What to know before applying for Texas’ education savings accounts next year

The Texas comptroller’s office has released a set of rules to govern the state’s $1 billion education savings account program, or ESAs. Accepted families will receive thousands of dollars in state funds to send their children to a private school or homeschool them. The overview: Accredited private schools and education vendors can begin applying to join the program as soon as Dec. 9, and applications will open for interested families Feb. 4. Most families accepted into the program will receive about $10,300 per student, which can be spent on tuition at accredited private prekindergarten or K-12 schools and related expenses. Homeschooled students will receive up to $2,000 per year, while students with disabilities will be eligible for up to $30,000 annually.
Lt. Gov. Patrick Counters Abbott’s Plan to Reduce Property Taxes

Gov. Greg Abbott, meanwhile, has proposed tackling rising appraisals and local tax increases. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced a property tax reform plan aimed at increasing the homestead exemption for millions of Texas homeowners. The plan falls short of many of the elements of the property tax cut proposal introduced by Gov. Greg Abbott just last month. At a Tuesday press conference, Patrick outlined reforms that build on past efforts to raise homestead exemptions. He also introduced a new initiative known as “Operation Double Nickel.”
How Odyssey rose from tech startup to manager of Texas’ $1B school voucher program

When Texas chose a company to roll out the state’s $1 billion private school voucher program, it passed over more established vendors in favor of a four-year-old tech startup that said it could do it for almost half the cost. Now, Odyssey must execute on its promises to meet an aggressive timeline while avoiding missteps that have dogged other program launches. The New York-based company has rapidly expanded in recent years, launching programs in eight states that subsidize students’ private education costs with taxpayer dollars.
Paxton Launches Financial Transparency Investigation Into Nearly 1,000 Cities

Attorney General Ken Paxton is escalating his confrontation with local governments over property tax compliance, launching a sweeping investigation into nearly 1,000 Texas cities. This comes just months after previously ordering four municipalities to pause their newly adopted tax rates amid allegations of audit violations. Paxton’s office said the widened review is aimed at ensuring strict adherence to Senate Bill 1851, the new state law that bars any city out of audit compliance from raising property taxes above the no-new-revenue rate.
UNT is the first college in the state to get a naloxone vending machine

The University of North Texas is the first public college in Texas to get a free naloxone vending machine, and Regan Browne, director of the Recovery and Intervention Support and Education Center — called RISE — considers it a win. Browne is new to the director’s chair at RISE, and she was among locals who attended the unveiling of a naloxone vending machine at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios, a storied Denton music venue, in June. A teen survived an overdose there in April because a quick-thinking patron knew the signs and administered naloxone, the generic form of the brand-name drug Narcan. Naloxone is a nasal spray that can reverse the effects of opioids, even a potentially lethal dose.
A slate of new Texas laws go into effect December and January. Here’s what to watch.

Dozens of new Texas laws will take effect in December and January, bringing wide-ranging changes to the state’s education system, law enforcement, taxes and more. Over 800 laws from this year’s regular legislative session already took effect on Sept. 1, but more measures from that period as well as the second special session will soon activate. Some also had to wait for voters’ approval, such as more tax exemption for businesses’ inventory.

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Texas’ “bathroom bill” is about to go into effect. Here’s what it does.

December 0208:30 AM

Senate Bill 8, which takes effect on Thursday, places new restrictions on which restrooms transgender people can use in certain government-owned buildings and schools. Starting on Thursday, Texas will implement Senate Bill 8 — also known as the Texas Women’s Privacy Act, or more commonly known as a “bathroom bill” — aimed at restricting transgender people’s access to certain restrooms in the state. upporters of the law say it will create more secure private spaces, but opponents worry the law’s unclear guidance on how to enforce SB 8 will cause oversurveillance and public harassment. Here’s what you need to know about SB 8, what areas are affected and why the Legislature passed the new restrictions on restrooms in the state. view article

Former Celina ISD coach hit with additional child sexual abuse charge, new lawsuit

December 0208:28 AM

A former Celina ISD coach arrested three times on child sexual abuse charges is a facing a new charge — and now a third lawsuit from two more alleged victims. Court records show Caleb Elliot, 26, was charged Nov. 25 with sexual performance of a child, a second-degree felony. That same day, two families filed a new suit against Elliot claiming district officials dismissed a report made by a Celina ISD employee about Elliot's "inappropriate behavior." view article

San Diego ISD’s school facility collapses after nine months of construction

December 0208:28 AM

A multi-use facility under construction at San Diego High School collapsed Saturday, Nov. 29, after just nine months of construction, prompting concerns from neighbors and an investigation by the school district. Residents reported hearing a loud boom when the structure collapsed, and many took to social media to express their concerns. The facility was part of projects funded by the May 2024 bond election. view article

How Texas’ law banning DEI, LGBTQ+ topics in K-12 schools could fare in court

December 0208:27 AM

A state law that bans DEI programs and discussion of LGBTQ+ identities in K-12 schools will go to court Dec. 10, teeing up what is expected to be a yearslong battle over free speech in public education. A coalition of Texas LGBTQ and teacher advocacy groups, students and a teacher are asking Trump-appointed Judge Charles Eskridge of the Southern District of Texas in Houston to halt all Texas public K-12 and charter school districts from enforcing parts of a state law that schools have leveraged to cut Gender and Sexualities Alliance (GSA) clubs and bar teachers from using gender-affirming pronouns. view article

Killeen ISD recognized as CTE District of Distinction

December 0208:26 AM

Killeen ISD has earned a special recognition for its Career and Technical Education program, the district has announced. The district shared that it has once again been recognized as a Career and Technical Education (CTE) District of Distinction by the Career & Technical Association of Texas. view article

Texas is turning its public schools into hyper-partisan battlegrounds

December 0208:25 AM

When the Texas Education Agency Commissioner holds closed-door meetings with a national partisan group like Turning Point USA and the lieutenant governor follows up with a million-dollar pledge to put that group’s chapters in every high school, something fundamental is changing in our state. view article

City View ISD recognized for excellence

December 0208:25 AM

City View ISD has been recognized as a Career and Technical Education District of Distinction by the Career and Technical Association of Texas for 2026. This prestigious award highlights districts that excel in providing high-quality CTE programs, demonstrating leadership, innovation, and a commitment to student success. view article

Texas lawmaker says he donated enough Ten Commandment posters for every classroom in Manor ISD

December 0208:25 AM

In an X post on Wednesday, State Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, said he was donating enough Ten Commandment posters to go in every classroom within Manor Independent School District. Sen. Middleton said in the video that he donated the posters because he did not believe the elected state representative for the area, State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, would donate any posters. Talarico voted against Senate Bill 10, which requires public schools to display donated copies of the Ten Commandments in classrooms. view article

Texas Finalizes New Medical Cannabis Rules

December 0208:25 AM

Texas regulators have finalized a new set of rules that expands the state’s medical marijuana program, giving physicians a path to request new qualifying conditions and establishing guidelines for inhalation devices. view article

Waco ISD partners with Waco Family Medicine for student mental health services

December 0208:24 AM

As more and more students face behavioral health challenges such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and ADHD, Waco ISD is helping give their students access to licensed behavioral health professionals. Thanks to a new partnership between the district and Waco Family Medicine, clinicians with Waco Family Medicine will soon be placed at Cesar Chavez, Tennyson, and G.W. Carver middle school. view article

SAT scores in Houston and Texas continue to decline, lag national average, new data shows

December 0208:23 AM

School districts in the Houston area saw another year of falling SAT scores, mirroring a national slide that has persisted since the pandemic. Newly released data from the Texas Education Agency shows that graduating seniors from public and nonpublic high schools earned an average total SAT score of 971 in 2024, marking at least six straight years of statewide declines. view article

Bryan ISD Administrators Share With School Board Members What Happens After Voters Approved A $397 Million Dollar Bond Issue

December 0208:22 AM

Two weeks after voters in Bryan ISD approved bond issues for $397 million dollars of projects, administrators gave school board members the sequence of events that will take place. Construction will take place over multiple years. $290 million dollars of bonds will be purchased in August 2026, $60 million in August 2029, and $47 million in August of 2031. view article

Belton ISD’s Chisolm Trail Elementary opens ‘Elf Closet’ program

December 0208:21 AM

Belton ISD's Chisolm Trail Elementary is bringing back a beloved tradition to help students in need this Christmas season, the Elf Closet. Every year since the school opened in 2013, Chisolm Trail has opened the Elf Closet, an annual holiday shop that allows parents to choose holiday gifts for their children, free of charge. view article

Socorro ISD to celebrate students who have earned associate degrees

December 0208:19 AM

Socorro Independent School District will celebrate their early-college high-school students and P-TECH students who have earned associate degrees with a series of stole ceremonies this week. SISD will celebrate students at six of the district’s early college high schools who have earned an associate degree in the fall 2025 semester. The students will be presented with a stole to represent the milestone achievement and the degree that they have earned through the district’s partnership with El Paso Community College. view article

Fort Bend ISD to focus elementary school rezoning, address new middle school boundaries

December 0208:17 AM

Fort Bend ISD will unveil elementary rezoning scenarios on Dec. 15. view article

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North Texas mayor offers to raise millions to keep Grapevine-Colleyville ISD campuses open as school board prepares to vote on closures

December 0208:12 AM

A North Texas mayor is offering to raise millions of dollars to spare two schools from closing, but he said the school district declined the offer. Grapevine Mayor William Tate has previously floated the idea of raising taxes to prevent Bransford and Dove elementary schools from closing within Grapevine-Colleyville ISD. That didn't take hold. view article

Coahoma ISD to Host Annual Winterfest Celebration at Coahoma High School

December 0207:40 AM

Coahoma Independent School District is preparing to welcome families and neighbors to its cherished annual Winterfest on Thursday, December 4, 2025, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Coahoma High School. The evening offers the perfect way to kick off the holiday season with a festive mix of student talent, seasonal treats, and family fun. Guests can stroll through the school and explore impressive hands-on projects and demonstrations from the district’s Career and Technical Education programs, which highlight the practical, real-world skills students are gaining in areas such as agriculture, welding, health science, business, and more. view article

Hundreds of Texas voters flagged as potential noncitizens may have already proven their citizenship

December 0205:00 AM

The Secretary of State’s Office didn’t initially check with the Department of Public Safety, which collects proof of citizenship from people who register to vote through them. view article

FDA finally admits COVID-19 vaccine killed kids: ‘This is a profound revelation’

December 0205:00 AM

illions of Americans across the country were told during the pandemic to offer up their arms for the COVID-19 vaccines — the first-ever mRNA vaccines approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — if they wanted to keep their jobs, eat in public, stay in school, or visit their loved ones. Government officials, the establishment media, and pharmaceutical representatives claimed that the vaccines were "safe and effective." Those who dared to suggest otherwise about the experimental drugs that were making liability-shielded vaccine manufacturers record profits were often attacked and censored. Months after the Department of Health and Human Services concluded that "mRNA technology poses more risks than benefits for these respiratory viruses," the Food and Drug Administration admitted in an internal letter that the COVID-19 vaccines killed numerous children. view article

Why does Austin ISD send half of its property tax revenue back to the state?

December 0108:27 AM

While the largest portion of any Austinite’s property tax bill goes toward the local school district, almost half of what a local homeowner pays toward education actually leaves Austin, through a decades-old program called recapture. view article

Former HISD, Klein ISD elementary school teacher accused of sexually assaulting kids captured in Peru

December 0108:25 AM

A former elementary school teacher and soccer coach accused of sexually assaulting multiple children has been returned to Houston after fleeing to Peru while out on bond, according to Precinct 5 Constable Terry Allbritton’s Office. Wilbert Sequeiros, who worked for Houston ISD and Klein ISD, is accused of sexually assaulting at least seven boys and girls between the ages of 7 and 10 between 2014 and 2019. The allegations surfaced in 2019, prompting his arrest the following year. view article

Gatesville ISD employee passes away unexpectedly

December 0108:25 AM

Gatesville ISD announced that Intermediate aide Charlie Barnhill died unexpectedly during the Thanksgiving break. Barnhill graduated from GHS in 2011 and had a reputation as a talented musician during his high school years and afterward. He came back to GISD a couple of years ago to work as a substitute teacher. view article

Round Rock ISD moves forward with bond-funded construction contracts, vehicle replacements

December 0108:25 AM

Round Rock ISD officials green-lit the purchase of maintenance vehicle replacements and approved construction contracts for several campuses in November. The purchases and contracts are funded by 2024 bond monies, per the district. What you need to know Trustees approved contracts and purchasing orders replacing eight district vehicles, resurfacing the middle school track and hiring architects and construction managers for several campus renovations. The contracts total just over $2.3 million in bond funds approved by voters in November 2024. view article

Sulphur Springs ISD announces death of school principal

December 0108:22 AM

An East Texas school district has shared that they have lost one of their school principals. According to an announcement made on social media by Superintendent Deana Steeber, Sherry Sinclair, principal of Douglass Early Childhood Learning Center, died on Thanksgiving morning. Her cause of death was not shared. view article

Montgomery Co. man who works as school bus driver charged with sexual assault of a child, MCSO says

December 0108:21 AM

A Montgomery County man who works as a school bus driver was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a child, according to the sheriff's office. Deputies say they responded to a report of a child sexual assault at the 10000 block of Royal Duaine Drive in Conroe on Thanksgiving, around 3 p.m. view article

MCSO: Cleveland ISD school bus driver arrested on charge of sexual assault of a child

December 0108:19 AM

A Cleveland ISD bus driver has been arrested and charged with sexual assault of a child after Montgomery County deputies responded to a report at a Conroe home Thursday afternoon, the sheriff’s office said. Deputies were called around 3 p.m. Thursday to the 10000 block of Royal Duaine Drive, where Special Victims Unit detectives began an investigation, according to the sheriff’s office. view article

Texas lawmaker says he donated enough Ten Commandment posters for every classroom in Manor ISD

December 0108:19 AM

Why Galveston ISD mother says program and longtime leader ‘saved’ her and her children

December 0108:18 AM

For Mary Simms Patrick and Galveston ISD, that spirit is seen through their work helping students and their families through the district's Special Programs department. "We figure out what are the needs of the family. We have different organizations that help us with our food, help us with clothing," said Patrick, who serves as executive director. view article

Decatur ISD announces death of middle school student following accident

December 0108:16 AM

The Decatur ISD community is mourning the death of a McCarroll Middle School student following a reported accident, district officials said Sunday. In a letter to families and staff, Decatur ISD confirmed the death of Treb McKinnon, a student at McCarroll Middle School. District officials did not release details about the accident. view article

Cleveland ISD bus driver accused of sexual assault of child

December 0108:14 AM

A Cleveland ISD bus driver was arrested by the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and is facing sexual assault charges, according to officials. view article

New charge, 3rd lawsuit filed against former Celina ISD coach Caleb Elliott

December 0108:13 AM

A former Celina ISD middle school coach is now facing yet another criminal charge, filed on the same day a third civil lawsuit was brought forward, as community members continue to question whether additional allegations may still come to light. view article

Temple High School announces delayed start time due to broken water line

December 0108:12 AM

Temple High School will experience a two-hour delay start on Monday, Dec. 1, because of a broken water line on 31st Street, according to Temple ISD. Classes will officially begin at 9:30 a.m. and high school buses will also run two hours later. Dismissal is expected to be unaffected, the school said. view article

Leander ISD discusses enrollment, staffing ratios as part of long-range planning efforts

December 0108:07 AM

The Leander ISD board of trustees are continuing long-range planning discussions in light of budget concerns and pushback on potential elementary school closures. Some context: LISD officials are projecting multimillion dollar budget shortfalls over the next several years. I view article

A slate of new Texas laws go into effect December and January. Here’s what to watch.

November 2605:00 AM

Dozens of new Texas laws will take effect in December and January, bringing wide-ranging changes to the state’s education system, law enforcement, taxes and more. Over 800 laws from this year’s regular legislative session already took effect on Sept. 1, but more measures from that period as well as the second special session will soon activate. Some also had to wait for voters’ approval, such as more tax exemption for businesses’ inventory. view article

In school voucher rules, Texas lets families get more for pre-K but rejects stronger accountability

November 2605:00 AM

Texas’ chief financial officer on Tuesday finalized rules for the state’s private school voucher program, clearing up confusion about funding for pre-kindergarten students and setting official dates for schools and families to apply — but declining to change certain special education components or tack on additional accountability requirements. Private schools and vendors who currently participate in an existing state initiative for students with disabilities can apply on Dec. 9, while applications for nonparticipants are set to open shortly after. The state will then allow families to start applying on Feb. 4, the date Texas’ finance chief and Odyssey — the finance and technology company helping administer the program — had agreed upon in their contract. The program, which the Texas comptroller’s office oversees, will officially launch at the start of the 2026-27 school year. view article

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TexasISD.com was the brainchild of Joe F. Smith. Joe retired early from a successful career as Superintendent of Schools for Hudson ISD, deep in the Piney Woods of East Texas. Due to a long battle with Post-Polio Syndrome the doctor made him hang it up and rest for six months. Never being the kind of person to sit still and also not being the person to listen to his doctor, Joe logged lengthy sessions in front of his PC researching school issues, reading papers and corresponding with his friends and colleagues in the education business.

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