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Where possible, these headlines link to no-paywall or soft paywall articles, or to websites offering free trials. TexEdNews neither condones nor endorses the accuracy of this news feed.

Oct. 16, 2026
Educator misconduct reports triple since new Texas reporting requirements took effect

(Dallas Observer) It’s been a year since Texas cracked down on educator misconduct. Since then, reports have skyrocketed.

Catastrophic’ insurance issue causes $3M deficit at Sharyland ISD

(Progress Times) Sharyland ISD’s health insurance fund is in a $3 million deficit following a series of high claims from the last two to three months. Administration said SISD’s insurance advisor Valley Risk Consulting didn’t warn the district before the loss grew to its current level, leaving staff and the board of trustees blindsided. 

Burnet and Webb Austin ISD middle school parents meet petition deadline to close their schools, but some say they felt pressured to sign

(Austin Current) Parents of more than half of the students enrolled at two embattled Northeast Austin middle schools have signed petitions seeking their closure, Austin ISD announced, clearing a threshold that many doubted volunteers could reach in the final hours of a campaign that divided the school communities. Some parents now say they felt pressured to sign it or did not understand what the petitions could set in motion.

Alief ISD loses nearly 10,000 students, weighs school closures

(Houston Chronicle) Alief ISD has lost nearly 10,000 students in eight years. Now the southwest Houston district is asking families how to respond — including potential campus closures.

Judson ISD censures trustee over media comments after middle school stabbing

(San Antonio Express-News) For the fourth time in a six-month period, Judson Independent School District trustees publicly censured school board member José Macias. He now faces more extreme sanctions – including only being able to contact interim Superintendent Ann Dixon via email – for speaking to a media outlet after a student allegedly stabbed a classmate at Metzger Middle School on Sept. 30. Board President Monica Ryan said Macias violated student privacy laws and released confidential information he received from Dixon when he confirmed the altercation to a TV station rather than referring the media outlet to a district spokesperson.

Fort Worth ISD board president welcomes student letter as district seeks more community feedback

(CBS Texas) Fort Worth ISD’s board president welcomed an open letter from 68 students asking state and district leaders to rethink changes made during the state takeover. The district has reopened its community survey because the first round got only about 3,000 responses, mostly from white families, in a district of more than 60,000 mostly minority students. Leaders are now visiting schools and working with groups like the YMCA to reach more families before the survey closes Oct. 25.

United ISD addresses staffing shortages as special education vacancies grow

(Laredo Morning Times) United ISD has 22 open campus jobs, mostly special education aide positions, and is relying on substitutes to fill many of them. To attract and keep workers, the district plans a special education job fair on Oct. 28 and proposed bonuses of $500 for elementary aides and $650 for secondary aides who stay through the school year. Trustees worried that aides may be underpaid compared with substitutes, that college-hour requirements make hiring harder, and that aides face physical risks on the job. The district is also considering training substitutes to handle personal care for special education students.

This San Antonio elementary’s math scores soared this year — a pattern East Central ISD hopes to replicate

(San Antonio Report) A San Antonio elementary school, Highland Forest, turned around from failing to an A rating, and 74% of its fifth graders now pass the state math test, far above the state average. The principal credits strong teachers, close tracking of student progress, and low staff turnover. The district is copying the approach at its other schools. Budget cuts could put that progress at risk if voters reject a tax increase in November.

Dayton ISD bus driver arrested after hit-and-run leaves 14-year-old boy fighting for his life

(KPRC) Police say Ricky Eugene Cherry, 70, of Dayton, TX, struck a juvenile walking along Highway 90 and continued driving without stopping to help.

Flour Bluff ISD school board member charged with racing on highway, unlawful weapon after weekend arrest

(KRIS) According to Nueces County online jail reports, 48-year-old David Gerlach was arrested on Saturday and charged with racing on the highway and carrying an unlawful weapon.

Prosper ISD JROTC Teacher Guilty of Sexual Contact With Student

(Texas Scorecard) A Collin County jury convicted Michael Songy of indecent assault, a Class A misdemeanor. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 12.

Former Cotulla ISD technology director to remain detained until trial in child pornography case

(Laredo Morning Times) A federal judge ordered a former Cotulla ISD technology director Joseph Yanez, 28, of Pearsall, to remain detained pending trial in a child pornography case, finding that no conditions of release would adequately protect the community or assure his appearance in court. A forensic examination of the cellphone recovered 32 videos and 738 images consistent with child sexual abuse material, court records show.

Second LBJ band director charged in sexual abuse case involving same Austin ISD student

(Austin American-Statesman) An arrest warrant accuses former LBJ head band director Dashon Hayes of a sexual relationship with a student also involved in a case against another school employee.

Records: Woman arrested on DWI charge after driving through crosswalk near Alamo Heights elementary school

(KSAT) Margaret Oliver almost hit pedestrians, including a child, while driving through a crosswalk, affidavit says.

Airman dies after rappelling accident at UT San Antonio-Navy football game

(News4SA) The service member died at a hospital after plunging to the ground during an Air Force rappelling demonstration before Saturday’s UTSA-Navy game.

Our Lady of the Lake president resigns amid enrollment declines at San Antonio university

(San Antonio Current) Abel Chávez said Friday he will resign Dec. 31 after more than four years as president of Our Lady of the Lake University. Chávez was the 10th president of the university since OLLU opened as a two-year college for women in 1911 and the first Latino to hold the role. Although OLLU officials didn’t specify why Chávez is stepping down, the West Side institution has faced significant challenges. Last month, the Catholic university said it hired an outside consultant to help boost enrollment numbers, which have plummeted 47% since 2015, according to the San Antonio Express-News. Last year, OLLU also eliminated 16 academic programs while launching a three-year bachelor’s degree and a “no-cost” master’s plan to help stabilize enrollment.

UT Austin faculty ‘mourn’ the loss of academic freedom in campus walks

(Houston Chronicle) Since September, about 20 UT Austin professors have been walking silently across campus four days a week, dressed in black and holding signs. They’re upset about recent changes, such as merging ethnic and gender studies departments, cutting courses and majors, and getting rid of the Faculty Council. The group’s leader, Karma Chávez, says faculty feel ignored, and the walks are a way to show their grief and keep attention on what’s happening.

UT Rio Grande Valley faculty raise concerns over academic freedom due to new Texas law

(myRGV) The American Association of University Professors-American Federation of Teachers at UTRGV (AAUP-AFT) issued a statement regarding academic freedom and quality at UTRGV and also said faculty want to have a meaningful role in decision making without fear of retaliation. “AAUP-AFT UTRGV believes that the freedom to examine evidence, question assumptions, and discuss competing ideas is not only fundamental to achieving UTRGV’s educational mission but also to maintaining a robust and healthy democracy,” the statement said. “Academic freedom and shared governance are essential to fulfilling this mission by ensuring that faculty expertise informs decisions about teaching, research, and student learning.” Related:

Out-of-state universities are choosin’ Texas. Tarrant-area colleges hope students do, too

(Fort Worth Report) Texas’s growing number of high school graduates, among the few rising pools in a shrinking national market, has made North Texas a recruiting battleground. Out-of-state schools like the University of Arkansas, which now enrolls more than 9,400 Texans, use regional recruiters and nonresident tuition discounts to draw top students away. Local universities are pushing back and posting record freshman classes.

UT System launches $60M expansion of Laredo Center

(Laredo Morning Times) The University of Texas System broke ground on a $60 million expansion of its Laredo Center, marking the next phase of an effort to expand higher education opportunities and strengthen the region’s health care workforce. The three-story, 56,000-square-foot multidisciplinary building will add classrooms, teaching laboratories and research space as enrollment and academic programs at the center continue to grow.

Cedar Hill offensive coordinator comes to defense of head coach placed on leave

(Fort Worth Star-Telegram) Some members of the Dallas-Fort Worth football community are voicing support for Cedar Hill head coach Nick Ward after Cedar Hill ISD placed him on administrative leave Thursday. Cedar Hill ISD declined to explain the sudden midseason change, saying federal privacy laws prevent the district from divulging specifics on personnel matters. An investigation is pending. “Man this doesn’t even seem real! Nor is it right,” Cedar Hill offensive coordinator Chason Virgil wrote on X on Friday. South Oak Cliff coaches were also vocal in his defense, with SOC defensive coordinator Domenic D. Spencer calling Cedar Hill ISD’s move “terrible once again” with a “free Nick Ward” hashtag on X.

It’s happened again: Another Katy-area child killed in electric bike crash

(Covering Katy News) A 15-year-old was killed when his electric bicycle collided with a car on Woods Road on Oct. 10, according to a report by FOX 26, which obtained the information from the Texas Department of Public Safety. The teenager was riding against traffic without lights when he collided with a Honda Civic. The crash followed the Sept. 10 death of an 11-year-old Tays Junior High School student riding an electric scooter in the Pine Mill Ranch subdivision. Fort Bend County Sheriff Eric Fagan issued a video warning Friday, Oct. 16, saying deputies have responded to more than 30 incidents involving electric bicycles, scooters and children ages 11 to 15 this year.

Texas approved a North Texas woman’s home daycare. The city of Venus says she can’t open it

(KERA) Rosi Paredes said shortly after she received approval from the state to operate a daycare in her Johnson County home, the city of Venus sent a warning say home-based daycares aren’t allowed, and that she could face fines of up to $2,000 a day if she opened one. Now she’s suing the city of Venus with help from the Institute for Justice, a nonprofit law firm that challenges government restrictions on businesses.

15,000 Texas voter registrations caught up in backlog after another state software error

(Texas Public Radio) A software error has caused another backlog in Texas’ voter registration logs.

Heavier mail-in ballots raise postage questions in Tarrant County

(WFAA) A Tarrant County voter found that this year’s two-page mail-in ballot needs 29 cents more postage than one stamp covers. She worried other voters wouldn’t know. Election officials say the Postal Service will still deliver ballots that are short on postage, and the county will pay the difference.

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TRS Adds San Felipe-Del Rio CISD to ActiveCare

The TRS board during a special meeting last week approved San Felipe-Del Rio CISD (SFDRCISD) to join the TRS-ActiveCare employee health plan starting Jan. 1, 2027. The board specifically adopted the district’s special…
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