Beaumont ISD talks spending, transparency after backlash on convocation speaker’s fee

Beaumont ISD is looking to clear what it calls "confusion" afteran overwhelming negative response to a previous KFDM report that revealed the district paid its convocation speaker $73,000 total. We previously reported that the district paid its convocation speaker $25,000 and planned to pay him $48,000 more for additional consulting work. While those figures are correct, District 1 Board Trustee Joe Evans says the district could've been more transparent and will be moving forward. view article

Grand Prairie ISD closed Wednesday after “foaming agent” found in city water supply

The City of Grand Prairie warned residents living north of I-20 not to use city drinking water after a foaming agent was found in the water supply Tuesday evening. Grand Prairie ISD closed all schools on Wednesday due to the water issue and said it would resume the regular schedule on Thursday. view article

Llano ISD closed Wednesday due to weather conditions; LCRA partially opens 2 floodgates

The Llano Independent School District is closed on Wednesday due to “road and weather conditions,” the district said in an email. Two floodgates along the Llano River were also partially opened as a result of the flooding. Llano ISD was initially under a two-hour delay for school Wednesday, but the district sent an email Wednesday morning saying it will be closed “out of an abundance of caution and safety due to road and weather conditions.” view article

Juvenile arrested after threat against New Summerfield ISD

The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office reports a Jacksonville teen has been arrested for making a threat against a school campus. On Tuesday, New Summerfield ISD notified law enforcement of a possible threat against one of their campuses. After an investigation, law enforcement arrested a 15-year-old Jacksonville boy for making a terroristic threat. The Cherokee County Sheriff’s office confirmed the teen was not a student of New Summerfield ISD. view article

Marshall ISD shares high school construction progress

Marshall ISD has shared several progress photos of the ongoing construction at the high school campus. The district took to social media to share pictures of the construction progress in different areas of the high school including the cafeteria, band hall, and more. The construction progress update comes after the MISD Board of Trustees were given an update during a regularly held agenda review meeting. The presentation was given by Assistant Superintendent Auxiliary Services Andy Chilcoat, who said the projects underway included the high school cafeteria, fine arts department, library and continued classroom phases. view article

Ryan Urrutia named new Chief of Police for Round Rock ISD

The Round Rock ISD Police Department will soon welcome a new chief of police. Ryan Urrutia will join the district on Sept. 17 and is charged with leading the police department’s officers and support staff and ensuring student and staff safety throughout the district. Urrutia currently serves as the assistant chief deputy of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, overseeing nearly 260 officers and support staff and a nearly $26 million budget. view article

Houston ISD teacher claims discrimination after contract termination

This educator says she believes this is more fallout from those terminations. Linda Fay Scott says she taught English and Journalism at HISD's Jane Long High School the last couple of years, but was with the district for 15 years. She says her contract was suddenly not renewed, and she was let go. view article

Silsbee ISD places employee on leave, opens investigation

Silsbee Independent School District has placed an employee on administrative leave while it investigates the staff member's actions. view article

The students entangled in Southlake’s school politics

Southlake's Carroll ISD is fighting with the Biden administration again — and the district's LGBTQ+ students are caught in the middle. Why it matters: The affluent Tarrant County district has for years been at the center of school culture wars. view article

Shawn Miller named Cedar Ridge High School Principal

Dr. Shawn Miller is the new Principal of Cedar Ridge High School, starting Sept. 9. Miller brings more than 16 years of experience in education. Most recently, he has served the students and staff in Leander ISD, providing leadership support in administrative services and strategic planning while partnering with campuses and district leaders. He was the Glenn High School principal in Leander ISD, where he created a positive school climate and culture through professional learning, management, support, and data-informed decision-making. view article

Preventive Law: You’ve Been Served… Or Have You?  Avoiding the Pitfalls Associated with Subpoenas

Flowers to retire as Huntington ISD superintendent

Huntington ISD superintendent David Flowers describes it as a 30/60/40 start as he is beginning his 30th year in education while turning 60 and just celebrating his 40th anniversary with his wife Sandy. His own landmark year will also be his last as superintendent for Huntington ISD as he announced his retirement, which will go into effect Aug. 31. view article

Fort Bend ISD’s top earners made nearly $5 million in 2023-24

Fort Bend Independent School District’s top 25 earners collected base salaries totaling almost $5 million in the 2023-24 school year, according to staffing data from the Texas Education Agency. Two superintendents occupied the top-paid spots for the 80,000-student district last school year: Christie Whitbeck, who served as superintendent for the first half of the 2023-24 school year until her sudden departure from the district in December 2023, and her successor, Marcell Smith, who took over in January 2024. Smith’s starting base salary of $410,000 exceeded Whitbeck’s salary at the time of her departure by over $30,000. view article

First full school year for Eanes ISD police department

As students and teachers return to the classroom, Eanes Independent School District police officers are reporting for their first full school year since the department was formed in 2023. Chief of Police Matt Greer said 11 officers are on the force — enough for each campus to have one officer on site and more than one at Westlake High School. view article

O’Bara: Denton ISD kicks off school year with new schools and commitment to student success

The first day of school has always been one of my favorite times of the year – filled with hope and new opportunities. I have so many fond memories from childhood that took place in our schools! My incredible experiences were made possible by teachers, leaders and a community that cared deeply about my hopes and dreams. view article

G-P ISD’s new ‘Cats Cupboards’ help set students up for success

The new district-wide initiative aims to make sure students in need of food, supplies or clothes can focus on being a kid and on their studies. view article

Silsbee ISD staff member on admin leave pending investigation of ‘incident’

A staff member with the Silsbee Independent School District is on leave while the district investigates an "incident." The staff member, who was not identified by name or job title, is on administrative leave while the incident is investigated, according to statement to parents released by the district on Monday. view article

Search for next Waco ISD superintendent continues

The search continues for the next Waco Independent School District superintendent, as Dr. Susan Kincannon is expected to retire at the end of September. The district’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted to have the Texas Association of School Boards help them in the search. Waco ISD Board President Stephanie Korteweg says the Trustees chose this association because of its integrity in the field of education. view article

Georgetown ISD accepting nominations to serve on District Performance Committee

Georgetown ISD is accepting nominations for community members to sit on the District Performance Committee through Sept. 11. The district is accepting nominations for parents, business representatives and other community members to serve two-year terms on this committee, which provides guidance on several areas serving the district's vision, mission and goals, such as the academic calendar. view article

Colony Ridge tripled enrollment at Cleveland ISD. Why can’t it pass a bond?

One of the first things you see when you pull off Grand Parkway into Colony Ridge are the signs advertising new schools in the area, just an hour north of Houston. With more than 40,000 people moving to the sprawling development over the last decade, traditional public and charter school operators have built seven new campuses to keep up with demand. view article

Colony Ridge tripled enrollment at Cleveland ISD. Why can’t it pass a bond?

One of the first things you see when you pull off Grand Parkway into Colony Ridge are the signs advertising new schools in the area, just an hour north of Houston. With more than 40,000 people moving to the sprawling development over the last decade, traditional public and charter school operators have built seven new campuses to keep up with demand. view article

Dallas ISD tackles basic needs with community resource centers

These are some of the hard truths that educators must face every day: One in 5 Texas kids experience hunger. Mental health is a leading concern for children in Dallas and across the nation. And in Texas, 1 in 5 children is chronically absent from school. These are major challenges for our schools, but they are not insurmountable. School leaders understand that parental involvement is a key to tackling these issues. view article

Rivercrest ISD Closed Today Because of Water Pump Issues

Rivercrest ISD will be closed on Tuesday, September 3, due to a failed pump and motor on the well that supplies water to the district. Red River County Water Supply is working to repair the problem and should have water restored by Tuesday afternoon. Classes will resume at regular time on Wednesday, September 4. view article

Paxton takes Dallas to court over gun ban at State Fair

With the State Fair opening in less than a month, the Attorney General is asking a Dallas County judge to overturn the ban on guns.   view article

Odessa is still healing five years after a mass shooting

On Thursday, Odessans came together in honor of the survivors and victims of a 2019 mass shooting. The West Texas town commemorated the tragedy with a monument dedicated to the lives lost.   view article

4-year-old left alone on hot Dallas ISD school bus for 7 hours

A 4-year-old girl was hospitalized after being left alone on a hot school bus for seven hours Tuesday, NBC5 reported. The Dallas ISD pre-K student was not taken off the bus at Clinton P. Russell Elementary School and stayed strapped in her seat in heat over 90 degrees, according to KXAS-TV. view article

Port Arthur ISD offering hiring incentives to help fill teacher positions, other vacancies

A number of teaching positions which qualify for the TIA Program still need to be filled. New teachers with no experience start off with a salary of $53,400. view article

Family demands transparency after retired FBI agent killed by El Paso ISD police

The brother of the former FBI agent who was shot and killed outside a West El Paso high school said he always feared this would happen. CBS4 Anchor Vania Castillo spoke with Marco Cordero, the brother of Julio Cordero, the retired FBI agent who was killed by an El Paso Independent School District police officer in a shooting outside the Franklin High School campus on Aug. 22. view article

‘Made me very concerned’: Dispute over bus safety rules in Bastrop ISD

During a meeting before the school year began, Bastrop Independent School District bus drivers said they were told by their transportation company to no longer help students in case of a medical emergency. “She said that we weren’t allowed to do CPR. We weren’t allowed to administer medications,” said one Bastrop ISD bus driver, who didn’t want to share their identity. view article

Former Houston ISD employee at all-girls school charged with sexually assaulting student

Authorities have a former Houston ISD employee is behind bars, accused of sexually assaulting a student. Jesus Zamora, 25, made his appearance in probable cause court Friday morning, where he is charged with two counts of sexually assaulting a child between the ages of 14 and 17. HISD officials confirmed to KPRC 2 that Zamora worked at Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy, an all-girls school in Third Ward, but not as a teacher. He has since been terminated, according to a letter to parents sent by the principal. view article

Parents view video of Dallas ISD preschooler left alone on school bus for hours

The parents of a preschool student say they have seen video from the Dallas ISD bus with their non-verbal autistic daughter was left alone for hours. Keturah Crockett said the district allowed she and her husband an opportunity to view video from the bus on Tuesday when a bus driver ended their shift without realizing a child was still aboard. view article

Driver ran red light before hitting Spring Branch ISD school bus, causing it to flip, students say

A driver may have run a red light before hitting a Spring Branch ISD bus and causing it to flip, police said on Thursday. Spring Branch ISD police say the bus was traveling eastbound on Westview at about 3:50 p.m. when a Toyota Corolla traveling southbound on Silber hit it at a high rate of speed. view article

We asked readers about the Katy ISD Chromebook rollout. Here’s what readers and the district said

Katy ISD gave Chromebooks to all students in grades 3 through 12 for the first time this school year, one of multiple new policies parents, students and teachers must adapt to. We asked Katy ISD parents what they thought about the new Chromebooks, and then we checked in with Katy ISD to address the comments. Here’s what Katy readers said is and isn't working, and what the district is doing to address the issues. view article

Roosevelt ISD calls $58.5 million bond election for new elementary, renovations

Taxpayers in the Roosevelt school district will see a $58.5 million dollar bond proposal on their ballot in November. Administrators said it would fund several items across the district, like a new elementary school and renovations to the secondary campus. Taxpayers who own a $200,000 home and have filed a homestead exemption would see a $200 increase on their yearly taxes, or about $16.67 a month. view article

Edgewood ISD works to help fill open teacher positions with new program

Texas continues grappling with a teacher shortage. A San Antonio school district is taking matters into its own hands to fill vacancies. Any given school day can have a little bit of organized chaos. "I loved working, and it just gives me an opportunity to give back to my community," Brentwood Middle School 6th grade Social Studies Teacher Tina Alvarado-Mendez said. view article