Texas troopers have arrested a 17-year-old illegal alien for human smuggling in Webb County.  view article

Institutions poured money into a country the U.S. Director of National Intelligence has identified as a threat.   view article

From school closures to academic calendar feedback, here are two updates to check out in Leander ISD.  What's happening: All LISD schools will be closed for staff development days Nov. 4-5.  Several district campuses will be used for polling locations on Election Day Nov. 5, including: view article

University of North Texas students now have the opportunity to learn how wine and beer is made at an industrial level.  About the program: The Enology and Brewing Undergraduate Minor program launched at UNT at Frisco in the fall 2024 semester. The 18-hour program includes courses on enology, the term for the study of wines, and the brewing process for beer. It also offers cross-discipline courses in business and marketing.  UNT’s program is unique with only about half a dozen universities across the United States offering a similar program.  view article

Amarillo ISD discussed key topics such as declining population and enrollment and consolidation of schools at a luncheon today. Amarillo ISD superintendent Doug Loomis says the district has 400 less students today then they did last year, with a majority of the decline in the elementary schools. The superintendent rolled out a five-step guideline they will be working under to start consolidating schools in the district. view article

Mathis Independent School District is facing an unfortunate development in its season record. According to a Facebook post, Mathis ISD realized that a player on the varsity football team did not meet the eligibility requirements in order to be part of the team. They self-reported themselves to the district and to UIL immediately, causing their recent win against West Oso to be forfeited. view article

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Dixie Hampe, senior at Tyler’s ISD Career and Technology Center, aspires to become the first female deputy canine officer in Smith County. “My goal here is just to try and get as many women, try and get as many people as I can to go into this force,” says Hampe. “Because although it might be scary, it’s definitely thrilling and exciting.” view article

In his bid to free a convicted child-killer from death row, State Rep. Jeff Leach could find himself in hot water after texting a judge on the Court of Criminal Appeals in violation of Texas law.  view article

As Texans head to the polls for the Nov. 5 election, state and federal leaders are urging voters to trust their local election officials and respect the electoral process.   “Across the country, the people who run our elections are professionals,” said Benjamin Hovland, chair of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. “They follow the laws set by their state legislatures, and there's transparency built into the process. Whether you're voting by mail, early in-person or on Election Day, there are safeguards in place to ensure the accuracy and integrity of our elections.”  Under state and federal laws, voting machines are publicly tested, voter lists are frequently updated and whom people vote for is private.   Here are five details about Texas’ efforts to hold free and fair elections. For more local election coverage from Community Impact, As Texans head to the polls for the Nov. 5 election, state and federal leaders are urging voters to trust their local election officials and respect the electoral process.  “Across the country, the people who run our elections are professionals,” said Benjamin Hovland, chair of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. “They follow the laws set by their state legislatures, and there's transparency built into the process. Whether you're voting by mail, early in-person or on Election Day, there are safeguards in place to ensure the accuracy and integrity of our elections.”  Under state and federal laws, voting machines are publicly tested, voter lists are frequently updated and whom people vote for is private.  Here are five details about Texas’ efforts to hold free and fair elections. For more local election coverage from Community Impact,  view article

Middle schools and high schools within the Houston Independent School District are scrapping Halloween celebrations after new guidance prohibits most students from wearing costumes on the holiday. In letters sent to families within the district, several principals expressed disappointment in the new rule that led to the cancellation of several Halloween events, like Hamilton Middle School’s “Where Dreams Come True” Disney-themed costume day. view article

A Northeast Texas school district is investigating allegations of unsportsmanlike conduct by its students against a visiting volleyball team during a game on Tuesday. volleyball-blur.png Video posted on social media shows Pleasant Grove High School students acting up, even potentially spitting on players, behind North Lamar High School's bench. view article

A Texas Hill Country school district is mourning the death of a student who was one of three people killed in a Kendall County car crash. Officials are now investigating the crash that occurred just east of Bandera County. The Texas Department of Public Safety provided information about three Pipe Creek residents who died in a two-vehicle crash at 8 p.m. on Tuesday night, October 29, in Kendall County. The crash happened when a Ford F-250 Super Duty heading west on State Highway 46 passed in a no-pass zone and struck a Toyota Corolla. view article

Carlisle ISD is mourning the loss of a high school student Wednesday. According to the district, a high school student was killed in an early morning one-vehicle crash Wednesday. The district has not released the student’s name out of respect for them and their family. Additional counselors have been brought to campus for student support, they said. view article

After the UIL Area Marching Band Contest last weekend, the UIL Region 15 Executive Committee held an emergency meeting Tuesday to discuss allegations brought by Brownsville ISD toward Sharyland ISD high school bands for violating UIL practice rules, which resulted in a reprimand. view article

Communities in Schools of the Coastal Bend aims to remove obstacles to education, delivering mental health support, family engagement, enrichment and academic support. view article

LOCKHART, Texas — Sometime last year, Alfonso Sifuentes was on a bus tour as part of a chamber of commerce’s efforts to map out the future of the bustling Central Texas region south of Austin where he lives and works.  There was chatter about why San Marcos, a suburb along one stretch of the Interstate 35 corridor, had little interest in a proposed expansion of Austin Community College into that area. Voters previously rejected the idea because of the property tax increase it would have required. As he swayed in his seat on the moving bus, Sifuentes, a businessman in the waste management industry who has long been involved in community development, thought about his hometown of Lockhart — like San Marcos just 30-some miles from Austin — and about the opportunities the college’s growing network of campuses could bring. Somewhere along the bus route, he made a declaration for all to hear.  “Well, if San Marcos doesn’t want it,” Sifuentes said, “Lockhart will take it.” view article

After holding an emergency executive meeting to discuss allegations against two Sharyland high school marching bands, the Region 15 UIL Executive Committee decided to reprimand the district for violating UIL practice rules. Sharyland High School and Sharyland Pioneer are at the center of allegations that were made by Mary Solis, the principal at Porter Early College High School in Brownsville. view article

Family members of Nikki Curtis, the 2-year-old murdered by Robert Roberson, have written to the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee blasting the “one-sided” portrayal given of the killer in their attempt to exonerate him. view article

Over 1,000 inmates are being detained in the county jail before being taken into ICE custody.   view article

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals accused state Rep. Jeff Leach of privately attempting to sway a judge on the state's highest criminal court to reconsider their vote in a previous decision and grant death row inmate Robert Roberson a new trial, a "clear violation" of the state ethics code for attorneys, according to a letter the court sent Friday that Leach confirmed Monday.  Leach, a Republican from Plano who is an attorney, texted a judge on the Criminal Appeals Court: "One Judge. That's all that's needed to simply say... there are too many questions and too many holes and too much uncertainty... and Robert Roberson deserves a new trial," according to the court's letter. view article

Dozens of Fort Worth ISD seniors received a special surprise Monday when they were handed scholarships along with their college acceptance letters. They were even more surprised to learn the amount of funding they're getting. view article

Communities in Schools of the Coastal Bend aims to remove obstacles to education, delivering mental health support, family engagement, enrichment and academic support. During a Corpus Christi Independent School District school board committee meeting Monday afternoon, Gloria Taylor, chief executive officer of Community in Schools of the Coastal Bend, shared an annual report on the organization's activities in CCISD. view article

For the first time in 26 years, KENS 5 and Credit Human are doubling down on educators with the EXCEL Award. The winner now receives a $2,000 check. view article

Clifton ISD has announced on Facebook that the district will not hold school in support of the marching band’s state competition on Nov. 6. The competition will be held at the Alamodome Stadium in San Antonio, and the district said the reason it is canceling school for the day is to allow students and staff the option to support the band members at the competition. view article

The principal of Riverside Elementary School in Sunland Park, New Mexico, has died unexpectedly, Gadsden Independent School District said Sunday night, Oct. 27. Vicente Sanchez, principal at Riverside ES, died at his home on Sunday night, the district said. The district did not offer any other details. view article

Coppell ISD approved a resolution on Oct. 23 to move the elementary International Baccalaureate (IB) program to Wilson Elementary, consolidate the Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program to Denton Creek Elementary and for Pre-K programs be leveled across the district. This action was taken as a result of the Board’s September 30 decision to consolidate Pinkerton Elementary. view article

An East Texas high school football coach has been suspended for the remainder of the 2024 season after the University Interscholastic League (UIL) found he violated rules set forth by the state's public school extra-curricular activities governing body. During a meeting of the UIL State Executive Committee on Thursday, Westwood ISD head coach Richard Bishop was suspended from all football-related activities and placed on probation for the remainder of the 2024-25 school year. He was also publicly reprimanded. view article

A school district once had students required to pay $1 to receive a new hallway pass if it was lost. Crystal City ISD, located about two hours southwest of San Antonio, only give one paper hallway pass each month to students. The pass allows students to leave the classroom for restroom breaks or other reasons requiring them to exit during class time. view article

Another North Texas school district is considering closing schools due to budget constraints and declining enrollment. Lewisville ISD is considering potentially closing five elementary schools: B.B. Owen Elementary, Creekside Elementary, Garden Ridge Elementary, Highland Village Elementary and Polser STEM Academy. view article

Recently, Leadership Round Rock participated in K-12 Day, a collaborative event with Round Rock ISD and the Round Rock Chamber of Commerce designed to highlight the district’s innovative educational programs. The group visited several campuses to see firsthand the unique approaches to student engagement and learning implemented within our district. view article

Tarrant County’s voting machines are incapable of changing voters’ ballots, according to the manufacturer. “Tarrant County’s voting devices are among the most secure in the nation and do not ‘flip votes,’” said a spokesperson for Hart InterCivic in an emailed statement. “The devices are tested and certified at the state and federal level and were successfully tested locally in Tarrant County prior to the start of Early Voting.” The company is aware of reports of a Tarrant County man who said a voting machine changed his choice for president at the White Settlement Library on Monday, Oct. 21, and it is taking the allegation seriously, the spokesperson said. “Hart voting machines cannot and do not ‘flip’ votes,” the statement read. view article

On Wednesday, students from Tom Bean ISD spent the day volunteering at different locations across Texoma as part of their second annual day of service. “It‘s really just a way for us to not only serve the community, but for our students to understand the value and the impact that they can have on the community as well,” Tom Bean’s director of academics and student services Emily Chapman said. view article

Whitney ISD released a statement after multiple issues with fans interacting with officials during their football games. In the statement, the district said last week head coach and Athletic Director David Haynes Jr. was warned that he would be ejected from the game if Whitney ISD fans did not calm down. At the end of that game, Whitney ISD says a fan came onto the field and confronted the officials by cursing at them. view article

It’s 7 p.m. on a school night at South Oak Cliff High School, and it’s dark out. Classes ended hours ago, but the cheer team’s still in the parking lot practicing as band members blow their horns in and out of the band room. It’s not quiet in the auditorium either. District 9 trustees Edward Turner and District 5 trustee Maxie Johnson share a microphone, taking turns as they explain the meeting’s purpose to about three dozen people in attendance. They’re parents, students, community members, and even some SOC alums, teachers and other employees. view article