Gun found on Dallas ISD elementary school campus

Dallas ISD is stepping up security measures at Solar Preparatory School after a gun was found on campus on Friday. view article

Westwood ISD teacher accused of ‘troubling’ classroom incident involving animal

A teacher for a Palestine school bonded out of jail Sunday after being accused of animal cruelty. Emily Marie Benner, 25, of Oakwood, was arrested Sunday by Westwood ISD PD for cruelty to non-livestock animals after what the school called a “deeply troubling” classroom incident on Friday. view article

Diabetes took over her life, until a stem cell therapy freed her

For years, Amanda Smith and her husband were jolted awake at night by a buzz-buzz-beep — an alarm warning that her blood sugar was too high or too low. She would reach for juice boxes stored in her nightstand or fiddle with her pump to release a bolus of insulin.  Smith, a 35-year-old nurse from London, Ontario, has Type 1 diabetes, which wipes out critical islet cells within the pancreas that produce insulin. Without them, Smith relied on vials of insulin from a pharmacy and constant vigilance to stay alive. “You have to pay attention to your diabetes, or you die.” view article

Carroll ISD, Dallas ISD investigate unrelated school safety incidents

Investigations are underway on Monday after safety threats at two different North Texas school districts. In Dallas ISD, a tip led school leaders at Solar Preparatory School for Boys to find and quickly recover a gun from a student. A letter was sent to parents on Friday when it happened. view article

Austin ISD settles lawsuit with Disability Rights Texas over special education backlog

Last Thursday, Austin ISD's board voted to approve the settlement, though neither the district nor Disability Rights Texas have released additional details. view article

A North Texas college donated land to a Christian school. State and federal laws prohibit such gifts, experts say

In 2004, a public junior college in North Texas abandoned plans to lease some of its land to a religious organization for $1 a month after the state attorney general warned that the effort could violate the law. Nearly two decades later, the college went further. After publicly posting only that Weatherford College’s board would meet to discuss property, members emerged from behind closed doors in November 2022 and voted unanimously to give a 38-acre property to Community Christian School. The property was valued at more than $2 million, according to the county’s appraisal district. view article

Anthony ISD proposes property tax hike to address budget shortfall

The Anthony Independent School District is looking to increase taxes for its home property owners. The school district is asking voters to consider raising their taxes in the November election. This comes after the Superintendent said the district experienced a budget shortfall due to continued inflation. view article

Round Rock ISD teacher accused of indecency, child pornography, court documents say

A Round Rock Independent School teacher was arrested and accused of indecency with a child and child pornography, according to an affidavit of probable cause from the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. Court records said the victim reached out to the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division in June about the incidents. view article

Teachers union decries first year of Houston ISD takeover, Mike Miles’ New Education System

During a Houston City Council committee hearing Thursday, a local teachers federation painted a disturbing picture of Houston ISD campuses since the state’s takeover of its largest school district last year. Speaking for the Houston Federation of Teachers, a local union that represents more than 6,000 district teachers, digital organizer Jessie Heiner and Chief of Staff Corina Ortiz reiterated the organization’s concerns with the New Education System, school facilities and campus upkeep ahead of the new school year to members of the city council’s labor committee. view article

Abilene ISD reacts to recent educator arrest

The Abilene Police Department arrested Lawrence Brandt Grigg, a former employee with Abilene ISD, Wednesday on suspicion of engaging in an improper relationship between an educator and a student. Grigg, 53, was being held Friday in the Taylor County Jail on a $1 million bond, according to jail records. view article

Harvard Elementary PTA calls for community meeting with Houston ISD to discuss HVAC issues at schoo

Harvard Elementary School has dealt with extreme heat over the first two weeks of classes due to issues with the school’s HVAC system. Now, the students’ parents have run out of patience, and they are demanding answers. On Friday, the Harvard PTA released an open letter to the community, which can be found here. In the letter, PTA President Anar Abasov addresses the issues with the school and requests a community meeting with Houston ISD. view article

‘We are out of money’: Lubbock ISD to raise employee health premiums

Faculty and staff in the Lubbock Independent School District, one of the city's largest employers, will be paying more for their health insurance next year after a Thursday school-board vote. The Lubbock ISD Board of Trustees voted to approve next year's employee premiums for the district's self-funded heath plans, all of which will increase in January. Under the initial proposal, premiums in some cases would be more than double the current cost, but the board opted to divide those increases over two years. view article

El Paso ISD officers arrested for attempting to falsely charge fellow officer, oust chief

Two El Paso Independent School District police officers were arrested and charged with official oppression and tampering with evidence and a dispatcher was arrested and charged with breach of computer security after trying to impose false criminal charges on a fellow police officer co-worker and trying to get the police chief fired. view article

10-year-old Fort Bend ISD special needs student locked up, found with a gun at school

A little boy is discovered at school with a gun in Fort Bend County, and now he's in a juvenile detention center, a place his mother says her 10-year-old special needs child doesn't belong. The 10-year-old, who had a gun at school, attends class in Fort Bend County's Structured Therapeutic Educational Program, designed for special education students and those who need specialized behavioral support. view article

Brenham ISD investigating incident involving an adult and student on school bus

Cell phone video taken on a Brenham school bus and obtained by KBTX last week shows what appears to be an adult boarding the stopped bus and physically assaulting a student. In a statement shared with parents last week, Brenham ISD said, “We want to inform you about an incident that occurred today, August 19, 2024, at approximately 4:45 PM involving Bus Route 13. A parent forcibly entered the bus to address a student. This incident was immediately reported to the authorities, and the parents of the student involved have been contacted.” view article

Flour Bluff ISD addresses school bus AC concerns amid budget constraints

About a week into the new school year, the Flour Bluff Independent School District began communicating with parents about transportation challenges — primarily that a few buses in the district's aging fleet don't have functioning air conditioning. With heat advisories just about every day, keeping students cool on their ride home from school is no easy task. view article

Abilene ISD music instructor accused of improper relationship with student

An Abilene ISD music instructor is accused of having an improper relationship with a student. Lawrence Grigg, 54, was taken into custody Wednesday on a warrant for Improper Relationship Between Educator and Student in connection to an investigation that began in July. A press release states police began investigating Grigg after receiving notification from Abilene ISD that he may possibly be engaged in an improper relationship with a student. view article

Fort Bend ISD to vote Monday on policy which could give superintendent authority to remove certain books from libraries

The Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees are expected to vote on a policy change on Monday which could allow the superintendent authority to remove certain books from school libraries. The superintendent would also be able to designate someone to fulfill that role. view article

Man tried to lure kids into his red car near elementary school, Klein ISD police say

Klein ISD is warning students and parents after they said a man tried to lure several students to get into his car. The Klein ISD Police Department sent the letter to Ehrhardt Elementary School families on Friday. They said they got a report that a man in a red, four-door Lexus with damage to its right rear bumper tried to convince students who were walking home from school to get into his car. view article

Hutto ISD launches new apprenticeship program this fall to grow new teachers

Tucked behind a neighborhood off of U.S. Highway 79 in Hutto sits one of the school district’s newest schools, equipped with E-gaming arena seating and bigger classrooms with more lighting. Gus Almquist Middle School was expected to open with 963 students enrolled, but that number can always increase throughout the year. That’s to be expected from a school district that has doubled in size in the past ten years and is currently the fifth-fastest growing district in the state. view article

Majority of Houston ISD voters would support a bond without tax increases, Kinder survey shows

As Houston ISD prepares for a pivotal vote this November on a $4.4 billion bond proposal, a new survey conducted by Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research reveals significant backing from Houston residents. The survey found that about 75% of about 4,500 HISD residents were in favor of the bond, so long as it doesn’t raise property taxes by more than $1 per year. About 58% said they’d support the bond if it increased property taxes by about $25 per year. On the far end of the spectrum, only 17% of HISD residents said they’d support the bond if property taxes increased by more than $200 per year. view article

‘Unintended consequences’: Conroe ISD board to alter book review policy after 25 A.P. books banned

Several Conroe ISD librarians requested a level three hearing with members of the school board. Board President Skeeter Hubert, who attended the meeting, said the librarians asked for additional guidance out of concern. view article

Round Rock Teacher Arrested for Child Sex Crimes

Domingo Perez Jr. has been charged with indecency with a child by sexual contact and possession of child pornography..   view article

Here’s everything you need to know about Magnolia ISD’s upcoming VATRE

In an effort to improve teacher retention and provide raises to school resource officers, the Magnolia ISD will hold a voter-approval tax rate election Nov. 5. A voter-approval tax rate election, or VATRE, is an election that asks voters whether or not they authorize the school district to access the maintenance and operations tax rate to create additional local and state funding. view article

Lufkin ISD to offer class on ‘Raising Highly Capable Kids’

Lufkin ISD will offer a 13-week course, Raising Highly Capable Kids, starting on Monday. No registration is needed to join, and the classes will run weekly from from 6 to 7 p.m. The program will be held at the District Education Center. Carla Owen, the family engagement specialist for Lufkin ISD, explains the goal of the program and how parents can benefit from it. view article

7 Questions with… Huron ISD School Psychologist Mae Woodke

The 2024-25 school year will mark Huron ISD School Psychologist Mae Woodke’s first year on the job as a licensed school psychologist. Recently, the Tribune asked her seven questions about her job and life: view article

State Rep. Harrison Busts School Funding Myths, Pushes for Fiscal Responsibility

The lawmaker pointed to sharp increases in per-pupil spending and administrative staff positions in Texas schools over the last decade.   view article

Preventive Law: Spilling the Tea:  Liability for Defamation in a School District

Preventive Law: Thinking About Transportation Policies

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Preventive Law: Who is the National Digital Accessibility Team, and They Want Me to do WHAT with the District Website???

Preventive Law: DOI-ng it Right: Exemptions to Consider in Optimizing Your Local Innovation Plan

Preventive Law: Blackhole Consequences of Shooting STAAR

Preventive Law: Public Comment Now Open on Sweeping Dyslexia Handbook Changes

Preventive Law: Disciplining Off-Campus Student Speech:  Balancing School Safety Interests with Students’ Constitutional Free Speech Rights

Preventive Law: No Pass, No Play, No Problem?  UIL Creates Confusion for Special Educators