A Houston-area school district has partnered with a Texas lawmaker to try to bolster school safety through enhancing communication between law enforcement and school districts. Klein ISD leaders told KHOU 11 they worked with Texas state Rep. Sam Harless to introduce HB 4125 — known as the PROTECT Act (Providing Required Oversight to Educators’ Conduct Transparency). view article

Roy. J Smith Middle School was placed on lockdown Monday afternoon after a 14-year-old student was stabbed and killed earlier in the day, the school district confirmed. “Killeen ISD is deeply saddened to share the tragic news that happened at Roy J. Smith Middle School,” said Karen Rudolph with Killeen ISD. “Our hearts go out to the family, friends and school community as we grieve a heartbreaking loss today.” view article

A trio of Fort Worth City Council members has spurred a movement to get clarification on a possible Keller ISD split. Council members Charlie Lauersdorf [District 4], Alan Blaylock [District 10] and Macy Hill [District 7] have been proponents against a possible split. They have gotten the city involved in questioning the legality of the plan. view article

A new itemized report reveals that Humble ISD spent nearly $2 million on a two-year legal saga involving the former superintendent and her husband, the district's former athletic director. A Title IX complaint in 2023 against former superintendent Elizabeth Fagen’s husband, Troy Kite, led to a lengthy legal process that ended with the termination of both employees. view article

One student has been arrested following a social media threat made against three Beaumont ISD campuses Tuesday afternoon. The threat was made against Curtis Elementary School, Regina Howell Elementary School, and Marshall Middle School via TikTok. Beaumont ISD immediately contacted the BISD Police Department to conduct a thorough investigation after being made aware of the threats. view article

Christian A. Bourgeacq, an independent hearing examiner with the Texas Education Agency, found the Mart Independent School District Board of Trustees has good cause to terminate Superintendent Elizabeth “Betsy” Burnett for insubordination, unprofessional conduct, misrepresentation of facts, failure to timely inform the Board of important matters, and violations of her contract and Board policies, according to the examiner’s recommendation document. The recommendation comes in the wake of a series of public hearings on Jan. 24, 27, and 28 at the Region 12 Training Center in Waco, Texas. view article

IDEA Public Schools says it is cooperating with Round Rock police after an assistant principal was arrested for allegedly inappropriately touching a student on campus last month. Aaron Freeman, 49, is in the Williamson County Jail tonight, charged with indecency with a child by contact. view article

Members of a Fort Worth homeowners' association filed a lawsuit against several members of the Keller ISD school board Monday afternoon. The Heritage Homeowners Association and residents Cary Moon and Brian Black filed the lawsuit against board members Charles Randklev, Heather Washington, John Birt, Chris Coker, and Micah Young. view article

A former Austin ISD executive is accused of manipulating records in relation to more than $30,000 in district gift cards. AISD police say 40-year-old Amie Ortiz, Executive Director of Talent Strategy, created a gift card tracking system for an employee wellness program. view article

I’m David Moreno, arts and culture reporter for the Fort Worth Report. view article

Anthony R. Caudo III, 33, a police officer with the Midway ISD Police Department, and former Waco Police Department officer, was charged after he struck a woman in the face, resulting in the victim suffering a bleeding ear, arrest warrants state. Caudo is charged with assault-strangulation and assault-family violence, per court documents. KWTX has confirmed he is on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. view article

An Austin Independent School District executive was arrested Wednesday and accused of “intentionally manipulating” records related to a suspected theft of thousands of dollars worth of district gift cards, according to court records. Amie Ortiz, 40, AISD’s executive director of talent strategy, is accused of deleting data police requested – an accusation her attorney pushed back on when reached for comment. view article

A former elementary music teacher at Eanes Independent School District was arrested in connection with online crimes against children, Eanes ISD Superintendent Dr. Jeff Arnett said in a district letter Wednesday. Zachary Barnett previously worked as a music teacher at Cedar Creek Elementary and was employed with Eanes ISD for three years, per the release. The Texas Department of Public Safety’s Computer Information Technology and Electronic Crime (CITEC) Unit conducted the investigation that led to his arrest and apprehension, Eanes ISD said. view article

A hit-and-run driver was caught within moments after crashing his jeep into a Spring ISD school bus with students onboard and fleeing the scene. Details are limited, so it’s unclear how everything unfolded, but Constable Mark Herman with Harris Co. Precinct 4 said on a social media post the unidentified jeep driver crashed into the school bus on Aldine Westfield Road and Crane Hollow Lane, where 12 students were onboard. view article

Mansfield Lake Ridge was removed from the UIL Texas high school boys basketball Class 6A Division I bracket due to playing an ineligible player in a 71-35 area round victory vs. Eastlake on Friday, Feb. 21, Mansfield ISD Athletics confirmed to the Star-Telegram. As a result, the Eagles’ regional semifinal game that was scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 25, has been canceled. No. 15 Flower Mound Marcus will advance to the regional finals. Depending on results, Marcus will face No. 2 Allen or No. 9 North Crowley. Lake Ridge, ranked No. 3 in Class 6A by the Texas basketball by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, was one of the favorites to win a state championship. The Eagles were also nationally ranked at No. 22 by Max Preps view article

Here’s how federal courts help determine the fate of controversial issues, such as immigration laws, in Texas and beyond.  view article

Legislators, sheriffs, and ICE are encouraging Texas’ unenrolled counties to join.   view article

Lawmakers want to gut the Texas Citizens Participation Act, which prevents the rich and powerful from using frivolous lawsuits to silence their opponents. view article

Two people, including a teacher for Wells ISD, have been arrested on charges related to possession of child pornography. One of them is also facing a bestiality charge. According to an affidavit KLTV obtained through an open records request, Angelina County deputies responded early Saturday morning to a call related to a man who was suicidal. The affidavit indicates a man and woman were arguing, and in the course of that argument, the subject of pornographic images involving a child and a dog came up with law enforcement. view article

A body was found on the school grounds of Fort Worth ISD's Dolores Huerta elementary school on Friday morning. The elementary school is located in the northern part of Fort Worth, not far from the Fort Worth Stockyards. view article

A shocking report on children working as part of a $95 million lottery scheme is drawing scrutiny from members of both chambers.   view article

The Fort Worth Independent School District is taking steps to join hundreds of other school districts nationwide in suing the four big social media companies, alleging the platforms they run contributed to a mental health crisis among students. After a closed-door discussion, the district’s school board voted Tuesday, Feb. 18, to approve contracts with two Texas-based law firms to represent the district in the case. In the complaint, school districts allege the social media platforms “have rewired how adolescents think, learn, feel, and behave,” leaving school leaders to deal with the mental health ramifications. The lawsuit, which was filed last year in San Francisco federal court, targets four big social media companies: Google, which owns YouTube; Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram; ByteDance, owner of TikTok; and Snap, owner of Snapchat. More than 200 school districts nationwide have joined the suit. view article

A now former Aldine ISD substitute teacher has been charged for an alleged inappropriate relationship with a student, according to court documents. Chastity Houston, 25, has been charged with "Improper Relationship with Student." She was held in jail on a $50,000 bond which has since been posted. view article

A substitute teacher with Aldine ISD is under investigation after reports of an inappropriate relationship with a teenage student. Court records said the allegations go back to September 2024, Chasity Houston, 25, a substitute at Nimitz Senior High School engaged in sexual contact with a 17-year-old student. view article

A federal judge on Wednesday sided with Carroll ISD in its lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education over the Biden administration's changes to Title IX. view article

A federal judge on Wednesday sided with Carroll ISD in its lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education over the Biden administration's changes to Title IX. U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor vacated the rule, which would have added gender identity to the definition of sex under the 1972 statute to protect against sex discrimination. view article

AUSTIN, Texas - In an exclusive interview, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick sat down with FOX 7 Austin about the suspicion surrounding the Texas Lottery Commission.  view article

Houston ISD is set to join a nationwide lawsuit that argues several major social media companies fueled an “unprecedented mental health crisis” among young people — and should pay school districts for the fallout. view article

A second educator at Northside ISD has been placed on administrative leave as part of a TEA investigation. On Tuesday, Alin Edouard, a history teacher at Taft High School, was placed on administrative leave amid an ongoing investigation by the Texas Education Agency into hundreds of educators across the state who allegedly cheated, or acquired their teaching certification through fraudulent means. view article

More than 200 school districts across the nation are part of a lawsuit against the owners of social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. The school districts allege the platforms hinder students’ ability to focus and have spurred a mental health crisis. view article

More than 200 school districts across the nation are part of a lawsuit against the owners of social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. The school districts allege the platforms hinder students’ ability to focus and have spurred a mental health crisis.  view article

At least two parents are taking Fort Bend ISD and a teacher, accused of abusing students, to court. The school at the center of a newly filed federal lawsuit is Goodman Elementary in Fresno in Fort Bend County. That's where, more than a year ago, parents protested for accountability, asking for a proper investigation when one teacher was accused of sexual abuse in the classroom. view article

A former Magnolia ISD teacher is behind bars after threatening to burn down the school, Montgomery County Pct. 5 announced. Magnolia ISD said the suspect, 24-year-old Erik Taylor, used to teach at Magnolia West High School before he resigned on Jan. 14. view article

Belton ISD says they’ve placed one of their teachers on leave while the Temple Police Department investigates allegations of misconduct. Belton ISD Superintendent Malinda Golden said in a statement that Temple police informed the district late Thursday night that a report of alleged misconduct had been filed against a teacher at Tarver Elementary School. view article

Soon, more of Austin ISD’s school buses will be equipped with technology to protect kids. The district’s school board recently approved a new contract with the vendor, BusPatrol, to install an additional 261 stop arm cameras on buses to crack down on people illegally passing them. view article