In a quarterly demographic update from district demographer Bob Templeton of Zonda Education given Dec. 12, Templeton said the district added 559 new students to the district—about 40 students higher than originally projected by the firm. Templeton said regional economic activity—like the draw of Samsung and other active industries—are large contributors to this increased enrollment. view article

New Braunfels ISD is seeing gradual growth as the district recovers from the slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, with projections showing an annual increase of about 0.7%. Superintendent Dr. Laulyn Aterbury said while growth is not as rapid as in previous years, it’s not in decline either. view article

As a vigil took place across town for the Houston ISD student who was fatally struck by a train earlier this week, Superintendent Mike Miles announced the district would be working with city and county officials on possible safety improvements. During a Thursday press conference, Miles announced that he would be working with Houston Mayor John Whitmire and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo to explore ways to provide students with safer alternatives to crossing train tracks near Houston ISD campuses. view article

Days after a Houston ISD teen was tragically killed by a train while walking to school, community members and loved ones are joining together to honor his memory and ramp up calls for safety. view article

Austin Tice is a Marine Corps veteran, freelance journalist, and Houston native who was abducted in 2012 while reporting on the unrest in Syria.   view article

University professors across the political spectrum in Texas are preemptively self-censoring themselves for fear of damaging their reputations or losing their jobs, according to a new survey from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a First Amendment advocacy group. view article

Leander ISD is taking the next steps in creating its own police force to comply with a new state law. Shā Rogers, LISD’s executive director of safety and security, updated parents on the district’s progress in forming a police department at three community events throughout November and December. view article

The Vidor Independent School District has seen a drop in its enrollment over the past four decades. "We have been experiencing a small, steady decline since 1980 when Vidor ISD was at 5,800 students," district spokesperson Bryan Brassard said. "Since then, we dropped anywhere from 50 to 100 students per year with the exception of the years after severe storms and COVID. Those events negatively impacted us by dropping us by around 300 students each time." view article

Just over a day after a Milby High School student died after being struck by a train on their way to school, Houston ISD is offering to help the family cover the funeral cost. On Tuesday afternoon, Houston ISD Chief of Public Affairs and Communication Alexandra Elizondo said the incident was tragic and that the district would be assisting the family. view article

North East Independent School District and Judson Independent School District are both preparing to consolidate schools. NEISD’s superintendent announced Tuesday that the district is considering consolidating three of its schools. The three proposed schools would be Clear Springs Elementary, Wilshire Elementary and Driscoll Middle School. view article

The Lubbock ISD Board of Trustees voted 6-0 to send Hodges Elementary students to Bean Elementary next school year. The board voted to close three schools last week. At that special meeting, parents and students made their case to keep Hodges open, but the board says the attendance just isn’t there. view article

Irene Fulton has worked as a counselor at Fort Worth ISD’s West Handley Elementary School for 29 years. Soon, she’ll retire, she told the Report. Not long after that, the school in which she spent nearly half of her career will be gone, too. view article

The Houston Independent School District (HISD) pledged continued support for the family of 15-year-old Sergio Rodriguez, a Milby High School student who was killed in a train accident and announced measures to assist grieving students and staff. view article

Another San Antonio school district is considering closing schools to make better use of funding amid declining enrollment. A committee for the North East Independent School District has recommended closing three campuses at the end of the current school year: Driscoll Middle School, Wilshire Elementary School, and Clear Spring Elementary School. view article

We're hearing more instances of schools closing or "consolidating" to help keep their districts afloat. Most recently, North East and Crystal City ISD's announced similar changes for next school year. view article

Lewisville Independent School District is the latest district to decide to close some of its schools. The Board of Trustees voted Monday night to close five elementary schools and also rezone parts of the district. Parents like Laura Minter are now left to pick up the pieces. Minter said she had a tough conversation with her 9-year-old Peyton who found out his school would be closing for good. view article

Tano Tijerina was elected as a Democrat to lead Webb County, which includes Laredo. It is among many border counties that Trump won in November.   view article

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BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) — The Bastrop Independent School District is planning to change attendance zone boundaries to accommodate a student population projected to more than double in the next 10 years. view article

A comptroller’s report found that deporting the estimated 1.4 million undocumented immigrants living in Texas in 2005 would have cost the state about $17.7 billion in gross domestic product.   view article

Frisco ISD made a pragmatic call by launching a program that will open enrollment at select campuses to students living outside the district. Starting in the 2025-26 school year, the Access Frisco program will allow students in kindergarten through seventh grade to apply for enrollment at one of 16 FISD schools. The district is joining the ranks of several other North Texas districts that have similar programs, including Coppell ISD and Plano ISD. view article

Members of Houston ISD's District Advisory Committee (DAC)—made up of teachers, parents, and community members—drafted a letter to the state-appointed board asking for Superintendent Mike Miles's resignation, but disagreements among committee members led to the missive's demise. The document, dated Nov. 13 and addressed to the HISD Board of Managers, asked for the superintendent to step down. "If Miles fails to resign, we ask that the Board of Managers terminate his employment with HISD." view article

Conroe ISD parents are expressing outrage after a message was sent home stating their children had lost the privilege to use the restroom because of a lost restroom pass. The incident occurred at Bartlett Elementary School in Conroe, and has sparked concerns over the well-being and treatment of students. view article

Parents are outraged after a teacher sent out a message to families saying she had revoked bathroom privileges for her class as a reprimand. As a result, several of the students wet their pants. "Pure outrage," Amber Johnson, a mother of one of the students, said. "That is uncalled for, unhealthy, and it's not going to happen," Joseph McCauley, a father of one of the students, said. view article

Written by Aileen C., Dallas Education Foundation Social Media and Marketing Intern Continuing its commitment to advance literacy across the district, Dallas Education Foundation is partnering with NEC Corporation of America. Through this collaboration, seven book vending machines have recently been installed across Dallas ISD. These schools are: view article

A tutor bent across her desk at Padrón Elementary on a recent November morning and pointed with a pencil to a list of words on a page. She touched the pencil to each word. A second-grader focused his attention and read them back. view article

College Station ISD made the decision to cancel classes at Pebble Creek Elementary for Friday following a pipe that burst at the school Wednesday. The school first canceled classes on Thursday for this issue. In a message to parents shared on Facebook, the district said the decision to close was made to ensure proper air quality testing is completed and the building is safe enough for students and staff to return. view article

State leaders want nuclear reactors to provide consistent, low-carbon power to large industrial facilities. But in South Texas, locals worry what a uranium mining boom could mean for their groundwater.   view article

The Texas Legislature has prioritized getting high school dropouts the skills they need to enter the workforce.   view article

Dozens of local teachers are now having their certifications reviewed by the state after being accused of paying someone to take a teacher certification test for them. 13 Investigates has obtained from the Texas Education Agency a list of 102 of the approximately 200 teachers the Harris County District Attorney's office said were involved in the teacher certification scandal. view article

With a new slate of conservative board members recently voted in, Conroe ISD trustees are nearing approval of a new policy that mirrors one currently under federal investigation in a neighboring district. At Tuesday night’s workshop meeting, board members discussed drafting and implementing a "parental authority and gender fluidity matters" measure. The divisive proposal failed to gain traction earlier this year after now-board president Misty Odenweller floated it when former board president Skeeter Hubert was at the district's helm. view article

The Amarillo Independent School District Board of Trustees is grappling with declining enrollment figures, which could lead to school closures and consolidations under the district's current guidelines. According to the district's policy, schools with enrollments dropping to around 300 students are placed on a watchlist and considered for potential closure and consolidation with another school. view article

Valley View Elementary School may not open when the next school year begins. If that happens, Barton Creek Elementary, a few miles away, is where Valley View students will attend class. The consolidation is called a "blend" by officials with Eanes ISD. On Tuesday, parents who have kids in both schools met with district staff and board members for the first of three community listening sessions. Parents who spoke to FOX 7 were not convinced what they said would make a difference. view article

The new school will welcome over 2,200 students, with construction set to start in spring 2025. view article

In a recent local newspaper article, the Katy ISD was criticized for 'banning' 14 new books to start the school year. But in a KTRH exclusive, it turns out, that's not the real story. "We're not banning any books" said Morgan Calhoun, a Katy ISD Trustee, "And to be fair, the board didn't actually do this. This was on the administration, the administrative side, to remove those books." view article