Residents of Mart left Monday’s special school board meeting both angered and wanting answers after the district’s superintendent, Betsy Burnett was suddenly terminated from her position. Later Mart ISD posted on Facebook explaining the reasons for her termination and revealed they have communicated this decision with Burnett since January of 2024. view article

A Judson Independent School District board member is facing a charge of driving while intoxicated with a blood alcohol content of .15 or higher, according to Bexar County court records. San Antonio police arrested trustee Debra Eaton in December 2023, but at least one Judson ISD board member told KSAT Investigates they didn’t learn of the charge until this month. view article

Fernando Lucas de Urioste secured a decisive victory over Lindsey Stringer for the Austin school district’s open at-large seat in Saturday’s runoff election. view article

While other public officials have come under scrutiny for similar charges, the drunken driving arrest of Judson Independent School District board member Debra Eaton appeared to go unnoticed — even by fellow trustees. Board members said they were never informed that Eaton, 69, was arrested by San Antonio police last year on a DWI charge. view article

Houston ISD's state-appointed board members gave initial approval early Wednesday to policy changes regarding public comment at meetings, but backed off a proposal to eliminate virtual participation. In a preliminary, after-midnight move long after most of Tuesday night's meeting attendees had left HISD headquarters, the board voted 8-1 to move toward restricting community members from addressing topics that are not on the posted meeting agenda, among other proposed changes to public participation. Whereas student speakers have typically spoken near the beginning of meetings and before their adult counterparts, the board also signaled support for giving itself the discretion to alter that practice on a meeting-by-meeting basis. view article

Mike Mercer, who was elected as the District 7 trustee six years ago, wrote in a news release: "Serving alongside what I believe to be the most dedicated and compassionate staff in the state of Texas has been the honor of a lifetime. Your unwavering commitment—giving 110% every single day—ensures that our students have every opportunity to succeed. I am profoundly grateful to each of you, the board members I have had the privilege of serving with, and the community that entrusted me with this role. view article

A former Southlake Carroll ISD superintendent is suing the district, alleging the district breached their voluntary retirement agreement with him, leading him to receive a lower payout in retirement benefits from the Teacher Retirement System. David Faltys served as Carroll ISD’s superintendent from 2006 until 2021. Faltys filed the lawsuit Monday in Tarrant County District Court. view article

A former superintendent at Carroll ISD sued the district Monday after alleging it paid him lower retirement benefits than what was agreed upon in his contract. David Faltys, who served as superintendent for 15 years before stepping down in 2021, claims in the suit the district breached its voluntary retirement agreement with him. A district member at the time told Faltys an issue with his retirement payout was made by the Teacher Retirement System, not by the district, according to the suit. view article

Board president Misty Odenweller previously floated the idea of drafting a policy that would require educators to "out" transgender, gender nonconforming and nonbinary students, which former trustees shot down.   view article

The Texas Education Agency is considering whether to replace the South San ISD’s board of trustees with appointed board managers. “What happens to the old board? Do they have anything, any repercussions?” asked a woman attending the TEA and South San ISD meeting. view article

As the Austin Independent School District faces a $92 million deficit-- district leaders have laid out ways to reduce expenses. In a virtual town hall Monday evening, AISD Chief Financial Officer, Katrina Montgomery, discussed possible solutions to their financial woes but first explained how the deficit reached dire levels. view article

Monday evening the Lewisville ISD Board of Trustees voted to permanently close five elementary schools. Not all votes were unanimous, but all carried. Several campuses will also undergo rezoning as part of the plan. The following changes will take effect for the 2025-26 school year. view article

Monday evening the Lewisville ISD Board of Trustees voted to permanently close five elementary schools. Not all votes were unanimous, but all carried. Several campuses will also undergo rezoning as part of the plan. The following changes will take effect for the 2025-26 school year. view article

Lewisville ISD board members voted Monday night to close five of its elementary schools, a cost-saving measure officials say the district needs as student enrollment continues to decline and state funding for schools is uncertain. It was a highly emotional meeting, with more than a dozen people taking to the lectern during the public comment section to beg elected leaders to delay a school consolidation plan. Some speakers joined board members in directing rage at the state Legislature, accusing politicians by name of starving public schools and hurting neighborhoods. Gov. Greg Abbott, state Sen. Tan Parker and state Reps. Ben Bumgarner and Mitch Little were all named as bad actors. view article

All the schools up for closure are seeing declining enrollment, officials said. view article

The Lewisville Independent School District’s board of trustees will once again discuss plans to close some schools due to falling enrollment and budget problems. It’s been the same story at a number of school districts around North Texas. And it’s never welcome news for parents, students, teachers, and support staff at the schools that are affected. view article

Monday night the Lewisville Board of Trustees is expected to vote on the School Retirement and Boundary Adjustment Proposal which would close five elementary schools and rezone students. The five schools in jeopardy of closing are feeder schools into five Lewisville ISD high schools, which include: view article

Former Fort Bend ISD Superintendent Christie Whitbeck is suing the district and some trustees for defamation and breach of contract. The announcement comes exactly one year after the board approved her early retirement and she was forced out of the role. view article

The Lubbock ISD School Board approved consolidation measures impacting at least six schools in the district on Wednesday night, after hearing about an hour and a half of public comment. The board approved the consolidation of Overton Elementary School into Rush Elementary School and O.L. Slaton Middle School into Dunbar College Academy and Atkins Middle School. view article

A former South San Antonio Independent School District trustee has filed a lawsuit accusing the district of violating his civil rights, including having him arrested as an intimidation tactic. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in San Antonio federal court, alleges that South San ISD officials carried out an unlawful scheme last year to retaliate against the trustee for speaking out at board meetings. view article

The Lubbock ISD Board of Trustees have called a special meeting to discuss possible approval of its school consolidation plans. The meeting comes after the recommendations presented as the November 21 regular meeting. Since that meeting, Lubbock ISD administration has removed Bean Elementary from its list of possible consolidations. view article

During a Monday board meeting, Grand Prairie ISD voted 5-2 to fire Superintendent Jorge Arredondo. After a closed-door session, board members moved to terminate Arredondo's contract with the district. The two opposing votes came from Trustee David Espinosa and Trustee Gloria Carrillo, who have both publicly supported Arredondo in previous meetings. view article

The Lewisville ISD board is meeting Monday night and the "School Retirement and Boundary Adjustment Proposal" is the hot topic up for discussion. Facing a budget shortage and declining enrollment, the district’s Community Efficiency Committee and board considered possible solutions and put a plan forward. view article

(The Center Square) – In preparation for the legislative session that begins in January, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued several directives this week to combat threats posed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The legislature is expected introduce and vote on several China-related bills next year.  Abbott’s first China-related executive order issued this week was designed to protect Texans of Chinese descent from CCP and PRC operatives targeting them by authorizing Texas Department of Public Safety officers to investigate and arrest alleged offenders. He next issued a second executive order directing the Texas Division of Emergency Management and Public Utility Commission of Texas to prepare for potential threats against Texas’ critical infrastructure from a hostile foreign government or proxies, including the CCP and PRC, The Center Square reported. view article

SAISD trustees voted 7-0 Monday night on a hefty set of terms for handing over the district's property, which sits in the middle of the proposed site for a new downtown minor league baseball stadium. The terms include: Funding for a $45 million building for the Advanced Learning Academy.1 day ago view article

The Midland ISD board of trustees on Tuesday saw the debut of three new faces, two of whom will join Brandon Hodges as board leaders. After four hours in executive session, board members returned to the stage at Bowie Fine Arts Academy auditorium to choose leadership positions. Hodges was elected as the next school board president. The vote was 4-2 with one abstention. Hodges was joined by newcomers Angel Hernandez, District 2; Matt Friez, District 4; and Josh Guinn, District 7, in the vote of approval. view article

Eight El Paso Independent School District elementary schools will be shut down starting next school year after the Board of Trustees on Tuesday voted in favor of the closures. Carlos Rivera, Lamar, Newman, Putnam, Rusk, and Zavala elementaries will close their doors next school year, with Stanton and Travis elementaries closing in the 2026-27 school year under the approved plan. view article

After four hours in executive session, board members returned to the stage at Bowie Fine Arts Academy auditorium to choose leadership positions. Hodges was elected as the next school board president. The vote was 4-2 with one abstention. Hodges was joined by newcomers Angel Hernandez, District 2; Matt Friez, District 4; and Josh Guinn, District 7, in the vote of approval. view article

Manor Independent School District's Board of Trustees held a meeting Monday night and discussed school safety in the wake of a deadly stabbing last month at Manor Senior High School. It was the first board meeting since the deadly incident. Tensions boiled over from Manor ISD parents during public comment who said, they've had enough of the district's lax attitude on safety. view article

A meeting of the State Board of Education this week could have long-term ramifications both in the Lone Star State and nationally. view article

Carroll ISD is looking at another tool to boost campus security. It already teams up with Southlake police to bring officers on campus in compliance with state law. But it is now looking at adding school marshals in events when a police officer cannot be on campus. view article

The El Paso Independent School District Board of Trustees is set to vote on updated recommendations for school closures as part of the district’s Destination District Redesign plan today. The district says the updates aim to address a projected $32.2 million budget deficit for the upcoming, 2025-26 fiscal year. The original proposal included closing 10 elementary schools, however, the district says after gathering community feedback they updated the list. view article

At a recent board meeting, members of the San Antonio ISD (SAISD) discussed the potential sale of 2.3 acres of land located on Cameron Street, which includes a parking lot. Tonight they agreed on specific terms they want met by Westin Urban before they move forward with the sale and were laid out earlier in the week. The district seeks around $45 million to help fund a new educational facility aimed at enhancing learning opportunities for students. They are asking for the county to build a parking garage and sky bridge near Fox Tech High School to address parking challenges and improve access to the area. view article

A meeting of the State Board of Education this week could have long-term ramifications both in the Lone Star State and nationally. This week’s meeting is the culmination of a multi-month process that began in May. The SBOE seeks to update educational standards for English, Math, and Spanish. The SBOE undertakes these reviews across various subject areas about once per decade. view article

In October, an incident at Manor Senior High School left 18-year-old Darrin Loving dead, when 18-year-old Mac Brown Mbah Mbanwei allegedly stabbed him in the chest with a large knife. The murder shook the community, prompting the district to review safety measures. At the Manor ISD board of trustees meeting on Monday, several parents took to the podium, calling for transparency. Some were not afraid to show their anger toward the board and Manor ISD police. view article