60 Texas ISD en-us 2026 Texas ISD, https://www.texasisd.com/ Wed, 23 Sep 2026 17:26:31 -0500 TEXARKANA ISD HIRES JIM DUNLAP OF ARROW EDUCATIONAL SERVICES TO CONDUCT SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH https://www.texasisd.com/pages/supersearch-page/texarkana-isd-hires-jim-dunlap-of-arrow-educational-services-to-conduct-sup . The board of trustees of the Texarkana Independent School District has contracted with Mr. Jim Dunlap of Arrow Educational Services, Inc. to assist them in their search for a new superintendent. Information and the application process is available on arrowsearchinc.com and the TASA Supersearch page. The deadline for applications is Friday, October 16, 2026 Tue, 22 Sep 2026 08:31:00 -0500 https://www.texasisd.com/pages/supersearch-page/texarkana-isd-hires-jim-dunlap-of-arrow-educational-services-to-conduct-sup Preventive Law: Points to Consider When Purchasing Real Property https://www.texasisd.com/pages/legal/preventive-law4https://www.texasisd.com/pages/preventive-law/preventive-law4 A school district’s purchase of real property is a significant investment of time and money. Once a school district has decided to pursue a real estate purchase, district personnel should engage in project feasibility analyses to assist the board of trustees in deciding which tract to pursue, at what price, and when. To ensure that the district retains the right to use eminent domain in case the negotiations for the purchase fail, the district should carefully follow the process laid out in Chapter 21 of the Texas Property Code. Finally, the approach to negotiating which provisions will be included in, and which will be excluded from, the contract, should always consider any legal requirements and protecting the school district’s interests. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 08:40:00 -0500 https://www.texasisd.com/pages/legal/preventive-law4https://www.texasisd.com/pages/preventive-law/preventive-law4 Waco ISD meets 17 of 23 priority goals in first year of strategic plan

https://www.star-telegram.com/news/state/texas/article317333282.html

Waco ISD administrators have graded themselves on the district’s five-year strategic plan, finding 17 of 23 priority goals met for the plan’s first year but plenty of work ahead to meet next year’s metrics.The strategic plan, hammered out by Waco Independent School District administrators, trustees and community members and approved in June of last year, is Superintendent Tiffany Spicer’s road map to district improvement, with specific milestones each year to measure progress.  The plan covers four main priorities: students, staff, community and operations. During a board meeting Thursday, administrators told trustees the district met all goals in the staff and community categories, three of seven student goals, and five of seven financial/operations goals.  Waco ISD administrators have graded themselves on the district’s five-year strategic plan, finding 17 of 23 priority goals met for the plan’s first year but plenty of work ahead to meet next year’s metrics.  The strategic plan, hammered out by Waco Independent School District administrators, trustees and community members and approved in June of last year, is Superintendent Tiffany Spicer’s road map to district improvement, with specific milestones each year to measure progress.  The plan covers four main priorities: students, staff, community and operations. During a board meeting Thursday, administrators told trustees the district met all goals in the staff and community categories, three of seven student goals, and five of seven financial/operations goals. Wed, 23 Sep 2026 08:33:00 -0500

https://www.star-telegram.com/news/state/texas/article317333282.html

 Talarico: Police in Schools Make Students ‘Less Safe,’ Harms ‘Black and Brown Students’

https://texasscorecard.com/decisiontexas/talarico-police-in-schools-make-students-less-safe-harms-black-and-brown-students/

Unearthed audio reveals the Democrat U.S. Senate nominee arguing against adding more police officers and guns to schools.  Democrat Senate candidate James Talarico said adding police officers and guns to schools would make students “less safe,” according to previously unreported audio obtained by Texas Scorecard.  The unearthed comments came during a February 2020 interview with Texas Public Radio about school discipline and the use of law enforcement on campuses.  “Adding more police officers to our schools, adding more guns to our classrooms, only adversely impacts our most vulnerable students, in particular our black and brown students,” said Talarico. Wed, 23 Sep 2026 08:30:00 -0500

https://texasscorecard.com/decisiontexas/talarico-police-in-schools-make-students-less-safe-harms-black-and-brown-students/

 What to know about hospital deals with the Trump administration to avoid treating transgender minors

https://apnews.com/article/transgender-genderaffirming-hospitals-trump-justice-agreement-34faeeab4575b81160ae6531254584cb

At least six major hospitals have agreed to refuse gender-affirming hormones and surgery for transgender young people and agreed to make payments to the federal government, according to deals with the Department of Justice.   The most recent agreements came last week.  Most of the hospitals had already stopped offering the treatments because of state bans or previous pressure from President Donald Trump’s administration.   The DOJ agreements end investigations into care previously provided and stop the possibility of hospitals being forced to turn over patient records. The Justice Department says some providers have also agreed to help pay medical costs for children to “detransition.”  The hospitals have not admitted to doing anything wrong.   “It’s a really dangerous precedent when the federal government is allowed to politicize any one group of people’s care and end it,” said Eliel Cruz, a cofounder of the Gender Liberation Movement.  Here’s a look at the situation: Wed, 23 Sep 2026 08:30:00 -0500

https://apnews.com/article/transgender-genderaffirming-hospitals-trump-justice-agreement-34faeeab4575b81160ae6531254584cb

 Comptroller Requests Double the Funding for School Choice in Next Budget

https://texasscorecard.com/state/comptroller-requests-double-the-funding-for-school-choice-in-next-budget/

The comptroller is asking the Legislature to increase education savings account funding from $1 billion to more than $2 billion to meet student demand. Wed, 23 Sep 2026 08:28:00 -0500

https://texasscorecard.com/state/comptroller-requests-double-the-funding-for-school-choice-in-next-budget/

 Texas Ethics Commission Proposal Would Raise Cap on Secret Lobbyist Meals

https://texasscorecard.com/state/texas-ethics-commission-proposal-would-raise-cap-on-secret-lobbyist-meals/

A proposed increase in lawmakers’ daily per diem would also raise the amount lobbyists can secretly spend wining and dining individual legislators before triggering detailed disclosure requirements.  The Texas Ethics Commission is scheduled to meet Wednesday to consider raising the legislative per diem from $221 to $290.40. Legislators receive the per diem for each day of a 140-day regular legislative session in addition to their regular salary.  The per diem amount is also linked to the amount lobbyists are permitted to spend on gifts to lawmakers without being required to identify the recipient lawmaker by name. Under current law, registered lobbyists must disclose the names of recipients when they spend more than 60 percent of the legislative per diem in a single day on food and beverages, transportation, lodging, or entertainment for a state official or employee.  That detailed reporting includes the name of the official who benefited from the expenditure, along with details such as the place, date, and amount. Wed, 23 Sep 2026 08:25:00 -0500

https://texasscorecard.com/state/texas-ethics-commission-proposal-would-raise-cap-on-secret-lobbyist-meals/

 Gunter ISD Trustees Vote to Terminate Baseball Coach’s Contract

https://texasscorecard.com/local/gunter-isd-trustees-vote-to-terminate-baseball-coachs-contract/

Superintendent Brandon Enos recommended ousting coach Daryl Hellman over “inappropriate comments.”  Gunter ISD trustees took their superintendent’s recommendation to oust head baseball coach Daryl Hellman for what the district previously described as “inappropriate comments.”  During a school board meeting Monday night, Gunter Independent School District’s elected trustees unanimously agreed to initiate the process of terminating Hellman’s contract “for good cause.”  “It was not an easy decision, but the focus is always on the safety of the students,” said Trustee Scott Meyerdirk just prior to the vote.  No other information about the decision was publicly discussed, and the district has not released any details about the nature of the comments that prompted Hellman’s firing.  Hellman had been on paid administrative leave while district officials investigated the allegations. Wed, 23 Sep 2026 08:22:00 -0500

https://texasscorecard.com/local/gunter-isd-trustees-vote-to-terminate-baseball-coachs-contract/

 Lamar CISD Trustees Unanimously Approve $10.1 Billion Tesla Solar Plant Tax Incentive

https://texasscorecard.com/local/lamar-cisd-trustees-unanimously-approve-10-1-billion-tesla-solar-plant-tax-incentive/

A proposed $10.1 billion Tesla solar plant in Fort Bend County cleared the school district's part of the state approval process and the application is now headed to Gov. Greg Abbott's office.  The incentive falls under the Jobs, Energy, Technology and Innovation Act, known as JETI.  Under the proposed agreement, Tesla’s qualifying property would be taxed at 50 percent of its value for the part of the district’s tax rate that pays for daily operations. The Texas Comptroller’s office puts the savings for Tesla at $115.2 million over 20 years. The tax break would run from 2029 through 2038, with the taxable value at zero during construction. Wed, 23 Sep 2026 08:11:00 -0500

https://texasscorecard.com/local/lamar-cisd-trustees-unanimously-approve-10-1-billion-tesla-solar-plant-tax-incentive/

 Map Shows First Freeze Dates for Every State as Cold Weather Warnings Hit

https://www.newsweek.com/map-shows-first-freeze-dates-for-every-state-as-cold-weather-warnings-hit-12440501

As millions of people face heat advisories warning of dangerous temperatures across the South on Monday, frost advisories were issued in five states, serving as a reminder that the first hard freeze of the season could hit as soon as this month for some, even as oppressive temperatures remain a reality for the foreseeable future for others.  On Monday, heat advisories were in place for parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi as part of a summer-long trend that produced some of the warmest temperatures ever recorded in some cities across the country. While a temperature outlook through late September from the National Weather Service's (NWS) Climate Prediction Center anticipates that nearly all of the U.S. could experience above-average temperatures through the end of the month, a few NWS offices issued frost advisories for Tuesday, a stark reminder that chilly weather is not far off. Wed, 23 Sep 2026 05:00:00 -0500

https://www.newsweek.com/map-shows-first-freeze-dates-for-every-state-as-cold-weather-warnings-hit-12440501

 Map Shows First Freeze Dates for Every State as Cold Weather Warnings Hit

https://www.newsweek.com/map-shows-first-freeze-dates-for-every-state-as-cold-weather-warnings-hit-12440501

As millions of people face heat advisories warning of dangerous temperatures across the South on Monday, frost advisories were issued in five states, serving as a reminder that the first hard freeze of the season could hit as soon as this month for some, even as oppressive temperatures remain a reality for the foreseeable future for others.  More advisories were issued by two additional states on Tuesday night. Tue, 22 Sep 2026 08:41:00 -0500

https://www.newsweek.com/map-shows-first-freeze-dates-for-every-state-as-cold-weather-warnings-hit-12440501

 Chapel Hill ISD student arrested with gun, ammo, district says

https://www.kltv.com/2026/09/17/chapel-hill-isd-student-arrested-with-gun-ammo-district-says/

A Smith County student was taken into custody on Thursday after a search of their backpack. According to district spokesperson Elissa Thompson, CHISD administration received a tip that the student had a vape on campus. This prompted a police search of their backpack. They found in the backpack a handgun and a separate ammunition magazine. Tue, 22 Sep 2026 08:31:00 -0500

https://www.kltv.com/2026/09/17/chapel-hill-isd-student-arrested-with-gun-ammo-district-says/

 Rockwall ISD middle school student detained for making terroristic threat

https://www.fox4news.com/news/rockwall-isd-middle-school-student-detained-making-terroristic-threat

A student at Ursula Rakow Middle School in Rockwall was detained on Monday after allegedly making a terroristic threat. On September 21, the Rockwall Police Department detained a middle school student at Rakow Middle School for making a terroristic threat. Tue, 22 Sep 2026 08:28:00 -0500

https://www.fox4news.com/news/rockwall-isd-middle-school-student-detained-making-terroristic-threat

 High costs, dwindling enrollment: Is Houston ISD’s playbook under takeover sustainable?

https://www.texastribune.org/2026/09/21/houston-isd-state-takeover-sustainability/

The high price tag, coupled with less state funding from students leaving the district, raises questions about whether the academic improvements are sustainable in the long run and whether other districts can afford to replicate it. Tue, 22 Sep 2026 08:28:00 -0500

https://www.texastribune.org/2026/09/21/houston-isd-state-takeover-sustainability/

 Pasadena ISD employees fight proposed insurance switch that could raise monthly premiums by more than $1,800

https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2026/09/21/pasadena-isd-employees-fight-proposed-insurance-switch-that-could-raise-monthly-premiums-by-more-than-dollar1800/

Pasadena ISD teachers and employees are fighting back against a proposed health insurance change they say could devastate their finance, and some are now seeking a court order to stop the district from voting on the plan tomorrow night. The Pasadena ISD board is expected to vote Tuesday on a proposal to switch employees to TRS ActiveCare beginning in January. Some teachers are seeking a temporary restraining order to halt the vote and buy more time to gather information about the proposal before a decision is made. Tue, 22 Sep 2026 08:27:00 -0500

https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2026/09/21/pasadena-isd-employees-fight-proposed-insurance-switch-that-could-raise-monthly-premiums-by-more-than-dollar1800/