The governor is calling for an expansion of in-state anti-terrorism programs and an increase in federal partnerships.   view article

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

Hillwood Development Co. asked the Keller school board to stop using the term “Alliance ISD” in reference to the new district to be created by a proposed split, according to a letter sent to the board’s attorney obtained by the Star-Telegram through an open records request. But the board’s lawyer did not advise his clients of the letter before two meetings in January when the term was used during discussions of the proposal, according to two board members who oppose the split. Read more at: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/education/article300684114.html#storylink=cpy view article

Fort Worth City Council member Charles Lauersdorf learned his lesson on zoning laws last year. When a developer purchased land next to Keller ISD’s Basswood Elementary where a Studio 6 motel was nearly built — due to its zoning designation as “light industrial,” a category that allows hotels by right — Lauersdorf acknowledged his oversight. view article

When asked about the ongoing brouhaha that’s erupted in Keller Independent School District over the school board’s discussion of splitting the district, I keep telling friends the same four words. I saw this coming. Years ago, in the wake of the COVID-19 shutdown — when parents saw their kids masked, cities paralyzed, businesses closed and neighbors divided over the government’s response — a seed was planted to reclaim more control from local governments. view article

House Speaker Dustin Burrows appointed lawmakers to committees on Thursday, announcing a leadership team made up mostly of veterans who had led legislative panels under his predecessors — and appointing only Republicans to chair committees, as prescribed by the chamber’s new rules. view article

(The Center Square) – The White House over the weekend touted its progress on the southern border as President Donald Trump completed his fourth week back in office. view article

Several East Texans took to the podium at the Tyler ISD Board of Trustees meeting on Monday, calling for the district to issue a statement concerning the possibility of ICE enforcement. The meeting comes after the Trump administration determined officials could detain illegal immigrants at schools, churches and medical facilities. view article

In a move that has sparked both debate and outrage, Cy-Fair Independent School District has made significant changes to its textbooks, removing entire chapters on controversial topics such as vaccines, climate change, and diversity. The decision, which was implemented quietly last year, continues to fuel tensions among parents, educators, and board members. The district’s decision to excise specific chapters from textbooks has drawn comparisons to historical book-banning practices. However, Cy-Fair ISD is taking a different approach—stripping out individual chapters rather than removing entire books. view article

Frustration is still building in Keller after a backroom deal plotting the split of Keller Independent School District.Now students, a Fort Worth homeowner’s association and legal hotshots have entered the battlefield. Meanwhile, shakeups within the school board see new leadership as the district attempts to solve budget shortcomings. view article

i In Northern Kentucky, visitors to the "Ark Encounter" at the Creation Museum see baby dinosaurs in wooden cages aboard a replica of Noah's Ark. view article

Interim Superintendent Karen Molinar knows Fort Worth ISD needs to close schools. She isn’t sure when or how many. However, she knows the district cannot keep stretching resources into too many classrooms with too few students. “We’re trying to staff 140 buildings when we do not need that many buildings,” Molinar told the Fort Worth ISD Council of PTAs during its annual luncheon Feb. 11. “When we do consolidate, we’re going to be able to increase the resources for our students.” view article

Fort Worth ISD is considering closing up to 25 schools to address a $17 million budget deficit, a move that has caught many parents by surprise. The district, which serves about 75,000 students, could undergo significant changes that many families say caught them off guard. view article

Following months of community complaints and calls for transparency, Grand Prairie Independent School District trustees have approved a voluntary separation agreement with their former superintendent, Jorge Arredondo. view article

Following months of community complaints and calls for transparency, Grand Prairie Independent School District trustees have approved a voluntary separation agreement with their former superintendent, Jorge Arredondo. view article

A federal court has tossed a lawsuit alleging that South San Antonio Independent School District leaders violated a former board member’s civil rights and arrested him as an intimidation tactic. Abel “Chillidogg” Martinez filed the lawsuit on Dec. 3, claiming that South San officials orchestrated an unlawful scheme last year to retaliate against the trustee for being outspoken in his criticism of the district.   view article

In a speech with something for everybody, Gov. Greg Abbott celebrated Texas’ economic strength and set an agenda focused on keeping the state a national leader by continuing its business-friendly policies, cutting down on property taxes for homeowners and passing a school voucher-like program in his sixth State of the State address on Sunday evening. view article

Election administrators say letting people cast a ballot at any polling site is more convenient for voters and cheaper for local governments. view article

Former leaders in the Keller school district made unrealistic assumptions and overestimated attendance and revenue projections, leading to a $35 million shortfall in the general fund, according to an independent audit. The district hired Chicago-based RSM consultants in May 2024 to perform a budget compliance review in response to deficits, irregularities and recent employment changes in the central office. Read more at: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/education/article299455769.html#storylink=cpy view article

The Board of Trustees at the La Joya Independent School District approved a plan that would affect three of its elementary campuses. Board members met Wednesday to approve a plan to restart Evangelina Garza Elementary and Juan N. Seguin Elementary schools under the Accelerated Campus Excellence (ACE) model. According to La Joya ISD, the ACE model is a proven turnaround approach that has successfully transformed over 50 low-performing schools across Texas into high-performing campuses. view article

Speaking during a lengthy public comment section at the Jan. 30 meeting of the Keller school board, Tarrant County Precinct 2 Commissioner Alisa Simmons expressed her opposition to a proposal to split the district. “Let these people vote,” Simmons said, eliciting a round of applause. “They do not want this district divided. The people are eager to be heard. They are essentially begging you guys for courageous leadership. It’s a lot, but it’s not that hard.” Read more at: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/education/article299480409.html#storylink=cpy view article

A Jan. 30 meeting expected to discuss a potential split of Keller ISD could be further complicated by the possible resignation of Superintendent Tracy Johnson, according to district documents. view article

Keller mayor Armin Mizani blasted a Dallas law firm’s plans to sue the Keller school district over the at-large makeup of the board, citing an achievement gap among minority students. “This is perhaps the most idiotic thing I’ve read in a while,” he wrote. “Rather than using this discussion as an opportunity to focus on student outcomes, educational opportunities, and an antiquated and broken school funding system, some who live outside this district would rather use this as an opportunity to divide and infer that trustees, elected at large by every voter in the district, have some nefarious intent. view article

North East ISD leaders are considering the closure of three schools for the upcoming academic year following months of deliberation. There will be a community meeting so the public will have an opportunity to give feedback on the proposed attendance boundaries. The closings are due to next year's budget restraints in the Northeast ISD. So the district is proposing the closure of Wilshire and Clear Spring Elementary Schools along with Driscoll Middle School. A letter was sent out to parents and students notifying them. view article

Liberty Hill ISD has proposed additional academic calendar options that would allow students to attend class four days a week. At a Jan. 22 meeting, district officials presented two new potential calendars for the 2025-26 school year after receiving community feedback. view article

As North East Independent School District considers closing three of its campuses next school year, the parents of students who go to those schools are getting their first look at how the plan might work. District leaders say the closures are needed because of declining enrollment and budget concerns. On Wednesday night, Wilshire Elementary played host to the first of three public meetings focused on what NEISD calls "campus consolidation." Wilshire is one of three schools the district is looking to close along with Clear Spring Elementary and Driscoll Middle School. view article

The Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office has gotten complaints about the Keller ISD controversy over the school board’s internal discussions about the controversial talks about potentially splitting the district. The Keller Police Department confirmed to WFAA that the department received a report regarding an allegation of Texas Open Meetings Act violation and forwarded it to the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Integrity Investigations Unit, which handles allegations against elected officials. view article

Residents in the Keller school district who spoke at a special school board meeting Thursday overwhelmingly opposed a proposal to split the district in two. Concerns from some of the 121 who signed up to speak included questions over how the district’s buildings, resources, funding and student body would be divided. Many also expressed anger at a lack of transparency on the part of the board in the process. By Friday, at least some of those complains alleging illegal secrecy were in the hands of the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office. view article

Houston ISD’s state-appointed board unanimously agreed Thursday night to put 17 district properties up for sale, with the vote coming after a community member was reportedly dragged out of her seat and arrested for repeatedly shouting at board members. view article

The Tarrant County Commissioners Court has no power to stop a proposed break up of the Keller school district if its board passes a resolution to do so, Commissioner Matt Krause said in a post on the social media platform X. Krause, a Republican whose precinct covers northeast Tarrant County, was responding to calls from constituents after it surfaced that Keller school board members were having behind the scenes conversations about the plan without first seeking public input. The board is scheduled to discuss the proposed break up in an executive session following public comment at the Jan. 16 5 p.m. meeting. view article

The four-day school week is increasingly popular, particularly in rural districts, with roughly 900 school districts having adopted such a truncated schedule as of 2023. Districts often turn to the four-day schedule in the hope of reducing costs, improving attendance, and increasing teacher recruitment and retention. While the first goal is often achieved (though savings are small), evidence regarding the latter two is mixed. view article

The Eanes ISD school board voted unanimously on Tuesday to close Valley View Elementary as part of an effort to reduce an estimated $6.5 million budget deficit. District officials said closing the campus, which is currently at 50 percent of its operational capacity, will save $2 million. Starting next school year, Valley View students will attend Barton Creek Elementary, which is about 6 miles away. view article

President Mark Welsh has canceled university participation in a DEI conference after Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to fire him.   view article

On Wednesday night, the Eanes Independent School District Board of Trustees passed a resolution to close down Valley View Elementary in the upcoming 2025-2026 school year, according to a press release from the district. view article

The proposal to split the district in two represents a special public interest, which demands more transparency per the Texas Open Meetings Act, the attorneys said. view article