Happy Easter

Texas House Retreats From Honoring Planned Parenthood President Amid Pro-Life Pushback

A resolution to honor Cecile Richards, the former president of Planned Parenthood, was pulled from the Texas House floor Thursday following fierce backlash from a coalition of conservative lawmakers.  Richards led Planned Parenthood from 2006 to 2018, during which time the organization performed millions of abortions nationwide. She was later awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Joe Biden and remained a fixture in left-wing political organizing until her death earlier this year. view article  

Bexar County property owners who challenge their 2025 appraisal get a one-year reprieve. Here’s how it works.

Offering the one-year reappraisal reprieve was a high priority for some newly elected appraisal district board members last year. But the idea was so new that the agency’s top leaders were still hashing out how to make it work hours before the state’s deadline to formalize its policies for 2025 and 2026. view article  

In historic first, Texas House approves private school voucher program

The Texas House gave final approval Thursday to a bill that would create a $1 billion private school voucher program, crossing a historic milestone and bringing Gov. Greg Abbott’s top legislative priority closer than ever to reaching his desk.The lower chamber signed off on its voucher proposal, Senate Bill 2, on an 86-61 vote. Every present Democrat voted against the bill. They were joined by two Republicans — far short of the bipartisan coalitions that in previous legislative sessions consistently blocked proposals to let Texans use taxpayer money to pay for their children’s private schooling. “This is an extraordinary victory for the thousands of parents who have advocated for more choices when it comes to the education of their children,” Abbott said in a statement, vowing that he would “swiftly sign this bill into law” when it reached his desk. view article  

Texas school vouchers war erupts as GOP, Dems dig in at State Capitol

As Lubbock Independent School District faces shrinking student enrollment, trustees are asking voters to approve $290 million in new bond debt—and they’re claiming “no tax increase is required” to repay the debt.  With interest, the bond would cost local property taxpayers $566 million, according to the district’s own estimates—almost double the dollar amount voters will see on the May 3 ballot.  The ballot measure, Proposition A, includes: view article  

Teacher in San Antonio’s North East ISD was told to remove ‘Hate has no home here’ sign

More than a dozen people attended the North East Independent School District board meeting on Monday evening to protest an order requiring an NEISD teacher to remove a sign from her classroom. The sign in question is a small cloth banner that was attached to the side of algebra teacher April Jones’ desk. The banner said, “Hate has no home here” and showed a white and Black raised fist and hands holding a rainbow heart, a heart in the colors of the trans Pride flag, and a heart striped with different skin tones. view article  

Wylie ISD schools will undergo $11.48M in renovations

Wylie ISD approved $11.48M in renovations at their Monday board meeting. Funded by money from a 2023 bond election, the project will focus on improving HVAC systems, repairing roofs, and updating the Wylie West Junior High track. One of the main goals of the renovations is to get all of the Wylie West schools on the same HVAC system to improve energy efficiency. view article  

Stratford ISD teacher under investigation for ‘romantic relationship’ with student

A Stratford ISD teacher is under investigation for having a "romantic" relationship with a student. Police Chief Richard Coborn told ABC 7 News an "outcry" was made against a teacher. But his department immediately turned the case over to the Texas Rangers due to a conflict of interest. ABC 7 News also reached out to DPS which confirmed Texas Rangers are investigating one Stratford ISD employee for an inappropriate relationship with a student. view article  

Former Fort Bend ISD teacher arrested, accused of inappropriate relationship with student

A former Fort Bend ISD teacher is facing two felony charges after being accused of having a sexual relationship with a student at Ronald Thornton Middle School. Kara Hernandez, who was arrested on Feb. 14, now faces charges of indecency with a child involving sexual contact and an improper relationship between an educator and a student. Her bond has been set at $50,000, $25,000 for each charge. view article  

College Station ISD hears concerns over proposed reassignment of Rock Prairie principal

Parents and students showed up in force at Tuesday night’s College Station ISD school board meeting, many still concerned over the recent decision to move Rock Prairie Elementary Principal Jeff Durand to another campus next school year. Before the meeting, dozens gathered outside district headquarters with signs and chants, hoping to make their voices heard. Some drivers honked their car horns in support. Parents brought their children— many wearing school spirit shirts— to show how much Durand has meant to the Rock Prairie community. view article  

Voucher vote updates: Texas House approves voucher proposal

In another marathon effort that ended early Thursday, the Texas House debated and approved Senate Bill 2, which would create a $1 billion private school voucher program, one of the marquee education proposals this legislative session.  The House vote was the voucher bill’s biggest hurdle, and marked the first official test of whether Gov. Greg Abbott and his allies built enough support in the lower chamber for it since a coalition of House Democrats and rural Republicans sank the previous voucher proposal in 2023. view article  

Cy-Fair ISD projects $50M shortfall in 2025-26 budget as legislative decisions loom

Cy-Fair ISD is exploring options to address a projected $50.1 million budget shortfall for fiscal year 2025-26. CFISD Chief Financial Officer Karen Smith said at the April 15 meeting that the shortfall is due to a lack of state funding and an anticipated 1% drop in student enrollment, among other factors.  The details:Public schools in Texas have not seen an increase in the basic allotment of $6,160 per student since 2019, according to the Texas Education Agency. CFISD officials said schools statewide are struggling with costs as the Texas Legislature considers bills that could boost public school funding.   view article  

Reforms for Public University Governance Pass Texas Senate

Texas Senators passed legislation ending “shared governance” with university faculty senates in Texas’ public higher education institutions on Wednesday. In state universities, “shared governance” is a term where the boards of regents of universities share power with the faculty, who are represented by a faculty senate—or, in the case of the University of Texas-Austin, the faculty council. Regents are accountable to Texans through the governor’s office and the state senate. Members of the faculty senate enjoy no such accountability. State Sen. Brandon Creighton’s (R-Conroe) proposed measure defines the role of faculty senates as advisory only.  view article  

Carthage ISD proposes $23 million bond to upgrade campuses, technology

Election season is right around the corner, and Carthage ISD is asking voters to consider a new $23 million bond package. Carthage ISD is proposing a new bond to cover district-wide needs over the next three years, focusing on immediate repairs and upgrades. view article  

Huffman ISD superintendent appears to be leaving the district in vague communication to the community Tuesday

Huffman ISD Superintendent Benny Soileau appears to be out at the 3,646-student northeast Harris County district, according to a communication about a "new chapter of leadership" posted on the district's social media pages and sent in an email to staff Tuesday.  The announcement came after a special board meeting Monday night, where the board voted unanimously following a four-hour closed session discussion to "proceed with related actions regarding the superintendent's evaluation." The motion did not specify what actions would be taken, but Soileau was not present at the time of the vote despite being at the meeting earlier that evening. The agenda for the special meeting under closed session included legal advice for personnel decisions and "superintendent performance evaluation and related actions." view article  

A viral video of a student assault in Katy ISD raises a question: When is self-defense justified?

A video showing what appears to be a male student assaulting a female student in a Taylor High School classroom has gone viral, causing the Katy ISD board of trustees to review the district’s code of conduct. view article  

Frisco ISD pauses decision on closing Staley Middle School

The future of Frisco ISD’s Staley Middle School is unknown as district leaders seek a second opinion from demographers. The district’s board of trustees discussed the campus closure April 14 during a regular board meeting. The board is expected to reconsider the school’s closure again in June. view article  

Five hospitalized in Dallas ISD’s Wilmer-Hutchins High School shooting, suspect in custody, affidavit says: Latest updates

A 17-year-old suspect has turned himself into police after five people were shot at Wilmer-Hutchins High School in Dallas on Tuesday, prompting a large police response and mass evacuations of the campus, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by WFAA. Dallas Fire-Rescue (DFR) said reports of a shooting prompted the response, which began to unfold just after 1 p.m. at Wilmer-Hutchins High School, located on Langdon Road off Interstate 20 in Southeast Dallas. view article  

Second school shooting in two years at Dallas ISD high school

A shooting inside Wilmer-Hutchins High School left four wounded, marking the second time in two years the school has experienced gun violence. Thankfully, all injuries are believed to be non-life-threatening. NBC 5 has team coverage, including reaction from students and parents. view article  

Spring ISD trustees OK $33.1M for initial work on instructional, performance cente

Multiple projects funded by Spring ISD’s $850 million bond, which was approved by voters in November 2022, have recently made headway, including $33.1 million in work slated for the district’s Education, Performance and Instructional Center. view article  

Quitman ISD awaiting voter approval for $30 million bond

School buildings in Quitman are overcrowded and outdated, and that’s why the school district is asking voters to approve a $30 million bond. Inside the walls of Quitman ISD schools’ where the superintendent says classrooms are not ideal sizes and overcrowding has led to sharing spaces, a call for a school make-over is not a need, but a necessity, says school leaders. view article  

Despite deficit, San Antonio ISD boosts starting hourly wage to $17; starting teacher pay to $60k

Trustees for the San Antonio Independent School District voted Monday evening to give a 4% raise to full-time hourly staff and a 3% raise to teachers and other salaried employees. The raise will boost starting pay for full-time hourly staff to $17 an hour and the starting pay for teachers to $60,000. It also boosts the pay grades for head custodians and some instructional assistants, including assistants who work with special education students that need behavior support. view article  

Dallas school shooting: Dallas ISD provides update on Wilmer-Hutchins High School shooting

Dallas ISD said Tuesday that four students were injured and taken to area hospitals after a shooting at Wilmer-Hutchins High School – exactly one year to the day after students walked out in protest after a student was shot in a classroom. view article  

Houston NAACP chapter calls for removal of Humble ISD superintendent following ‘lynch’ comment

The Houston chapter of the NAACP is calling for the removal of Roger Brown from his position as Humble ISD superintendent after he said he wanted to "lynch the mayor" during a staff meeting. The Houston NAACP hosted a town hall meeting Monday at The Luke Church in Humble "to discuss the public's concern over racially offensive remarks recently made by the Humble ISD Superintendent, and to evaluate longstanding issues of inequality, under-representation and categorical disparities," according to a flyer shared on social media. view article  

What’s in Argyle ISD’s $423 million bond package, up for Denton County voters’ approval soon

Argyle ISD is asking voters to consider a $423 million bond package on the May 3 ballot. It’s made up of two parts that were restructured after a previous bond package failed in 2024. The 2025 bond is a leaner proposal to relieve what several school board members called “pinch points” at middle schools, especially. view article  

Ysleta ISD enforces health policy, excludes students without MMR vaccine documentation

As reports of measles cases continue to trickle in, most of them involving school-age children, a school district in El Paso said it will enforce health policies for students without the MMR Vaccine in its schools. A spokesperson with the Ysleta Independent School District said that the district will follow city health policies, which states that students, 4 years of age or older, are not allowed to attend school or any extracurricular activities such as childcare, clubs and sports if they cannot produce documentation that shows that they have received two does of the MMR vaccine. view article  

Suspect in custody after 4 students injured in shooting at Dallas high school: Police

Several hours after four students were injured in a shooting at Wilmer-Hutchins High School in Dallas on Tuesday, police said the suspect in the gunfire was taken into custody. The arrest was announced in a news release from the Dallas Independent School District on Tuesday evening. No other details were provided. view article  

Midland ISD to partner with Baylor College of Medicine

Midland ISD recently announced a partnership with Baylor College of Medicine, a STEM + M (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math + Medicine) program. The goal of this partnership and initiative is to encourage interests in medical careers in middle school age children. view article  

Comal ISD gives 22 high school seniors guaranteed job interviews after education program

High school students from Comal Independent School District participated in the district's annual Ready, Set, Teach Conference on April 7 at the Support Services Building. The event offered students an inside look into the teaching profession, featuring activities such as onboarding, a scavenger hunt, and sessions on the first-year teaching experience and job searching. view article  

Fort Worth ISD restructures budget to tackle literacy crisis

School districts across Texas are grappling with a literacy crisis, and Fort Worth Independent School District is taking a bold step to address it. The district announced it is restructuring its budget to invest in a new kind of educator—demonstration teachers—who will work directly with students and support fellow educators to boost reading outcomes. Inside one of Fort Worth ISD’s classrooms, coach Jacqui Hill is already doing the work. “We really do need to be focused on literacy,” Hill said. “I’m excited about the streamlining that’s going to happen across the district.” view article  

Pflugerville ISD adding license plate readers

Pflugerville ISD will install more license plate readers to boost campus security. view article  

Parents Want Katy ISD to Add Self-Defense to Discipline Policy After Video Goes Viral

The father of the Taylor High School girl in the viral fight video addressed the Board of Trustees at last night’s meeting. The Board reviewed the current disciplinary policy and will review cases to determine if a policy change is needed. view article  

Westlake Chamber of Commerce to host Eanes ISD candidates forum

The EISD candidates forum will be held April 23 at the Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church, located at 7127 Bee Caves Road, Austin. Hosted by the Westlake Chamber of Commerce, a candidate meet and greet will begin at 6 p.m., with the forum starting at 6:30 p.m. view article  

‘I’m so honored’ | Killeen ISD librarian teaches creativity, sustainability at Texas Library Association Conference

This School Librarian Month, Killeen ISD is educating Texans beyond its district. Alice W. Douse Elementary librarian Keye’tta Mathis was selected to present at the Texas Library Association (TLA) Conference recently, leading a hands-on session, “Thrifty Tech: Makerspace on a Shoestring Budget,” according to Killeen ISD. view article