Happy Thankgiving

TexasISD.com will return to our regular schedule on Monday, December 2nd.

SAISD trustees go all in for tougher terms on land sale to pave way for Missions deal

The San Antonio Independent School District upped the ante Monday night in its negotiations with developers over a deal to sell its 2-acre parking lot.  view article

Texas names new higher education chief

Wynn Rosser will be in charge of guiding the state’s postsecondary education policies. He currently leads a foundation focused on rural East Texas and previously worked at Texas A&M.   view article

Preventive Law: Pause on Paid Leave and Reassignments

Humble ISD Superintendent Elizabeth Fagen defends record at proposed termination appeal hearing

Despite a brief but explicit interruption by visuals of male genitalia when a Zoom-bomber entered the proposed termination hearing of Humble ISD Superintendent Elizabeth Fagen, the appeal continued Thursday afternoon with the superintendent defending her track record. Proceedings detailed the romantic relationship between Fagen and her husband, former Humble ISD Athletic Director Troy Kite, and the legal melee borne of numerous Title IX complaints against him. Trustees voted 4-3 to terminate Fagen in July, which she then appealed in a case being heard by a state hearing officer.  Lead attorney for the Board of Trustees, Craig Wood, argued that it was Fagen’s relationship with Kite that cost the district $1.3 million in legal fees and led to a year of litigation on various Title IX complaints related to the original complaint made against Kite. He also alleged that Fagen did not act appropriately when Kite’s determination was made and that there was a breakdown in the working relationship between Fagen and the board.   "We will give you specific examples of how that (relationship) became disruptive. But in particular, we're going to show you that there was a very significant event that has been hugely impactful on the school district, and not in a good way," Wood said. "The trust is broken, and that's really what this case is about.” view article

A tuition freeze without more state aid could leave Texas universities strapped

Regional colleges rely more on tuition revenue to operate than flagship campuses. Gov. Greg Abbott’s desire to pause increases could create tight financial conditions.  “Texans face significant rising costs due to inflation,” Abbott wrote. “When inflation and other economic pressures burden household budgets, our public universities must take every step possible to ease the financial burden on our students and their families.”  But without additional funding from the Legislature, Abbott’s desire to freeze tuition at public universities for another two years could create a tight budget situation for many of them, especially regional institutions that rely more on tuition revenue compared to flagship campuses. That’s because they have smaller budgets and endowments, fewer research grants and fewer deep-pocketed donors to make massive gifts. Faculty and higher education experts say they’re worried the state won’t step up to make up the difference. view article

La Porte ISD First in Texas to Earn Region 4 School Safety and Security Certification

La Porte ISD is proud to announce a groundbreaking collaboration with the University of Houston-Clear Lake to offer high school students an innovative opportunity to engage in college-level STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) coursework. This innovative partnership allows La Porte ISD students to take STEM-based courses, instructed by college professors and graduate students, and gain hands-on experience in these cutting-edge fields. La Porte ISD has successfully been certified through the Region 4 School Safety and Security Recognition program, a pivotal initiative designed to enhance the safety and security measures within Texas schools. This long-term support system aims to empower staff while ensuring compliance with the Texas Education Code.   view article

Abbott directs state agencies to divest from investments originating from China

(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

Why a West Texas county is building a new courthouse even after voters rejected the proposal

Officials took the extraordinary step of taking on new debt to replace the old courthouse, which has been plagued by rats and other pests, elevator breakdowns and flooding.   view article

A tuition freeze without more state aid could leave Texas universities strapped

When Jason Tomlinson presented a proposed tuition increase to the board of regents at Texas Woman's University earlier this month, he stated the obvious: view article

A tuition freeze without more state aid could leave Texas universities strapped

When Jason Tomlinson presented a proposed tuition increase to the board of regents at Texas Woman's University earlier this month, he stated the obvious: view article

State Board of Education says it wants more control over public school library books

A majority of the panel voted to call on the Texas Legislature to pass a state law giving members the authority to determine age-appropriate books for students. view article

Houston Man Indicted for Attempting to Aid ISIS

Anas Said was arrested and indicted for attempting to provide material support to foreign terrorist group ISIS.   view article

Incoming Lawmaker Files Legislation to Allow Death Penalty for Sex Crimes Against Children

State Rep.-elect Andy Hopper stated he has little confidence that a Democrat committee chair appointed by Speaker Dade Phelan will allow the measure to be heard.   view article

Gov. Abbott: US Foods Expansion in Buda Worth $120 Million in Capital Investment

US Foods will receive over $1 million in grants from the Texas Enterprise Fund towards the expansion, which is slated to create 165 new jobs.   view article

AG Ken Paxton Sues Dallas Over Decriminalization of Marijuana 


AG Ken Paxton Sues Dallas Over Decriminalization of Marijuana  According to Paxton, the charter amendment renders marijuana statutes unenforceable by local law enforcement in violation of Texas law. 

 view article

UT System Regents Approve Free Tuition for Families Making $100K or Less

Students with a family income of $100,000 or less will be eligible to receive free tuition at any of the University of Texas System’s nine academic institutions, the Board of Regents decided Thursday. view article

Texas Needs a Law to Protect Texas Land

We simply can’t let the CCP keep winning in Texas, and we can’t let them take over our land.  Texas belongs to Texans. So does Texas land.  However, as of today, anyone in the world can come to Texas to buy land—no limits, no restrictions, and no questions asked—even if the land is next to a military base, and even if the buyer is a citizen of an adversarial nation such as China or Iran. The fact is, a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) member and retired Chinese army officer already bought a big piece of Texas land close to a military base. That’s why last year, Texas State Senator Lois Kolkhorst proposed Senate Bill 147 to restrict foreign land purchases in Texas. However, the bill faced strong opposition from Chinese groups which described SB 147 as a “racist bill” and organized numerous protests and complaints against it. Finally, the bill was dead!  Can anyone believe that this happened in Texas? view article

Spring Branch ISD’s top 25 earners make nearly $5M, ranking 8th in Texas

Salaries for Spring Branch Independent School District’s top 25 earners totaled close to $5 million in the 2023-24 school year, placing the district among some of the highest-paying in the state. Superintendent Jennifer Blaine was the highest-paid employee in the 33,000-student district last year. Blaine’s $336,000 salary was more than 50% higher than any other employee in the district last year, according to the Chronicle’s analysis of Texas Education Agency data. The rest of Spring Branch ISD’s top-paid list for the 2023-24 school year included members of the executive leadership team, associate and community superintendents, and several principals. view article

Conroe ISD trustees reinstate 2023 bylaws for School Health Advisory Council

The SHAC was created to assist the district in ensuring that local community values and health issues are reflected in the district’s health and physical education instruction, according to information on the district website. “We as a board are not bound by these suggestions or advice and we aren’t compelled or bound to accept anything they present as marching orders or directives to us,” board President Misty Odenweller said at the meeting. view article

Longview ISD Education Support Center closed due to structure fire, no injuries reported

A structure fire in the Longview ISD Education Support Center has led to an immediate closure of the building after a reported structure fire overnight Friday. According to the Longview ISD, a fire broke out just after midnight on Friday at the Education Support Center causing significant structure damages to the northwest section of the building. Officials are also reporting that nobody was injured. Due to the nature of the damages, the building was closed for the day and staff were encouraged to work from home. view article

Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles’ chief of staff to leave district

HISD Superintendent Mike Miles' chief of staff Kerri Briggs is leaving her current role to pursue a new position at a Texas-based advocacy group. On Dec. 2, Briggs will take on her new role as the executive director of Educate Texas — a public school and higher education advocacy group organized under the Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT). The CFT made the announcement last week on its website. view article

Former Round Rock ISD police chief sues the district

Former Round Rock ISD police chief Dennis Weiner is suing the school district, claiming they violated the Texas Whistleblower Act. This stems from an incident where a student was apparently sexually assaulted by another student on a school bus. view article

Lewisville ISD trustees discuss campus retirement plans with community

Lewisville ISD parents and students gathered in a series of feedback meetings in November to discuss each of the five schools that could be impacted by possible campus closures. Community members began meeting on Nov. 12 and concluded their meetings on Nov. 21. These meetings were scheduled during a Nov. 6 board work session after trustees marked five potential campuses for closure. LISD Superintendent Dr. Lori Rapp and trustees traveled to Flower Mound, Hebron, Lewisville, Marcus and The Colony high schools to discuss feeder patterns regarding campus retirements. view article

Could free tuition from the UT System impact the competition for Texas college students?

But this week’s announcement that many heading to a University of Texas school soon will receive free tuition will open doors, said Etri, director of institutional improvement at ScholarShot – a Dallas-based nonprofit organization that supports students getting to and through college. view article

Legislation Filed to Require Country-of-Origin Labeling on Beef

The measure would require all beef sold in Texas to carry a country-of-origin label. 

 view article

Middle School Principal Arrested for Possession of Child Pornography

A middle school principal in East Texas has been arrested and charged with possession and promotion of child pornography. view article

State Board of Education Votes to Keep Biblical References in New Educational Materials

Members of the Texas State Board of Education met this week for a preliminary vote on the new Texas Bluebonnet Learning curriculum. view article

Texas education board signals support for first state-developed elementary curriculum

The Texas State Board of Education gave preliminary approval to new state-developed reading and math textbooks Nov. 19. Members are poised to green-light them later this week. The debate: Supporters of the proposed state curriculum say it would provide students with rigorous, age-appropriate content and help close achievement gaps, while critics argue frequent biblical references in the materials verge on proselytizing and could isolate students with different religious beliefs.   view article

Lubbock ISD school board to hear committee recommendations on campus consolidations Thursday

Lubbock Independent School District trustees will consider a citizens committee's recommendations for campus consolidations and potential school closures during a rare evening school board meeting Thursday. view article

Hermleigh ISD cracks down on negative behavior at sporting events

HERMLEIGH, Texas — Hermleigh ISD is cracking down on negative behavior at its sporting events. view article

Incoming Lawmaker Files Legislation to Allow Death Penalty for Sex Crimes Against Children

State Rep.-elect Andy Hopper stated he has little confidence that a Democrat committee chair appointed by Speaker Dade Phelan will allow the measure to be heard.   view article

Fraudulent Texts Spark Controversy in Speaker Phelan Leadership Race

Questions are being raised surrounding a fraudulent text message about a challenger to Speaker Dade Phelan. view article