Israel and Hamas agree on the ‘first phase’ of Gaza ceasefire deal

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel and Hamas have agreed to the "first phase" of a ceasefire deal intended to end the devastating Gaza war that unleashed the deadliest fighting ever between Israelis and Palestinians.   The two sides were set to sign the agreement in Cairo after all-day negotiations Wednesday that stretched into the early hours of Thursday in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. view article

Preventive Law: Negotiating With Vendors

Fort Worth’s generosity helps Uvalde open new elementary school

A new elementary school is scheduled to open Friday in Uvalde more than three years after 19 elementary students and two teachers were killed in the deadliest school shooting in Texas history.  Fort Worth philanthropic leaders jump-started a more than $60 million fundraising effort to build the campus that replaces Robb Elementary.   Uvalde school leaders plan to hold a ribbon cutting Friday for Legacy Elementary. The new campus is expected to welcome students later in October.  Beverly Powell, a former state senator, assembled a coalition of Fort Worth groups to build the school. Powell plans to attend the opening of Legacy Elementary. view article

Texas Education Agency refutes Lubbock ISD’s claims of superintendent not being investigated

The Texas Education Agency is refuting the Lubbock ISD trustee president's claims about a new policy when it comes to investigating educators — specifically the investigation into the district's superintendent for alleged misconduct.  On Tuesday, Lubbock Independent School District Board of Trustees President Ryan Curry stated in a letter to the LISD community and local media outlets that the TEA has "a new policy by which they 'flag' a certificate any time a complaint is filed, regardless of the nature of the complaint."  Original Reporting: Lubbock ISD responds as superintendent's teaching certificate under review by TEA  However, the TEA informed the Avalanche-Journal that "There is no new policy regarding investigatory flags" and "if the agency is simply reviewing a complaint, there is no flag." view article

$100 million development to bring 800-plus homes to Celina

$100 million development to bring 800-plus homes to Celina  More than 800 new homes are planned for Celina as part of a new development called Serenade Texas.  Huffines Enterprises announced the $100 million master-planned community in an Oct. 2 news release.  The site will have 875 homes on offer with the potential for more in the future. The development could be expanded to include 1,100 homes.  The project will span about 414 acres and include a $6 million amenity center. There will also be a 16-acre lake on the property, as well as 150 acres of open space. view article

This Houston boys’ school just took a radical step against student cell phones

After years of students—and even their parents—ignoring the rules, a Houston boys' school is taking a dramatic new approach: bring your phone to school, and they will destroy it. view article

A North Texas community will vote to form a city in an effort to quiet down a crypto mine

Leaders of the effort say they moved to rural Hood County for its quiet country charm, which was shattered by what locals call “that roar” from the facility.  HOOD COUNTY — Danny Lakey and his wife have spent countless evenings sitting on rocking chairs on their front porch, watching the sun slowly dip behind the cows grazing on their neighbor’s ranch.  It was the calm country life they dreamed of in 2021 when they bought their log home, tucked into the woodlands of rural Hood County, southwest of Fort Worth. Danny Lakey proudly calls their home their “personal Cracker Barrel,” where they have more cows and horses as neighbors than people.  But ever since a noisy cryptocurrency facility moved in about half a mile away in 2023, he said their rocking chairs have mostly sat empty. Other nearby residents also say they don’t spend much time outside anymore because of what many call “that roar.” view article

Carthage ISD band director resigns, citing new law requiring Ten Commandments in classroom

A Carthage ISD band director said he resigned due to a newly passed law requiring the Ten Commandments to be put up in classrooms. Johnnie Cotton says he has been working in education for 42 years. On Monday, however, he resigned from his role at Carthage ISD for personal reasons, the district told CBS19. Cotton said the decision came after he was asked to install the Ten Commandments in his classroom as required by state law. view article

Killeen ISD employee arrested for allegedly falsifying employment paperwork

A Killeen ISD employee has been arrested for allegedly falsifying employment paperwork, the district has announced. Killeen ISD said a federal arrest warrant was issued for the employee on Oct. 3. The district said the matter was "not related to student or staff safety." view article

Parents voice concern after Brownwood ISD students create ‘death list’

Last week, several Brownwood Independent School District parents received a notice stating that their child’s name appeared on a so-called “death list.” The list, allegedly created by two students, was later shared on social media. Now, parents are voicing concerns about their children’s safety and questioning how the district responded to the situation. view article

Father of slain middle schooler Serenity Baker files lawsuit against Killeen ISD, maker of weapons detection system

The father of Serenity Baker, the Killeen teenager who was stabbed and killed at school, has filed a lawsuit against Killeen ISD and Evolv Technologies Inc., the company that produces and provides the district’s weapons detection system. The lawsuit states that Serenity Baker’s death was a result of the Defendants’ negligence and wrongful conduct. Serenity Baker was 14 years old when she was stabbed and killed by a fellow classmate in the hallway of Roy J. Smith Middle School on March 20. view article

Leander ISD returns dozens of books to classrooms after review of compliance with new state law

A Central Texas school district is returning dozens of books to classroom shelves after pulling them for review last month to ensure they comply with a new state law. Leander ISD decided to temporarily pause and review the 40 books because of Senate Bill 12, which went into effect on Sept. 1. view article

Texas Universities Are Auditing Curricula

The accountability measures are mandated by a new state law.  More university systems in Texas are initiating audits of classes and curricula in order to comply with a new state law. This follows Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and the University of Texas-Austin announcing that they were running similar audits.   “Texas Woman’s University System is in the process of establishing a review of academic courses and programs, in accordance with all applicable state and federal laws,” a spokesperson for the Denton-based system told Texas Scorecard on Wednesday.  It was widely reported that on September 29, Michael Williams, the chancellor of TWUS’ neighbor, the University of North Texas System, had ordered a streamlined review of academic curricula and programs, including syllabi, to meet all relevant executive orders, court rulings, and state and federal laws. UNT campuses have a January 1 deadline to comply. The UNT System did not respond to a request for comment. view article

North East ISD officials defend cell phone policy against state review

Officials at North East Independent School District have decided to defend their cell phone policy amid an ongoing review from the Texas Education Agency.  A new state law requires schools to bar students from using cell phones and other electronic devices during the school day.  The NEISD board voted in August to define the school day as instructional time, which allows students to use phones at lunch and during passing periods. view article

Texas Tech system’s vague guidelines on gender identity spur more questions than answers

Faculty have spent weeks seeking clarity on new restrictions, which have often been issued by word of mouth. A written Q&A was rescinded.  As a viral video of a Texas A&M student and professor debating the legality of discussing gender identity roiled the College Station university and spurred a political firestorm, deans hundreds of miles away at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock quietly rolled out new instructions for faculty.  Teaching doctors were told to remove words like “transgender,” “DEI” and “affirmative action” from their curricula, a professor told The Texas Tribune. Simulated patient exams that included scenarios with transgender patients were suddenly in question. view article

Texas Supreme Court breaks with American Bar Association over law school credentials

Texas will become the first state to no longer use American Bar Association (ABA) for oversight of its law schools.  The Texas Supreme Court will take over that responsibility, according to an order its justices issued on Friday, Sept. 26. The ABA has set standards for law schools nationwide for decades.  Karen Sloan, who covers the legal business for Reuters, spoke to Texas Standard about the decision. Listen to the interview above or read the transcript below. view article

Texas National Guard members arrive in Illinois; sources say troops could begin assignments Wednesday

On Tuesday afternoon, National Guard troops were spotted dressed in camouflage with Texas National Guard patches walking around the U.S. Army Reserve Training Center in Elwood, near Joliet, about 50 miles southwest of Chicago. view article

Houston Announces New $16 Million Low-Barrier Homeless ‘Super Hub’

The City of Houston is spending $16 million to turn a former migrant shelter into a homeless “super hub”—a facility officials say will streamline access to services, but critics warn will damage the city’s image ahead of international events. view article

Mapmaker Takes Stand & Confirms Partisan Redistricting in Texas

Adam Kincaid testified that he did not take race into account when creating the new congressional map view article

Paxton Launches Investigation Into Leftist Terror Groups

In the wake of escalating political violence nationwide, Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the initiation of undercover operations aimed at infiltrating and dismantling left-wing groups associated with political extremism in Texas. The Office of the Attorney General will specifically target organizations alleged to have ties to Antifa and other radical movements, citing increased incidents of armed attacks on federal facilities and threats to public safety.  Paxton warned of the dangers posed by “leftist political terrorism,” referencing ideologies such as Antifa and “the radical transgender movement.” Paxton described these groups as “a cancer on our culture,” asserting that they have “unleashed their deranged and drugged-up foot soldiers on the American people.”  view article

Fact brief: Can Texas take over a public school district after three straight failing grades?

The Texas education commissioner can take over a school district only if a campus fails in the state academic accountability ratings for five straight years.  However, public charter schools face closure after three years of either academic or financial failures.  A-F accountability ratings are determined by results on STAAR, the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness.   A takeover involves the commissioner replacing a school district’s elected trustees with a state-appointed board of managers and installing a new superintendent.  The largest takeover in Texas history was in Houston ISD. The commissioner is considering a takeover of Fort Worth and Lake Worth schools.  view article

Texas A&M Sports Textbook Promotes Critical Race Theory and the LGBT Agenda

A sports sociology textbook published by Texas A&M University promotes “critical race theory” and the LGBT agenda. Writers critique “whites” and promote the idea of using sports as a means of “transforming” society.  Texas Scorecard received a copy of the third edition of “Sociology of Sport and Physical Activity” (2019), published by Texas A&M’s Center for Sport Management Research and Education. George B. Cunningham and Marlene A. Dixon of Ohio State University edited it, and included contributions from writers from universities worldwide.  Writers Adam Cohen, of the University of Technology Sydney, and Jon Welty Peachey, of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, explain in chapter 8 why these leftwing topics are included in a sports textbook. They explain “the use of sport as a vehicle or platform for transforming the social structure of a social group or society.” view article

Abbott Approves National Guard Deployment to Restore Order at ICE Facilities in Blue States

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the deployment of state National Guard units to Oregon while the court reviews the legality of the federal order. view article

Plano ISD Closes Moldy Murphy Middle School for More Mitigation

The school’s principal announced a week-long closure starting Monday in an email sent Friday night at 11:10 p.m. view article

Abbott Approves National Guard Deployment to Restore Order at ICE Facilities in Blue States

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the deployment of state National Guard units to Oregon while the court reviews the legality of the federal order. view article

Paxton Accuses Texas Medical Association of Undermining New COVID Vaccine Guidance

Attorney General Ken Paxton has criticized the Texas Medical Association for allegedly rejecting recent federal advisory guidance that emphasizes patient and parent choice in pediatric COVID-19 vaccination decisions, framing the move as an anti-science shift that sidelines informed consent and parental discretion.  Paxton urged Texas physicians to oppose what he called a quiet policy change and pledged continued alignment with President Donald Trump and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on expanding medical freedom and patient-centered decision-making. view article

Celina officials open new, inclusive playground

Situated at Old Celina Park, the new playground officially opened Oct. 4 when city leaders turned out to the park for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.  The park was designed for children ages 2-12 and features a variety of attractions. The Old Celina Park Playground includes a water feature, a multiuse court, slides, swings and climbing equipment.  The project cost totaled more than $7.6 million, with funding coming from 2021 and 2024 bond funds, and park fees, according to the city. view article

Texas physicians group is undermining federal COVID vaccine recommendations, Paxton says

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