NO MORE EXCUSES: Texas Set to End Schools’ ‘Sovereign Immunity’ in Sex Abuse Cases

The State Senate unanimously approved a House measure to hold school districts accountable for protecting students from sexual predators.
Supreme Court Sets Month-Long Briefing Schedule for Quorum Busters Case

Gov. Greg Abbott wants the Supreme Court of Texas to declare Gene Wu’s seat vacant. The Supreme Court of Texas has announced a briefing schedule in Gov. Greg Abbott’s bid to remove the House Democrat Caucus chairman, Gene Wu of Houston, from the legislature. It combined that with the case brought by Attorney General Ken Paxton against Wu and a dozen other quorum-busting lawmakers. The Court requires briefing papers to be filed from Wednesday, August 20, through Thursday, Sept. 14.
Special Session Ending, and Starting, Today

Even though the 30-day clock is not set to expire until Tuesday, the House and Senate are expected to adjourn out of the special session today. They will, however, be called immediately by the governor into a second special session that restarts the legislative process. The Senate has completed all of the work set forth by the governor in the original special session call. In contrast, nothing was accomplished in the House because Democrats—rather than fight—fled out of the state to disrupt the quorum requirements for conducting legislative business. The governor has said this second special session will have the same agenda, including congressional redistricting. Speaking at an event in Williamson County yesterday, State Sen. Charles Schwertner said he expects his chamber to move quickly to re-file and pass all the legislation again within the first few days. Constitutionally, the legislative process must start anew with each special session.
Some Texas private schools hire relatives and enrich insiders. Soon they can do it with taxpayer money.

An investigation by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune found more than 60 instances of nepotism, self-dealing and conflicts of interest among 27 private schools that likely would have violated state laws had the schools been public.
Liberty Hill ISD proposes potential tax-rate election

LHISD has lowered the tax rate 37 cents over six years. Prop A would add 6 pennies back to the tax rate. Prop A adds funding for teacher salary increases, instructional programs, and extracurricular programs. State and federal officials have cut education funding. At the same time, inflation has driven up LHISD operating costs such as utilities, fuel, and insurance. LHISD has already cut $2 million in expenses. If Prop A does not pass, LHISD will have to make additional cuts, which may include up to 10 percent of our teaching staff.
Abbott’s bid to expel the House Democratic leader goes to a court filled with his appointees

The Texas Supreme Court said in 2021 the Constitution allows members to thwart legislation by leaving the state. Abbott wants them to reconsider. Texas Democrats had been out of state for less than 48 hours when Gov. Greg Abbott moved to have their seats declared vacant. The emergency legal filing represents an unprecedented escalation of Abbott’s effort to pass a new congressional map that adds additional GOP seats, as demanded by President Donald Trump. It flies in the face of Texas’ own founding documents, centuries of legal precedent and a recent Supreme Court of Texas ruling, legal experts say. Even Attorney General Ken Paxton, a fellow Republican, threw cold water on Abbott’s strategy, filing his own brief saying that while he “appreciates the Governor’s passion,” he does not have the authority to bring this type of case.

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Preventive Law: HB 6 and Special Education

August 1505:00 PM

During the 89th Regular Legislative Session, HB 6 made a number of changes to Chapter 37 of the Texas Education Code and the content of the 2025-2026 Student Code of Conduct. Many of these changes will likely be welcomed by Texas public schools, such as the ability to have more discretion in the determination of appropriate behavioral consequences for a student found in possession of a VAPE device.

As STAAR test overhaul heads for a House vote, Democrats bemoan concessions to the Senate

August 2208:40 AM

Some Democrats lamented that the House’s latest proposal to scrap the test largely resembles a Senate bill the lower chamber declined to sign on earlier this year. view article

Celina ISD lowers tax rate for 2025-26 school year

August 2208:40 AM

Celina ISD officials set the tax rate for the 2025-26 school year budget. The district’s board of trustees approved the district’s tax rate of $1.2089 per $100 of assessed value during an Aug. 18 board meeting. This rate is just under a 3% reduction in taxes for the CISD community, Chief of Business Resources Melissa Kelly said. Last year’s rate, which was approved by voters last November in a tax rate election, was $1.2358 per $100 valuation. view article

Texas Democrat Slams Megadonors, Cashes Check From Casino Billionaire

August 2208:35 AM

James Talarico’s largest donation in 2024 came from Texas Sands, run by billionaire Miriam Adelson. view article

Texas Senate expected to take up GOP congressional map, last stop before Abbott’s desk

August 2208:33 AM

Republican lawmakers are poised to push the map through over fierce Democratic opposition, positioning the GOP to net up to five additional seats in Texas. view article

Trump Declares ‘Complete and Total Endorsement’ of Dustin Burrows

August 2208:30 AM

The President credited Burrows with passing redistricting, as well as his work on a number of GOP issues view article

New Braunfels ISD hires new director of IT Operations

August 2208:20 AM

Roger Luna—a New Braunfels High School graduate—began Aug. 11. Luna has over 30 years of IT experience in the public and private sectors. He previously worked as a Database System Analysis at Comal ISD, according to the release. As the Director of IT Operations, Luna will oversee a team responsible for the district’s network, infrastructure, systems administration, information systems and desktop support. He will also work with the Instructional Technology team, the release states. view article

Senate Committee Advances House Republicans’ Redistricting Map

August 2208:19 AM

The Texas Senate’s Congressional Redistricting Committee voted on party lines to advance the House-approved plan. Hours after the Texas House passed a Republican congressional redistricting plan, senators voted to advance the same plan, which adds five new GOP-opportunity seats ahead of the 2026 mid-term elections. The Senate’s Special Congressional Redistricting Committee approved the redistricting plan, House Bill 4, during a Thursday morning meeting. The full Senate is expected to promptly consider and approve HB 4. The redistricting plan then goes to Gov. Greg Abbott, who has said he is ready to sign it into law once it reaches his desk. view article

11 Texas school districts temporarily blocked from displaying Ten Commandments, federal judge rules

August 2205:00 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. view article

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

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

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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

Fire destroys 1 electric bus, damages another at East Texas school district

August 2108:24 AM

Two Cushing ISD electric buses were damaged in a fire Wednesday night at the district’s bus barn, according to school officials. The fire was reported around 11:30 p.m. at 424 Elm Ave. in Cushing. Multiple departments responded, including the Lilbert-Looneyville, Cushing, Central Heights-Appleby and Douglass volunteer fire departments, along with the Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office. 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

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

Three teens arrested in Texarkana, charged with stealing Pleasant Grove school bus

August 2108:06 AM

TEXARKANA, Texas -- Three teens are facing charges of unauthorized use of a vehicle after allegedly taking a Pleasant Grove Independent School District bus for a drive in July. Matthew Lacey, 18, Trip Wilson, 17, and Brooks Wilhite, 17, have all been identified as suspects, according to the Texarkana Texas Police Department. Wilhite and Wilson were arrested earlier this month, and Lacey was picked up over the weekend. All are free after posting bail. Wilhite's bail was set at $25,000, and bail for Wilson and Lacey was set at $20,000, according to jail records. view article

Parents frustrated over cuts to Plano ISD bus services

August 2108:03 AM

Dozens of parents with children attending Plano ISD schools are raising concerns following the elimination of some bus routes. Families must now find alternative transportation for their children going to and from school. It’s part of the district’s 2025-2026 bus transportation plan. Letters sent to parents in March said the district updated zones that once qualified as hazardous for students living within two miles of campus. view article

Van Alstyne ISD bus involved in accident

August 2107:46 AM

A Van Alstyne school bus was involved in an accident Wednesday. The district said that no serious injuries were reported, and all students and the driver were safe and accounted for. The bus driver has been placed on administrative leave as part of the district’s standard protocol pending an investigation 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

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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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