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Reported Elsewhere

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April 25, 2025
Legislative Update:
Private school vouchers head to Abbott’s desk to become law

(Texas Tribune) The Texas Senate voted on Thursday to send legislation creating a statewide private school voucher program to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk to be signed into law, all but concluding an ugly intraparty battle that has dominated state politics for much of the last two years.

Burrows Blocks Effort Limiting Scholarship Program to US Citizens

(Texas Scorecard) Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows sided with Democrats to kill a Republican amendment that would have ensured taxpayer-funded scholarships only go to U.S. citizens. The amendment came during debate over House Bill 2249 by State Rep. Diego Bernal (D–San Antonio), which creates the Texas Teacher Recruitment Scholarship Program. The program would offer up to $40,000 to individuals pursuing teacher certification. But nothing in the bill requires those recipients to be citizens.

Also Reported:
1 in 5 Texas schools got a D or F rating under new performance standards

(Texas Tribune) Failing grades for districts were made public for the first time since 2019. They showed schools with the poorest students were more likely to get a low score. Related:

Whooping cough cases rising in US, more than double same time last year: CDC

(ABC News) Whooping cough cases are on the rise in the United States, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Federal judges deal major blow to Education Department’s anti-DEI guidance

(K-12 Dive) The Trump administration’s efforts to withhold funds from schools “raise the specter of a public ‘witch hunt,’” one ruling said.

New Student Loan Threats Has This Dallas ISD Teacher Scared for His Future

(Dallas Observer) Jake Hall stopped paying back his student loans during the pandemic. As prices for so many necessities rose, the 33-year-old high school teacher cut the $100 he was throwing at his loans from his budget. He wasn’t too worried about it because in March of 2020, the federal government placed a three-year moratorium on student loans and set interest rates to 0%. Guided by the promises of former President Joe Biden, Hall assumed his $15,000 left in loans would eventually be forgiven, and so he never reinstated payments. However, on April 21, under the control of a new president, the Department of Education announced it would resume collections of its defaulted federal student loan portfolio on May 5.

Houston ISD officials project 100 job cuts to central office before next school year

(Community Impact) Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles said officials are planning to cut around 100 jobs from the district’s central office as officials continue to deal with a declining student population. The planned cuts to the district’s central office are coming as officials contend with a declining student population that could see around 6,800 students exit the district before the start of the 2025-26 school year.

Former Superintendent Elizabeth Fagen seeks reinstatement, backpay in latest appeal over Humble ISD termination

(Community Impact) Former Humble ISD Superintendent Elizabeth Fagen is continuing her appeal of the district’s board decision to terminate her contract last year, according to a recent court filing. Representatives from O’Hanlon, Demerath & Castillo, the law firm representing Fagen, submitted the filing in the U.S. 80th District Court in Harris County on April 17. The filing marks the latest attempt by Fagen to appeal the board’s November decision to terminate her contract.

Collin County authorities investigating ‘doxxing’ attempt against judge in Frisco track meet stabbing case

(Dallas Morning News) Authorities in Collin County opened an investigation earlier this month after social media posts surfaced appearing to share the home address of the judge presiding over a high-profile fatal stabbing case in Frisco, officials confirmed. Related:

University of Dallas suspects big tech Google and Meta censoring ads just because it’s Catholic

(College Fix) The University of Dallas, a Catholic university, is facing repeated ad censorship from tech giants Google and Meta, sparking growing concerns over bias against faith-based institutions. Despite the Texas university’s efforts to comply with advertising policies, Google has persistently blocked ads for its graduate program, while Meta – the parent company of Facebook and Instagram – disabled ad account access for its digital marketing partner, according to information the university provided to The College Fix.

Georgetown school district defends book review process, says HB 900 caused changes

(Austin American-Statesman) After directing librarians to pull more than 100 books at two high schools for review, the Georgetown school district announced this week that at least 33 of the titles can remain on the shelves. The district will also recommend Monday that 25 more titles be made available for checkout. The rest of the books are still pending review for age-appropriateness and literary merit. They were singled out as part of the district’s implementation of House Bill 900, a 2023 state law prohibiting “sexually explicit” and “harmful” materials in school libraries, Digital Services Director Kim Garcia said at a school board meeting Tuesday. The announcement comes after the district threatened to discipline a Georgetown High School librarian who had refused to pull 150 copies of books for review. The librarian, Susan Cooper, said she felt the sweep violated students’ First Amendment rights.

Fort Worth ISD testing data shows promise for grades 3-8, struggles for freshmen

(Fort Worth Star-Telegram) The Fort Worth Independent School District’s results from its latest quarterly assessments show promise for elementary and middle school students in English Language Arts, but a notable drop in test performance for older students taking English I.

Cy-Fair ISD to bring bus routes back for certain students as solutions for student safety are being considered

(KHOU) Cypress-Fairbanks ISD confirmed to KHOU 11 News on Thursday that certain students will get access back to bus routes after losing it for the 2024-2025 school year. The change comes after months of reports on several students being hit and injured while traveling to or from their Cy-Fair ISD schools. The directly impacted families of the students we have spoken with told us they were either walking or biking to school. Several are among the more than 30,000 students who lost their school bus routes at the start of the 2024-2025 school year.

Man sentenced to 5 years for attacking Richardson ISD bus driver

(Fox 4 KDFW) Corvonta Brooks was sentenced to five years in prison for injuring a Richardson ISD bus driver in 2024. The bus driver recalled pulling over because the kids on his bus were unruly. That’s when a man began banging on the bus door. Brooks allegedly climbed on board, fought with the driver, and left him with extensive bruising.

Former Big Country principal arrested by feds for child sex crime

(KTAB/KRBC) A former Big Country principal was arrested by federal agents for a child sex crime. Kenneth Wade Wallace, 58, was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshal-Led Gulf Coast Violent Offender and Fugitive Task Force Victoria Division earlier this month on a warrant for Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child under the age of 14 in connection to the allegations. “Wallace has worked as an educator for several different school districts in and around central Texas, including Paint Creek ISD, Fort Stockton ISD, Ector County ISD, and most recently as a Principal for the Panther Creek Consolidated ISD,” according to the U.S. Marshal’s Service. The exact circumstances surrounding the allegations against Wallace have not been publicly disclosed. Wallace now remains held in jail on a $100,000 bond, and if he posts bail, he is mandated to have no contact with children.

UPDATE: Mullin ISD teacher allegedly had student at home for sexual activity

(KTAB/KRBC) The Brown County Sheriff’s Office released additional information on the arrest of Lily Victoria Janek, charged with Improper Relationship Between Educator and Student Thursday, saying Janek allegedly confessed to the crime. According to the Sheriff’s Office, while Janek was employed as a PE Teacher/Coach at Mullin ISD, on multiple occasions she, “invited [a high school] student to her home in Brownwood where it was alleged that sexual activity occurred.” Janek confirmed these allegations during a subsequent interview, according to the report.

Odessa Charter School Security Guard Arrested For Lewd Abuse of a Student

(SouthPlainsLive) An Odessa school security guard was arrested Wednesday for allegedly engaging in a sexual relationship with a student and committing multiple acts of sexual assault. According to the Odessa Police Department, Maurice Devante McCoy, 31, was taken into custody on April 23 on charges of Sexual Assault of a Child and Improper Relationship Between Educator and Student. McCoy was working as a contract security guard at Harmony Science Academy. Police say McCoy met the student during his time at the school, and over the next few weeks, he sexually assaulted the student multiple times at his home. Investigators arrested McCoy at his residence in Midland after a brief foot chase.

Former Texas private preschool teacher gets maximum sentence for producing child pornography

(Fox 4 KDFW) A former Abilene private preschool teacher, 28-year-old Mark Penfield Eichorn, was sentenced on Thursday to 30 years in federal prison for producing child pornography. Eichorn admitted that he paid two boys to record videos of themselves performing sexual acts on each other, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office, Northern District of Texas. The boys were 12 and 13 years old.

Kemp ISD Teacher Charged With Sexually Grooming Student

(Texas Scorecard) Ryan Ashley Hedges, 42, was arrested Tuesday by the Kemp Independent School District Police Department and charged with sale, distribution, or display of harmful material to a minor — a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail. On Wednesday, police added a charge of child grooming, which is a third-degree felony punishable by 2 to 10 years in prison. Hedges taught at Kemp High School.

14-year-old girl arrested after making threat at Victoria school

(Crossroads Today) No weapons found and no injuries reported, authorities say.

New report reveals which degrees offer the best return on investment

(KHOU) A new report from CNBC has identified the highest-paying college majors, with several fields offering six-figure salaries after just a few years in the workforce. Chemical engineering and computer science top the list, with graduates earning around $80,000 by age 25.

Federal judge orders temporary restoration of legal status for Iranian student at Texas A&M

(Houston Chronicle) Ahmad Beyhaqi is among the foreign students beginning to stack up wins in court. U.S. District Judge David Hittner said Tuesday that Beyhaqi was likely to succeed in his case, where he has alleged that the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement had no authority to terminate his status.

Built for speed: New Texas A&M facility powers the future of defense

(KBTX) A new research facility in Bryan is helping the United States speed ahead in one of the world’s most high-stakes technology races. The Texas A&M University System officially dedicated the Ballistic, Aero-Optics, and Materials (BAM) Range on Thursday at the Rellis Campus in Bryan. The BAM is now the largest enclosed hypersonic testing range in the nation, and a key part of the military-focused Bush Combat Development Complex.

Ransomware attack targeted San Antonio-based charter bus company last fall, attorney says

(KENS) A “sophisticated ransomware attack” by a group known to the FBI impacted a San Antonio-based charter bus company in November, potentially exposing the private information of hundreds of personnel, an attorney for the company said. Star Shuttle reported the data breach to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office on Monday, saying that the Social Security numbers for 509 individuals was vulnerable.

City of Abilene files Catastrophe Notice due to cyber attack

(KTAB/KRBC) The City of Abilene has filed a Catastrophe Notice due to a cyber attack. The Catastrophe Notice was filed with the Office of Attorney General in order for the City of Abilene to suspended the requirements for the Public Information Act from April 22 to April 28. This means that the cyber attack is preventing the City of Abilene from responding to Public Information Requests in a timely manner, which is usually required by law.

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