Gov. Abbott Signs Billions in Homeowner, Business Property Tax Relief

Gov. Greg Abbott has signed three measures providing new property tax relief to homeowners and businesses. During a press conference in Denton on Monday, Abbott signed Senate Bill 4, Senate Bill 23, and House Bill 9 into law, which he says will bring the total amount of additional tax relief passed this session up to $10 billion. That number, however, includes some existing property tax relief passed in previous sessions. All three measures in the tax relief package were worked on by State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R–Houston) and State Rep. Morgan Meyer (R–Dallas), who were in attendance at the signing. The first measure signed, SB 4, raises the homestead exemption to $140,000.
Patrick Accuses Abbott of Trying To Legalize Recreational Marijuana in Texas

Gov. Abbott’s veto of legislation banning THC has created a rare public clash between two of the state’s top leaders.
Gov. Greg Abbott vetoes THC ban, calls for regulation instead

The move infuriated Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the powerful head of the Senate, who had called the ban among his top five bills over 17 years in the Legislature.
Did Texas lawmakers do enough for children with disabilities? These child care advocates say no.

Lawmakers added $100 million to a child care scholarship program but failed to expand access to free preschool for children with disabilities. LUFKIN — Texas lawmakers this year added $100 million to a scholarship fund to help families across the state pay for early child care, an extraordinary investment that may ease a waitlist to help thousands of children. However, advocates say legislators fell short in creating more opportunities for the state’s youngest living with disabilities. “Most families with children with disabilities are really struggling in one area, if not multiple,” said Bethany Edwards, director for research and evaluation at the Center for Transforming Lives, a North Texas nonprofit that helps single mothers. Edwards is also a parent of a child with disabilities. “And there's a lot that can happen from a policy standpoint to change these systems, but change seems to happen very slowly,” she said.
Gov. Greg Abbott orders special legislative session after vetoing 26 bills

Abbott will call lawmakers back to Austin to tackle Senate Bill 3, a proposed ban on THC products that he vetoed, as well as five others from his veto list.
Texas Gov Signs Bill Requiring Ten Commandments in Public School Classrooms

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill into law that would require all public school classrooms in his state to display the biblical Ten Commandments. The law, which goes into effect on Sept. 1, requires classrooms to display a poster or framed English translation of the commandments that is at least 16-by-20 inches and is able to be read from anywhere in the classroom. Texas has more than 5.5 million students throughout its more than 9,000 public schools.

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Delay Tactics Leave Bills ‘Mostly-Dead’ After Crucial House Deadline

May 1607:45 AM

Texas lawmakers wrap up a very busy week at the Capitol today, and last night had a little bit of everything that you’ll find at the end of a legislative session. Bills as amendments With just over two weeks left in the legislative session, lawmakers are scrambling to get their bills to the governor’s desk. That scramble often has lawmakers looking for ways to add their bills to other legislation. That’s exactly what Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood) did Thursday morning when he added a provision to create a school voucher system onto a school finance bill. “It establishes the educational savings account program administered by the comptroller, which provides parents with funds to pay for education needs of their child,” Taylor said as he added the amendment to the House bill in the Senate Education committee. But even this addition isn’t everything the Senate Education chair wanted. The addition only provides money for private school tuition or tutoring for children with disabilities. view article

New Crosby High School trades convention for innovation in its new design

May 1607:45 AM

Perhaps one of the most striking characteristics of the new Crosby High School is the flood of natural light flowing throughout the building. Windows line the hallways, classrooms, offices, cafeteria, library and other rooms that would traditionally be encased in brick and mortar. The new Crosby High School opened in August 2016. It was a part of the $86.5 million bond passed in May 2013, which incorporated the high school, stadium renovations and the new baseball and softball complex. This year's freshmen students may not have anything to compare the new high school to. But, as its inaugural school year draws to an end, some may wonder what the new building looked like through the eyes of those who did walk the halls of the former Crosby High School. view article

Leading on education reform

May 1607:45 AM

Over the last two years, I’ve been working with students, teachers, parents and taxpayers to improve the way that we’re providing education to Texas students. During the current legislative session, some of those efforts are beginning to show results. The Texas House of Representatives where I serve, has passed three bills to improve the “Robin Hood” program, A-F rating system, and standardized testing. In overhauling the entire funding of our public education system, House Bill 21 will address a problem that has long plagued our West Texas districts. The “Robin Hood” scheme has been a detriment to school districts in our region, and under this bill we will be reducing the burden on our local school districts bear by allowing them to keep more of their hard-earned money. view article

Perry ‘will vote for the money’ on Senate school finance, despite school choice amendment

May 1607:45 AM

The state Senate Education Committee tweaked the House's school finance bill -- HB 21 -- to add funding for educational savings accounts for students with disabilities. Lubbock Sen. Charles Perry said he will approve it because small, rural schools in his district need other funding the House measure offers. "You could say it's brilliant strategy -- and it is," Perry said. "It's politics at its best or its worst, depending on what side of the equation [you're on]." Perry said the ESAs would open up school choice opportunity for a limited number of families, but that's not the main appeal for the House measure to him; Perry says the $1.6 billion the measure would provide to schools would protect districts affected by the end of the 2006 Additional State Aid for Tax Reduction program in September. view article

Shoemaker AVID students earn nearly $2.24 million in scholarships

May 1607:45 AM

When the school year started, the 66 seniors in a Shoemaker High School college-preparatory class called AVID set a goal for scholarship money earned — $2 million. They were way off. Those students hit the $2 million mark in February. With just less than a month to go before graduation, the scholarship money thermometer recently stood at nearly $2,240,000 and counting. The elective class AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination and is offered in all Killeen ISD high schools and middle schools. view article

Why school vouchers may be back from the dead

May 1607:45 AM

The Texas House thought it had killed school vouchers. The Senate is resurrecting them.A Senate committee last week attached a plan offering vouchers to special education children while approving a $1.6 billion House proposal to begin overhauling Texas' troubled school finance system. House Public Education Committee Chairman Dan Huberty, a Houston Republican, has championed the school finance fix. Now, his counterpart in the Senate, Republican Sen. Larry Taylor of Friendswood, may make Huberty choose between accepting vouchers or sacrificing his legislative baby.Taylor spent months carefully shepherding a separate, sweeping voucher bill through the Senate that the House refused to even consider, instead overwhelmingly passing an amendment saying public funds should stay in public schools. He, and school vouchers' biggest supporter in Texas, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, could now have their revenge. view article

School board reviews budget recommendations

May 1607:45 AM

The Frisco ISD School Board heard a summary of the proposed 2017-18 budget during its meeting on Monday. No action was taken. More than 50 budget recommendations were outlined in April to trim spending and generate additional revenue to address funding challenges. The recommendations were the result of months of work by employees, trustees, parents and citizens who shared ideas and input on possible solutions. Monday’s presentation included discussion of the remaining budget timeline, as well as a look at proposed budgets for both the maintenance and operations (M&O) fund, which pays for day-to-day expenses such as staff salaries, as well as the interest and sinking (I&S) fund, which pays off debt from issuing bonds to build new schools and fund other projects. view article

Texas makes mess of taxes

May 1607:45 AM

Count on the Texas Legislature to come up with a painfully complicated and inefficient way to repeal a painfully complicated and inefficient tax. Lawmakers deserve praise for targeting the Texas Franchise Tax, but their methods are unsound. The franchise tax, also called the margins or business tax, ranks consistently as one of the worst taxes anywhere in the country. It was the convoluted response to the Texas Supreme Court declaring the public school finance system unconstitutional. Lawmakers had to lower property taxes to comply with the court order, so to find replacement funds they rewrote the franchise tax, what businesses pay for the privilege to operate in our great state. view article

Abbott skirting traditional media surprising, effective

May 1607:45 AM

When Gov. Greg Abbott signed one of his top legislative priorities into law, the key players who shepherded perhaps the most controversial bills through Capitol’s sausage-grinding process were not at his side to receive a commemorative pen or to take part in a photo-opportunity handshake. Neither were the constituency groups and activists who clamored for the clamp-down on so-called sanctuary cities. As for the reporters who had filed the daily dispatches about the protests and side deals that go along with passing divisive legislation, they were at home about to sit down to Sunday dinner. About 20 minutes earlier, they received a cryptic message urging them to log onto the governor’s Facebook page, where the first-term Republican would announce to a video camera that showed a near-empty office that his signature was on Senate Bill 4. view article

Winners & losers in Round Rock ISD school bond election mull future

May 0908:10 AM

The Round Rock school board is focused today on the end of the school year. But it will need to regroup after all three of their school bond proposals were voted down on Saturday The district had half a billion dollars in projects riding on this vote. $572 million to be exact. view article

Gravely & Pearson, LLP Donates $1 Million to the “Restore West Foundation”

May 0808:10 AM

Gravely & Pearson, LLP, a leading Texas law firm specializing in insurance and construction defect litigation, will donate $1 million to the West Independent School District's "Restore West Foundation," four years after the April 17, 2013 West Fertilizer Plant Explosion. On May 10th, 2017, Gravely & Pearson will formally present the check during the district's May board meeting. view article

Q&A: Why is Houston ISD voting on recapture, and what is recapture anyway

May 0508:31 AM

On Saturday, voters who live within the Houston ISD will go to the polls to determine how - or if - the district will pay the state millions in "recapture" fees. Whatever voters decide on Proposition 1, the Houston ISD will take a financial hit, officials say. Recapture, and school finance, can be difficult to grasp. To help, here are the answers to some questions about the ballot measure. view article

Public support of STEM education is key to student success

May 0507:45 AM

Gov. Greg Abbott has rightly pointed out that if Texas were a country, its economy would rank 10th in the world. Our businesses here in Houston, and across the state, regularly invest in science, technology, engineering and math industries, making us a significant producer of the most sought-after goods and services in the global marketplace. To maintain our position of strength, we must align our education system to our state's employment needs. Maintaining a pre-eminent economy and workforce begins with giving students the skills needed to adapt across multiple jobs and even careers within a lifetime. view article

Texas Board of Education approves changes to biology standards for public schools

May 0507:45 AM

Texas may change how your child understands biology when taught in a public high school classroom. The Texas' Board of Education tentatively approved changes to portions of the states Biology curriculum. Instead of asking Texas public school students to “evaluate” scientific explanations for the origins of DNA and the complexity of certain cells, the state will now ask that the students "examine" the scientific explanations for the origins of DNA and complexity of certain cells. In the past, some educators have argued that the word "evaluate" encouraged students to challenge the scientific theory of evolution and opened the door to teaching creationism. view article

Solis named TREA Superintendent of Year

May 0507:45 AM

Gene Solis who has served as superintendent of the Whitney ISD since 2008 was recently named the Texas Rural Education Associations’ Superintendent of the Year. Solis will be honored at the TREA Summer Conference on June 24 at the DFW Marriott Hotel in Fort Worth. The TREA awards committee was impressed with his servant leadership and ability to motivate his instructional staff to make Whitney ISD an excellent rural school district. Gene Solis is a 1978 graduate of Spur High School view article

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New Webinar - Analysis of House Bill (HB) 6: What You Need to Know About the Statutory Changes Involving Student Discipline

July 15, 2025

Texas Senate passes anti-cyberbullying bill David’s Law 31-0

May 0507:45 AM

It was unanimous. The Texas Senate voted 31-0 to approve SB 179, legislation that will crack down on online bullying in state schools. SB 179 is, also known as David's Law named for David Molak, a local student who took his own life at just 16 years old. His family says he was tortured by cyberbullies from Alamo Heights High School. view article

DeSoto ISD board punts amid report football coach’s job was in danger

April 2508:06 AM

The concerned citizens who spoke at the DeSoto school board meeting Monday in defense of football coach Todd Peterman numbered only four, because reports that the board might vote against his return began circulating just an hour and a half before the meeting was scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. view article

Pharr: PSJA ISD Officials: Middle Schooler Hid Unloaded Pistol in Backpack

April 1208:06 AM

Police in San Juan took a middle schooler into custody after the student took an unloaded pistol to school. According to a PSJA ISD press release, the Raul Yzaguirre Middle School student showed the pistol to a classmate. The eighth-grader had the weapon and some bars of Xanax hidden inside his backpack. We’re told the classmate immediately reported the incident to school staff. The student was removed from the classroom. He’s expected to face legal consequences and the maximum school discipline. view article

Abilene: AISD sees challenges and reacts

April 0508:25 AM

The Abilene ISD has begun looking in earnest at its near future, a challenging task because change moves rapidly these days. The district has hired a consultant to work with a group that is studying the direction of the district the next five years. view article

Shakeup in Marfa ISD’s head football coach & AD

March 3107:30 AM

According to Oscar Aguero, Marfa ISD Superintendent, Wayland Jenkins is no longer Marfa High School Head Football Coach and Athletic Director. Jenkins left the district the in January to pursue an 11 man coaching job according to Aguero. view article

East Texas turns black and gold for Mount Pleasant ISD

March 2808:10 AM

School districts across East Texas are showing their support for Mount Pleasant ISD. Pittsburg ISD is wearing black and gold in honor of the district. On Thursday a horrific crash involving an 18-wheeler, took the life of Angelica Beard. Beard was a track team coach at Mount Pleasant High School. The crash also left several students and coaches injured. Mount Pleasant ISD Superintendent, Judd Marshall, says the remaining student has been released from the hospital and coaches Van Bowen and Ryan Stanage are both recovering after surgery. view article

Lockhart ISD teacher arrested for improper relationship with student

March 2108:05 AM

A Lockhart High School science teacher has been arrested for having an improper relationship with a 17-year-old male student. Sarah Fowlkes started at the district in October 2014. On March 10, 2017 a school administrator reached out to Lockhart Police after receiving a "concerning report." LPD launched an investigation and determined Fowlkes was engaged in sexual contact with the student. view article

Copperas Cove ISD on high alert after someone threatens school shooting

March 1708:00 AM

Copperas Cove ISD was notified Friday evening of a threat directed at the high school. The threat, "I'm going to shoot up Copperas Cove High School on 3/20/17," was painted on the wall of a car wash on Casa Street. view article

Father, counselor testify in Title IX case against Lewisville ISD

March 1608:25 AM

The plaintiffs continued building their case Tuesday in the instance of a student at Lewisville ISD who is suing the school for Title IX violations. The girl was 14 years old when she said she went to a high school party and got sexually assaulted by two high school football players at Hebron, a school in the Lewisville district. view article

Floydada ISD working on bond proposal to renovate high school

February 0308:20 AM

Floydada ISD officials are preparing for a bond election to fund renovations to their 62-year-old high school. A recent assessment determined that the school needs major renovations. The superintendent says voters will have the choice of whether to authorize the bond issue in May. "We're having several issues that we are having to repair throughout the school year from plumbing, to structural issues, to roofing issues, but, my biggest concern is just the security of the campus," says Gilbert Trevino, superintendent for Floydada ISD.

A lesson on the formal education, segregation and integration of Waxahachie ISD

January 1908:24 AM

African American children in the United States were not always guaranteed the right to a formal education. For decades, racism, segregation, and unequal opportunities were the barriers, which stood between black students and the educational standards of their white neighbors. view article

Jacksonville superintendent defends middle school rating

January 0308:15 AM

While Jacksonville Middle School recently was identified by the Texas Education Agency as a “struggling” campus, local officials took corrective measures long ago, ensuring that things were quickly back on tract, according to schools superintendent Dr. Chad Kelly. “During the 2014-15 testing year, we received a score of less than 50 percent in social studies in eighth grade – I think it was 46 percent,” Kelly recalled. “We met all criteria last year, but even if we meet it this next year, we are still on list (according to TEA rules). We are penalized for the next two years (because of the one particular score) even though we did make corrections … you are on the list for three years.” view article

Waco ISD seeking private funds to get planetarium off the ground

December 1608:11 AM

Waco Independent School District officials are trying to raise between $700,000 and $800,000 in private sponsorships from businesses, grants from foundations and donations from alumni and individuals to cover the cost of renovating and reopening Waco High School’s planetarium, which has been closed for more than 20 years, district spokesman Bruce Gietzen said. view article

Cool at School: The Kindness Campaign

December 1607:54 AM

Students across Austin ISD are learning about kindness and anti-bullying through a fluffy blue character named Enoughie. The Kindness Campaign is in fifty schools right now, but looking to expand. Chants and cheers overtake a lesson in learning inside a Cunningham Elementary classroom for Enoughie. view article

Secret Santa delivers $150,000 in gift cards to hundreds of Dallas ISD teachers

December 1607:45 AM

Dade Middle School's “Teacher Appreciation Celebration” pep rally came with a festive, Oprah-style twist. Amid the fanfare — including performances from the school’s cheerleaders and step team, and a video montage of students thanking their favorite teachers — Dade principal Tracie Washington stopped the proceedings to give her staff a holiday greeting. view article

Pleasanton ISD charged over $236K in school construction fees, permits

December 1607:45 AM

After two previous failed attempts, many Pleasanton voters were elated when the $63 million school bond election passed in May of 2015. Pleasanton ISD residents showed their support by a vote of 780 to 643. As new construction and renovations continue, many residents are seeing red and alarmed at the $236,356 that the City of Pleasanton has charged Pleasanton ISD in fees and permits. view article

Plainview ISD may become District of Innovation

December 1607:45 AM

Plainview school trustees at Thursday’s session will be asked to adopt a resolution to initiate the process for PISD to become a District of Innovation under provisions of House Bill 1842, adopted in 2015. view article

Midland ISD: New ratings system doesn’t change mission

December 1607:45 AM

Midland ISD will not let the latest state accountability ratings system deter it from its mission to improve academic outcomes and student achievement. That is the opinion of MISD board President Rick Davis, who said the system — which will use a single-letter grade (A through F) to rate campuses and districts — doesn’t tell the whole story of what is taking place inside classrooms. view article

Austin implements safety changes on Sandy Hook anniversary to protect kids

December 1607:45 AM

Dec. 14, 2012 will mark the day 20 children and six educators died when a gunman went on a shooting rampage inside a Connecticut school. Firearms are now the second leading cause of death for children and teens across the country, according to Texas Gun Sense. view article

iGeneration students teach senior citizens about all things digital

December 1607:45 AM

Whas an app and exactly how do you download one? Does my iPad have chrome? Snapchat? What’s that? Learning to navigate a high-tech world can be frustrating for those who are digitally challenged, but students in the Keller school district are doing their part to teach their older friends the finer points of smartphones, iPads and laptops and help them better understand social media. 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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New Webinar - Analysis of House Bill (HB) 6: What You Need to Know About the Statutory Changes Involving Student Discipline

July 15, 2025