Prosper ISD officials project $20.3M shortfall in FY 2024-25

Expenses for the FY 2024-25 budget are expected to be $363.44 million, while revenue is expected to reach $343.14 million—leaving a shortfall of $20.3 million—according to a preliminary budget discussion held during a June 17 board meeting. “We’re looking at a $20 million deficit, which is hard to swallow,” PISD Chief Financial Officer Michele Seese said. In spite of budget restraints, district officials approved a 3% raise for teachers and staff in FY 2024-25. view article

Prosper ISD officials project $20.3M shortfall in FY 2024-25

Expenses for the FY 2024-25 budget are expected to be $363.44 million, while revenue is expected to reach $343.14 million—leaving a shortfall of $20.3 million—according to a preliminary budget discussion held during a June 17 board meeting. “We’re looking at a $20 million deficit, which is hard to swallow,” PISD Chief Financial Officer Michele Seese said. In spite of budget restraints, district officials approved a 3% raise for teachers and staff in FY 2024-25. view article

Fort Stockton School board votes no to year-round school

FORT STOCKTON, Texas (KOSA) - During a school board meeting Monday, the Fort Stockton ISD School board voted against the 2024-2025 schedule to year-round school. This comes as an effort to improve academics after STAAR test scores decreased throughout the state. The new schedule would extend the school year into June, with some exceptions. The superintendent says that if students meet certain requirements throughout the school year, they will be exempt from the extra school days. view article

El Paso school district freezes teacher salaries amid $18.4 million budget deficit

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Teachers and employees at the El Paso School District will not have pay increases for the 2024-2025 school year.  On Monday, the El Paso ISD School Board voted to not offer pay increases for employees.  The board adopted its budget for the upcoming school year with a deficit of $18.4 million.  Funds from the deficit will go toward general expenses and maintenance for the district.  The district will look for funding for a possible one-time stipend for employees throughout the year. view article

Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD approves 2% raise for teachers, staff

Three months ago, trustee William Boaz wasn’t sure if Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD could provide raises. He kept coming back to a single number: zero. He thought the district’s 2024-25 budget was shaping up to be a doozy.  Now, the budget is in a better spot, and so are pay increases. The Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD school board unanimously approved a 2% raise on all full-time employees’ salaries.  “I think this is the most exciting 2%,” Boaz said during a recent meeting as other board members audibly agreed. view article

Austin ISD implements strategies to improve student achievement (En español)

Results of the 2024 STAAR are now available and show Austin ISD, along with other Texas school districts, still struggling to get scores back on track post-pandemic. Why it matters: While test scores aren’t the only measure of academic knowledge, the tests show how our students are mastering course material so we can create plans to address gaps in knowledge. What they’re saying: “For us it’s a data point,” said Superintendent Matias Segura. “The STAAR is a tool that helps us understand where we are and how we compare to other school districts around the state.” By the numbers: 2024 scores for the district show an increase in reading proficiency from June 2019, but a decrease in math scores. Sixth grade test scores showed the greatest margin of increase in reading proficiency from 39% to 54%. Third grade math tests scores from Spring 2019 to Spring 2024 show a decrease of 10 percentage points, from 52% to 42%. Closing the gap: Austin ISD uses a balanced assessment system to have a fuller picture of our students’ progress. Teachers are continuously collecting data on students to monitor and adjust teaching and learning. And ultimately, students' learning needs have changed in a post-pandemic climate. Here’s how we’re changing our tactics to support students: view article

When does school start in August? Mark your calendar for Austin-area’s first day of school

When does school begin again? Though many students are just now getting into their second month of summer, some parents are ready for school to start up again. These are the dates Austin-area students will be back in the classroom and how many days of summer each district had. Here are all the Austin-area schools' start dates: view article

Education commissioner asks board to approve lackluster charter applications that will cost school districts additional millions of dollars

‘Honored to be chosen’: Longview ISD board officially hires new superintendent

Longview ISD's new superintendent will take over leadership of the district July 1. Trustees voted unanimously Tuesday night to hire Marla Sheppard, who has been serving as the deputy chief of academics of KIPP Texas Public Schools in Houston. Kipp is a national organization of charter schools. Sheppard has a doctor of education in professional leadership from the University of Houston. view article

‘It won’t compromise education’ | Temple ISD brings Artificial Intelligence into the classroom

Temple ISD is navigating using Artificial Intelligence in its classrooms. It will be a multi-year process focusing on generative AI. The district may use it for assessment, instruction and measuring student progress. view article

Parents React to Katy ISD Personal Device Ban

The Katy ISD Board of Trustees voted and approved this week a revised Discipline Management Plan that restricts the use of personal devices such as cell phones and smart watches. Starting next year, all students will have a Chromebook device. view article

Hallsville ISD OKs $118K for special education iPads

The Hallsville ISD Board of Trustees recently approved a purchase of 120 iPads for the special education department in the amount of $118,260. The motion to consider the approval of purchasing iPads to assist teachers and students in the Special Education department was presented by Special Education Director Amy Collins. She said that there were three proposals included in the motion, with the option to purchase directly from Apple resulting in the least expensive option available. view article

Killeen ISD superintendent says her budget will be cut 20 percent, and said others will follow to close in on the multi-million dollar deficit

Killeen Independent School District's superintendent addressed the several million dollar deficit the district is facing. This is the second time Dr. Jo Ann Fey has been in the budget planning process for KISD, but this year the district is faced with what she describes as a 'perfect storm.' view article

Brownsville ISD places 17 schools on Texas Honor Roll

The Brownsville Independent School District announced that it placed 17 schools on the 2023 Texas Honor Roll compiled by the Educational Results Partnership, a nonprofit that applies data science to help improve student outcomes and career readiness throughout the educational system. view article

Marion ISD named School Board of the Year for Region 20

A big congratulations is in order for the Marion ISD Board of Trustees, which has been selected as one of the top school boards in Texas. The Marion school board has been named the 2024 Regional School Board of the Year for Education Service Center 20. Marion ISD Superintendent Don Beck is thrilled by the recognition. Dr. Beck says this is a well-deserved recognition for this particular group of trustees. view article

Northwest ISD adopts deficit budget

Northwest ISD will once again be operating in a deficit for the new fiscal year. At its regularly scheduled meeting Monday, the NISD Board of Trustees adopted the 2024-2025 budget that includes a roughly $15.8 million deficit. view article

Beaumont ISD board approves proposal for 5% pay raise for employees

On Tuesday night, the Beaumont Independent School District board voted to approve a proposal for employee raises. However, voters are the ones who get the final say on the November ballot. If the proposal is approved by voters, all full-time employees will receive a 5% raise that would take effect in December 2024. While the raise would come from taxpayers, BISD says the increase in salary would attract more employees amid a national teacher shortage. view article

Lockhart ISD adopts balanced budget with raises for teachers, free student supplies

Lockhart Independent School District will enter next year with a balanced budget. Last night, its board of trustees approved the budget for next year which will include pay raises for teachers and staff. “In Lockhart, we have a saying that we like to say, ‘Lockhart leading,’” said Lockhart ISD Superintendent Mark Estrada. view article

Texas Education Agency moves to appoint conservators for Austin ISD

Austin ISD's board of trustees said in a statement Friday evening that conservators selected by the TEA would work with the district to provide special education services to students with disabilities. The board also said the district has a right to appeal the conservatorship, but did not state whether it would do so. "We are focused on our students, and we welcome collaboration with TEA to help us catch up on long-overdue evaluations. We are united in our focus to ensure that all students receive what they need, when they need it," the statement read. The board plans to hold a public meeting to address the conservatorship and allow for public comment on Monday evening. The TEA shared with The Texas Tribune the final report of its investigation into Austin ISD. In it, the agency said the district failed to evaluate students in need of special education sAustin ISD's board of trustees said in a statement Friday evening that conservators selected by the TEA would work with the district to provide special education services to students with disabilities. The board also said the district has a right to appeal the conservatorship, but did not state whether it would do so. "We are focused on our students, and we welcome collaboration with TEA to help us catch up on long-overdue evaluations. We are united in our focus to ensure that all students receive what they need, when they need it," the statement read. The board plans to hold a public meeting to address the conservatorship and allow for public comment on Monday evening. The TEA shared with The Texas Tribune the final report of its investigation into Austin ISD. In it, the agency said the district failed to evaluate students in need of special education services and to provide those services to eligible students. The district was placed on an improvement plan but did not make significant fixes, the report said.ervices and to provide those services to eligible students. The district was placed on an improvement plan but did not make significant fixes, the report said. view article

LA PORTE ISD TO HOLD JOB FAIR ON JUNE 27

LA PORTE ISD TO HOLD JOB FAIR ON JUNE 27        La Porte Independent School District will hold a job fair from 4-5:30 p.m. on June 27 to fill classroom teacher and paraprofessional positions.      The district is recruiting:  

ICE to close nation’s largest migrant detention center in South Texas

McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — A South Texas migrant detention center that has the most detainees of any U.S. facility will be shutting down, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said. The South Texas Family Residential Center, in Dilley, Texas, will be closing to save costs, according to ICE, which said it is “the most expensive facility in the national detention network.”  ICE detention facilities at highest levels since 2020, report finds  The Dilley facility is operated by the Tennessee-based CoreCivic, a private prison operator for whom it generated $156.6 million in revenue in 2023, according to Dow Jones. view article

HISD bond proposal includes $580M for ‘co-location’ of 15 schools, raising concerns for some

Houston ISD's $4.4 billion bond proposal includes plans to spend over half a billion dollars to house more than a dozen schools under shared roofs as the district attempts to address its decaying infrastructure amid a hulking budget deficit and declines in student enrollment. Under the historic bond plan — which will be on the ballot in November pending approval by HISD's appointed Board of Managers — eight schools would be relocated to seven nearby, existing campuses, which would be renovated or rebuilt to accommodate the incoming students and rectify preexisting building needs, in moves known as "co-location." The total cost of relocating, renovating and rebuilding those 15 schools would exceed $580 million. The details of each merger have yet to be finalized, but schools on the same campus would operate independently of each other, district officials say, retaining their own staffs and programming while sharing larger communal areas, such as cafeterias and gymnasiums. While the district says each school will retain its independence, some community members worry that moving to another facility will present challenges for students and staff, and effectively flatten their school's identity and sense of community. view article

Chapel Hill Principal heading to Harvard

Tyler —  [Chapel Hill Principal heading to Harvard] The Charles Butt Foundation, a non-profit pursuing a more equitable and prosperous future for all Texans through education and community partnerships, has selected Bethany Moody, Principal of Kissam Intermediate, as one of 30 principals from traditional and charter school districts across Texas to attend a weeklong summer institute at the Principals’ Center at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, led by Harvard faculty and other national and international experts. view article

Five abortions a month: How Dobbs changed Texas

Before Roe v. Wade was overturned two years ago, the monthly average was around 4,400. Before Roe v. Wade was overturned two years ago, the monthly average was around 4,400..  In the last two years, Texas abortion clinics closed, legal challenges raced through the court system, towns tried to ban out-of-state travel, conservative activists made abortion pills and emergency oms into battlegrounds, and woman after woman after woman came forward with stories of medical care delayed or denied because of confusion over Texas’ abortion laws.  A nd five women were able to get an abortion, on average, each month.  Texas, with 30 million residents and 10% of the women of reproductive age in the nation, used to see about 4,400 abortions a month.  Now, five. view article

Students scoring zeroes on STAAR test spike as TEA shifts to new, computer-based grading system

The number of elementary school students who received a zero on their state standardized essay test questions this spring increased by about 20% from last year. Among all third to eighth graders, just over 35% received no credit on essay questions this year compared with about 30% last year on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, according to data available through the Texas Education Agency. That’s a raw increase of nearly 140,000 students. Houston- and San Antonio-area school districts closely followed the statewide trends, although Houston-area students received slightly fewer zeroes than the statewide rates, while San Antonio students received slightly more. view article

TX ISD Breaks Silence on Abuse Scandal

Lorena ISD issued a statement to the community last week explaining its silence regarding a sex abuse scandal that involved pre-K students. A lawsuit filed last year by the family of a 5-year-old sex abuse victim accused the Lorena Primary School principal, April Jewell, of ignoring warnings from multiple staff members about inappropriate behavior on the part of former substitute teacher Nicolas Scot Crenshaw toward young female students. view article

Spring Branch ISD to vote on Title IX resolution citing Biden’s policy update, possibly lose $56M fed funds

Title IX enacted in 1972 is a civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools or education programs that receive federal funding. The Biden administration’s new regulations are set to go into effect August 1 making clear that Title IX also prohibits discrimination based on gender identity of sexual orientation. view article

Houston: HISD parent alleges misconduct after administrator’s ‘scoreboard’ remarks

The administrator repeatedly yelled "scoreboard" while parents interjected Superintendent Mike Miles's presentation on STAAR testing results last week. view article

New Conroe high school on city’s east side to be named Timber Mill High School

Conroe's new high school opening in 2027 will be named in reference to an early industry of the city. Additionally, two new elementary schools will be named after individuals who have contributed to the community. view article

Letter from Crosby ISD Superintendent Patterson

Hello East Harris County and Crosby ISD families, I wanted to take some time to update our communities on the first-year implementation of our hybrid academic calendar. As many of you know, the 2023-24 school year was the first year for us to launch the new initiative blending traditional five-day instruction with four-day instructional weeks between September and April. view article

Conservative groups show support for Carroll ISD’s lawsuit over Title IX changes

There are multiple lawsuits trying to prevent President Joe Biden's changes to Title IX to include protections for gender identity from taking effect. The Carroll ISD school board in Southlake is among those suing. Some activists showed up at Monday’s school board meeting to support the district's efforts. view article

Valley View ISD to provide free supplies after tornado

The Valley View Independent School District will be providing free school supplies to students for the 2024-25 school year. According to the district, it will order and cover the cost supplies for all Valley View ISD students as the community recovers from a deadly tornado. Any previous orders that were made through Bright School were canceled and refunded because of the district’s move. view article

Fort Worth ISD planned to offer child care at Morningside Elementary. It’s up in air now

The Fort Worth Independent School District’s plans to provide infant and toddler care at its Morningside Elementary campus have been put on pause amid an ongoing facilities study, which is expected to result in school closures within the district. The proposed early childhood center at Morningside was to be the first space of its kind in Fort Worth ISD with plans to open at the beginning of the 2024-25 school year in August. District officials recently confirmed to the Star-Telegram that the center, intended to provide child care for children up to 3 years old, will no longer open at that time. view article

Bonham ISD breaks ground on new junior high school campus

Bonham will be getting new junior high campus soon. On Monday, Bonham ISD celebrated the groundbreaking of the new L.H. Rather Junior High School. Once completed, the new school will house students from 6th grade through 8th grade after previously only having 7th and 8th grade students. view article

Dumas ISD finishes up last of 3 new elementary schools

The finishing touches are being placed on the last of the three Dumas ISD elementary schools. “We were able to get a bond passed to build three new schools. One out in Cactus, North opened up last year, last August, and that was Green Acres and Hillcrest coming together. We’re standing in Dumas South Elementary and that is Sunset and Morning Side Elementary are coming together to make Dumas South,” said Caynon Strickland, Dumas South Elementary principal. view article