in a wreck early Sunday was driving on the wrong side of the road when she struck another car, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Kimberly Law, a teacher at Foster Middle School, died in the wreck, which occurred about 3 a.m. Sunday on U.S. 259. view article

Killeen Independent School District’s Chaparral High School has been named a Premier Community for Theatre Education, a national distinction presented by the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) to schools that demonstrate exceptional achievement in providing meaningful, high quality theatre education and access for all students. view article

Who says you can't mix two passions together? For Dallas Independent School District softball Coach Mark Stout, he's done it weekly this season. Stout warms up his team at W.T. White High School every home game and then, for a brief moment, plays the national anthem on the trumpet to get to that exciting umpire line: play ball! He started doing it before games last season. view article

In some voting locations where a party’s appointed polling judge didn’t show up, election officials allowed the other party’s judge to operate both parties’ voting machines in an effort to keep the polling place running. view article

The Lewisville ISD board of trustees approved the district's 2022-23 academic calendar, which includes 177 instructional days. The 2022-23 calendar, which was approved during a Jan. 10 board meeting, will have an Aug. 10 start date with exams for the first semester to be completed before winter break, which runs Dec. 19-Jan. 4, 2023, according to the calendar. view article

Fort Worth ISD is moving forward with plans to establish four early learning centers across the district in areas where affordable, high quality child care is hard to come by after voters narrowly approved a November bond to fund the project along with other improvements. Three other bond measures were defeated in the same election after opposition groups lobbied against them, pointing to the district’s lackluster academic performance and what they called limited information about the bonds in the weeks leading up to the election. view article

An online petition created by the 'Students of KATYISD' group is demanding change to allow access to LGBTQ+ resources and websites, including a suicide prevention hotline. Katy ISD student, 17-year-old Cameron Samuels, spoke out at a school board meeting last week and told ABC13 that students cannot access LGBTQ+ youth resources and websites while on the district's internet server. view article

The Northwest ISD Education Foundation last week held a grand opening event for its new free store and library for teachers to get resources and educational materials for their classrooms. Teachers can “shop” for school and classroom supplies, snack packs, clothing items and books. All items are free to district educators, who will use them in their classrooms to support students, according to a news release from Northwest ISD. view article

When you were in school, did you ever wonder to yourself, "what if I were principal for a day?" On Wednesday, WFAA's Cynthia Izaguirre and our station general manager, Brad Ramsey, got that chance thanks to the Principal for a Day Program (PFAD) with the Dallas Independent School District. The program is meant to help people who don't work in education understand the strengths and challenges Dallas ISD schools face. view article

It’s 4 p.m. at S.S. Conner Elementary School’s district-run afterschool program, and cheerleaders are pumping up a group of 70 students as they enjoy a healthy snack. Now with full bellies and high spirits, the students go into classrooms and center themselves with deep breathing exercises and social and emotional learning practices. Then it’s on to fun, hands-on learning and, at last, an epic game of kickball in the gym. view article

The McAllen Independent School District (McAllen ISD) is considering closing Bonham Elementary School due to low student enrollment. Since 2010, McAllen ISD has closed down three schools: David Crockett Elementary in 2011, Jose Antonio Navarro Elementary, after the 2017-18 school year, and Abraham Lincoln Middle School the same year. view article

Calallen ISD's superintendent apologized for a video that surfaced on social media of a high school pep rally during which students portrayed former President Donald Trump and Jesus Christ while making racist remarks. The video, captioned "i'm so scared #saveme," has garnered close to 34,000 views and has been shared over 550 times since being posted. It is a screen recording from someone's Snapchat account. That person recorded the pep rally, which took place at Calallen High School's gymnasium. view article

The national outcry over efforts to foster diversity and inclusion initiatives in schools has added fuel to a heated Grapevine-Colleyville ISD runoff election. The incumbent, Mindy McClure, said she is fighting a campaign of “misinformation” from her opponent, community volunteer Shannon Braun. view article

For Granger ISD officials, they have been working since the spring of last year, planning on getting kids back to campus for the start of school. School for the Lions has been fully on campus since the start of the school year. The district says this is due to the COVID-19 safety protocols that are in place, as well as teachers who have gone above and beyond. view article

Austin ISD hosted its Operation Reconnect block walk door-to-door event to ‘reconnect’ with existing district families and help recruit new ones to its schools. The event specifically aimed at attracting families to schools in its northeast corridor, including (among others) Andrews and Harris elementary schools, Garcia’s Young Men’s and Sadler Means Young Women’s middle school leadership academies, and Northeast High School. view article

ABILENE – The Abilene ISD is opening baseball and softball contests at both high schools to 50 percent capacity at all four fields for the 2021 season. Fans will be allowed to enter this weekend’s baseball tournament games at Blackburn Field (Abilene High) and Cougar Field (Cooper) at no charge, but beginning with next week’s home games, all games for baseball and softball will be $4 for adults and $2 for students. Full-time AISD employees will be allowed to enter for free, but only with a district-issued ID, and that ID only gains entry for the employee. 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