Trials of two Uvalde school officers see delays amid federal lawsuit, venue change

Pete Arredondo, the district’s former police chief, and ex-officer Adrian Gonzales face charges over the slow law enforcement response to the 2022 school shooting. The trials for the two former school police officers facing charges over the slow law enforcement response to the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde will be delayed, and one will be moved out of the city where the attack occurred, their lawyers said Tuesday. Former Uvalde schools police chief Pete Arredondo and officer Adrian Gonzales have pleaded not guilty to dozens of counts of child endangerment and abandonment in connection with the massacre at Robb Elementary School. Both men were set to stand trial on Oct. 20. Gonzales’ trial will be moved to a January start in Corpus Christi, about 200 miles from the school, attorney Nico LaHood said Tuesday. Judge Sid Harle confirmed the agreement for a change of venue for Gonzales, but said no formal order had been filed yet.
Trials of two Uvalde school officers see delays amid federal lawsuit, venue change

Pete Arredondo, the district’s former police chief, and ex-officer Adrian Gonzales face charges over the slow law enforcement response to the 2022 school shooting. The trials for the two former school police officers facing charges over the slow law enforcement response to the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde will be delayed, and one will be moved out of the city where the attack occurred, their lawyers said Tuesday. Former Uvalde schools police chief Pete Arredondo and officer Adrian Gonzales have pleaded not guilty to dozens of counts of child endangerment and abandonment in connection with the massacre at Robb Elementary School. Both men were set to stand trial on Oct. 20. Gonzales’ trial will be moved to a January start in Corpus Christi, about 200 miles from the school, attorney Nico LaHood said Tuesday. Judge Sid Harle confirmed the agreement for a change of venue for Gonzales, but said no formal order had been filed yet.
Central Texas School District Confirms ‘Alphabet Soup’ Club on Hold Pending Review

A new state law prohibits school districts from authorizing or sponsoring a student club based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Austin ISD families and trustees respond to sweeping school closure plan

Families across Austin mourned the potential closure of or changes to their neighborhood campus over the weekend after the Austin school district released a proposal Friday to shutter 13 campuses, revamp six others as non-zoned special program schools and dramatically redraw attendance boundaries across the entire district. If approved by trustees in November, the plan will significantly shift boundaries for thousands of students only six years after another emotional school closure process. Roughly one-quarter of all district students could be impacted under the sweeping proposal.
Texas selects company that will help develop its school voucher program

Finance and technology company Odyssey will help design the application process, manage payments and review complaints for the state’s education savings accounts. Texas’ chief financial officer on Monday named the organization that will help the state build the school voucher program lawmakers approved earlier this year. Odyssey, a technology company, will work with the comptroller’s office, which oversees finances for all of Texas state government, to design the process through which Texas families can apply to receive thousands of dollars in taxpayer funds to cover their children’s private or home-schooling costs. Odyssey will also develop a system for those families to shop for educational products and pay tuition. Applications for Texans to participate in the program are expected to open at some point early next year. The program, named “Texas Education Freedom Accounts,” will then launch at the beginning of the 2026-27 school year.
Texas selects company that will help develop its school voucher program

Finance and technology company Odyssey will help design the application process, manage payments and review complaints for the state’s education savings accounts. Texas’ chief financial officer on Monday named the organization that will help the state build the school voucher program lawmakers approved earlier this year. Odyssey, a technology company, will work with the comptroller’s office, which oversees finances for all of Texas state government, to design the process through which Texas families can apply to receive thousands of dollars in taxpayer funds to cover their children’s private or home-schooling costs. Odyssey will also develop a system for those families to shop for educational products and pay tuition. Applications for Texans to participate in the program are expected to open at some point early next year. The program, named “Texas Education Freedom Accounts,” will then launch at the beginning of the 2026-27 school year.

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Abbott Adds Quorum-Break Punishments to Special Session Agenda

August 2108:48 AM

Gov. Abbott said the state cannot afford a repeat. view article

Austin ISD, other Texas school districts temporarily blocked from displaying Ten Commandments

August 2108:35 AM

A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked 11 public school districts in Texas’ largest metropolitan areas from displaying the Ten Commandments in classrooms as required by a new state law set to take effect Sept. 1. Two days after the conclusion of a court hearing in San Antonio, U.S. Judge Fred Biery ruled that Senate Bill 10 "likely violates both the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment" to the U.S. Constitution. He added that "even though the Ten Commandments would not be affirmatively taught, the captive audience of students likely would have questions, which teachers would feel compelled to answer." view article

Texas House Approves New Congressional Map After Quorum Break Ends

August 2108:32 AM

With the Senate prepared to pass the map quickly this week, the legislation is now on-track to become law. After weeks of gridlock, the Texas House has approved a new congressional redistricting plan that Republicans say will strengthen their hold on Washington, adding five GOP-leaning seats across the state. The issue has been a priority for Gov. Greg Abbott, who placed congressional redistricting on the call during the first special session earlier this summer. But Democrats brought the chamber to a standstill when they broke quorum and fled to Illinois and other states to prevent the map from advancing. Their walkout effectively killed the first special session, but with Abbott calling lawmakers back for a second 30-day session, Democrats returned on Monday. By Wednesday, Republicans had rushed the proposal out of committee and onto the House calendar, where it passed on a party-line vote. State Rep. Todd Hunter (R–Corpus Christi), who carried the legislation, defended the process while laying out the plan on the floor. view article

LIST: Highest-paid East Texas school superintendents

August 2108:29 AM

Tyler ISD Superintendent Dr. Marty Crawford is the area’s highest-paid superintendent, according to base pay data from the Texas Education Agency. The median salary for Texas school superintendents in 2024-25 was $153,176, according to a survey conducted by the Texas Association of School Boards and the Texas Association of School Administrators. view article

‘They deserve to have their time’: Trustee says Edgewood ISD broke policy in arrest of mother at board meeting

August 2108:28 AM

A routine school board meeting in Edgewood turned into a tense confrontation Tuesday night when a mother of two was handcuffed and escorted out of the district conference center after exceeding her speaking time. Maribel Gardea, 42, was addressing the board on student safety when her microphone was cut. The Edgewood ISD board president had announced at the start of the meeting that with 11 people signed up for public comment, each speaker would have two minutes. view article

‘He was a man of faith’ Loved ones remember Wylie ISD bus driver killed in tragic accident

August 2108:27 AM

The Wylie ISD and Cisco city communities are mourning the sudden and shocking death of one of their own. Wylie ISD school bus driver, 64-year-old Lupe Garcia of Cisco, was the sole fatality of a collision with a school bus while walking around the Wylie Bus barn. That incident occurred around 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 19th. Wylie ISD Director of Communications, Mike Thompson, expressed to KTAB/KRBC the district’s condolences for the family, students, and coworkers who are grieving at this time. view article

Report Card Surprise: Riviera ISD Jumps to a B, High School Stays an A

August 2108:25 AM

Riviera ISD just scored big on the state’s latest report card and district leaders say it’s proof their students are putting in the work. The Texas Education Agency raised the district’s overall grade from a C to a B. Riviera Elementary earned a B, the middle school also landed a B, and the high school? Straight A’s... same as last year. view article

Austin ISD superintendent shares message with parents concerned with school consolidations

August 2108:25 AM

As students in the Austin Independent School District head back to school, the district is preparing for potential school consolidations in the 2026-27 school year. Superintendent Matias Segura acknowledged the concerns of parents. "I don't want our families to worry, you know, we are thinking about it," he said. view article

Public comment arrest at Edgewood ISD meeting leads to investigation

August 2108:25 AM

Video shows the moment Edgewood Independent School District police officers removed a San Antonio woman from a school board meeting Tuesday night in handcuffs. Maribel Gardea was arrested on three charges: criminal trespass, resisting arrest and disrupting a meeting. Now, the nonprofit she represents is calling for action from the Edgewood ISD Board of Trustees. view article

Inside Austin ISD’s mission to bring its best teachers to its lowest performing schools

August 2108:21 AM

Two weeks before the new school year, Tatiana Brown Gomez, 24, was laughing with her students at Dobie Middle School’s open house. The English teacher showed up to encourage them for what is expected to be a challenging and consequential year. But Brown-Gomez will largely have to watch the year play out from afar. She is among several current and former Austin Independent School District core subject teachers who were removed from their roles at the district’s three lowest-performing schools and replaced with new educators. view article

Alief ISD announces all-girls school to open in fall 2026

August 2108:21 AM

Critics worry the new school voucher program could impact districts already facing declining enrollment numbers. Over the last seven years, Alief ISD officials say it has seen enrollment drop by about 7,000 students. Now, the district says it is opening a public all-girls school to encourage families to pick it when it comes to school choice. view article

Marshall ISD mourns death of high school student

August 2108:20 AM

Marshall ISD is mourning the loss of a high school student. According to the district, a Marshall High School student, Estefani Cabrera, passed away after experiencing a medical emergency Aug. 19. view article

North Texas high school football player dies after ‘medical emergency’ at practice, school district says

August 2108:20 AM

A North Texas high school football player died Wednesday morning after suffering a "medical emergency" at practice two days prior, Lancaster Independent School District officials said. The player, 15-year-old Preston Malone, was a sophomore student at Lancaster Early College High School, according to officials. view article

Independence School District says employee on leave amid criminal investigation

August 2108:18 AM

The Independence School District announced that one of its employees has been placed on administrative leave pending a criminal investigation. ISD did not specify who the employee is or what role they serve in the district. Specific allegations are not known at this time, but the district said it takes the charges seriously and is working with law enforcement. view article

Lawmakers are debating GOP congressional maps. What does redistricting mean for Texans?

August 2108:16 AM

From urban cores to rural regions, Texans' needs differ. Experts worry new districts encompassing geographically distant communities will dilute their voices. view article

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Copperas Cove ISD board moves forward with $165 million bond proposal

August 2108:15 AM

After weeks of consideration, the Copperas Cove ISD school board has voted to place a multi-million-dollar bond on the November ballot. The proposal, totaling $165.7 million, is divided into three separate propositions addressing district-wide facility upgrades and student needs. view article

Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying Ban Faces Uncertain Future in Texas House

August 2106:30 AM

Legislation to ban the practice has been sent to the same committee that killed it earlier this year. view article

Exclusive: Oklahoma to begin controversial test to weed out ‘woke’ teacher applicants today

August 2105:50 AM

Teachers from “liberal” states who have relocated to Oklahoma and are seeking to work there must take a controversial new assessment, to be given for the first time today, that “keeps away woke indoctrinators,” according to Oklahoma’s top education official. Ryan Walters, Oklahoma’s superintendent for public instruction, told CNN that if applicants do not pass the test, they will not earn a teaching certificate to be able to teach in public schools in the state this school year, which begins for some Oklahoma districts on Monday. The superintendent’s office notified CNN on Friday that it had not yet been released as of noon, but that it was coming soon. The decision to use the assessment, developed by PragerU, a conservative media company whose teaching materials are now approved for use in public schools in ten US states, opens a new front in the education culture wars just days before schools are to open their doors. PragerU has been embraced by the political right for offering curriculums that champion ideas aligned with the Make America Great Again movement, but, despite what its name implies, is not an accredited university or education institution, and has long been subjected to accusations of spreading inaccurate information. view article

Texas House approves GOP congressional map after two-week delay from Democrats’ walkout

August 2105:06 AM

The Republican-led Texas House on Wednesday approved a new congressional map crafted to hand five additional U.S. House seats to the GOP over fierce opposition from Democrats, who cast the plan as a racially discriminatory attempt by President Donald Trump to stack the deck in next year’s midterm election. The House adopted the map, 88 to 52, along party lines. A Senate panel advanced a similar map Sunday, and the full chamber was expected to send the new lines to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk later this week. Republican lawmakers are pursuing the unusual mid-decade redistricting plan, which has set off a national map-drawing war, amid pressure from Trump to protect the GOP’s slim majority in Congress. The effort comes just four years after the Legislature last overhauled the state’s congressional map following the 2020 Census. view article

Oklahoma ideology test for teachers from New York and California draws criticism

August 2105:00 AM

Oklahoma will require applicants for teacher jobs coming from California and New York to pass an exam that the Republican-dominated state’s top education official says is designed to safeguard against “radical leftist ideology,” but which opponents decry as a “MAGA loyalty test.” Ryan Walters, Oklahoma’s public schools superintendent, said Monday that any teacher coming from the two blue states will be required to pass an assessment exam administered by PragerU, an Oklahoma-based conservative nonprofit, before getting a state certification. “As long as I am superintendent, Oklahoma classrooms will be safeguarded from the radical leftist ideology fostered in places like California and New York,” Walters said in a statement. PragerU, short for Prager University, puts out short videos with a conservative perspective on politics and economics. It promotes itself as “focused on changing minds through the creative use of digital media.” view article

Lake Worth ISD leaders pledge progress for schools. Will the state intervene first?

August 2105:00 AM

The word takeover wasn’t uttered during a recent Lake Worth school board meeting, but the possibility lingered in the air. “We’re going to talk about the elephant in the room,” Superintendent Mark Ramirez said to trustees flanking his sides and district employees in the audience. School district leaders outlined a path forward for an elementary school whose persistent failure triggered a Texas law requiring action. However, the fate of the school and the district is in the hands of Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath. The commissioner has two options for Lake Worth ISD: view article

Trump Urges Swift Passage of Texas Redistricting Plan

August 2008:47 AM

A two-week quorum break by House Democrats during the first special session temporarily stalled action on the new maps. view article

How Texas’ “bathroom bills” have evolved over a decade

August 2008:40 AM

More than 20 bills that would restrict restroom use for transgender people have been proposed since 2015, but their language — and reception — have shifted. view article

Suspect in custody after fatal stabbing at West Valley high school

August 2008:37 AM

12News is bringing you team coverage on the stabbing at Maryvale High School that left one student dead. view article

John Zerwas believes in higher education. Meet the likely next chancellor of the UT System

August 2008:31 AM

Ahead of a regents vote Wednesday, the acclaimed former state lawmaker speaks to the Statesman about what led him here and how he will lead view article

Fifth Circuit halts West Texas A&M drag show ban as free speech lawsuit continues

August 2008:30 AM

view article

Woman charged after being escorted out of Edgewood ISD board meeting in handcuffs

August 2008:28 AM

A woman who was escorted out of an Edgewood Independent School District board meeting is facing three charges related to trespassing and disrupting a meeting, records with the Bexar County jail show. Maribel Gardea, 42, was taken out of the meeting in handcuffs on Tuesday evening after speaking past her allotted time during public comments, according to footage from the meeting posted on the district’s YouTube channel. view article

‘More than a handful’: Austin ISD superintendent outlines school closure plans

August 2008:28 AM

The Austin Independent School District superintendent said the district’s declining enrollment numbers are leaving too many schools under capacity and sees campus closures and consolidations as part of the solution. While he declined to pinpoint how many campuses could close, Matias Segura said it’ll be “more than a handful,” and added the district is looking to reduce costs by $30 million. view article

Texas cellphone ban sparks policy overhaul at San Antonio ISD

August 2008:26 AM

San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) adopted a new cellphone policy that bans students from using the devices during the entire school day, including lunch and hallways. Students must keep their communication devices out of sight and in silent mode. view article

Beaumont ISD superintendent reacts to state education commissioner’s comments

August 2008:25 AM

Beaumont Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Shannon Allen expressed her dismay over comments made by Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath regarding the district's recent STAAR test results. During a "Breakfast with the Superintendent" event on Tuesday, Allen addressed the situation, saying she was "shocked" by Morath's remarks. view article

Two-year CROWN ACT battle ends after federal judge dismisses lawsuit against Barbers Hill ISD

August 2008:25 AM

The two-year legal battle over a Barbers Hill ISD student's hair is now over. On July 24, a federal judge dismissed the case, ruling in favor of the district. The case is now closed permanently, preventing Darryl George from filing the same lawsuit in the future. Barbers Hill ISD said the length of George's hair violated the dress code. view article

Dallas: One district has over half of North Texas’ top-performing schools, data shows

August 2008:24 AM

Over half of the top-rated campuses in North Texas, earning a score of 99 and above, are Dallas ISD schools, data from the Texas Education Agency shows. Several Dallas ISD magnet schools received top marks from the TEA. One Dallas ISD campus, School for the Talented and Gifted, received a score of 100. It is the only school in North Texas to receive a perfect score. The school’s rating ticked up one point between 2024 and 2024, data shows. view article

‘We just want accountability’ | Parents continue to push for action after immunity denied for Lorena ISD principal

August 2008:24 AM

A civil lawsuit filed in 2023 against Lorena ISD and Lorena Primary School Principal April Jewell will proceed after a federal appeals court rejected efforts to dismiss the case. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday denied a motion to give Jewell and the district qualified immunity — a legal shield that often protects officials from liability in federal civil actions. The unanimous ruling paves the way for the lawsuit to move into the discovery phase. view article

Texas prison agency names senior official as its next chief

August 2008:22 AM

Bobby Lumpkin, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s COO, will take over the the top role on Sept. 1, following Bryan Collier’s retirement. view article

Texas student starts petition against school phone ban law, gathers 135,000 plus signatures

August 2007:31 AM

A Texas bill prohibiting students from using electronic devices in the classroom has sparked backlash from parents and students alike, with one even starting a petition against the law. Cyliyah Goodlow, a junior at Lake Ridge High School, located southeast of Fort Worth in the Mansfield Independent School District, launched a petition on June 24 in opposition to the state's school cell phone ban. She called the law unfair and believes these measures put students at risk in emergencies. So far, the petition has gained widespread attention across Texas, gathering over 135,000 signatures. 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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