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June 22, 2026
Which Bible passages are in Texas’ proposed student reading list? Here’s what the selections reveal

(Texas Tribune) The chosen readings, to be voted on soon by the State Board of Education, draw heavily from Christian perspectives.

Texas school districts are struggling to balance their budgets. Who is responsible?

(CBS Austin) As a number of Texas school boards move to approve budgets for the upcoming school year, many are having to make sacrifices. The extent, however, varies widely, even between neighboring districts.

El Paso ISD adopts budget, shrinks projected deficit from $37M to $4.3M

(KFOX) After months of financial uncertainty and difficult conversations, the El Paso Independent School District board of trustees approved a budget and spending plan for the 2026-27 school year that district leaders say puts EPISD on a more stable path. Officials said the district cut 851 jobs.

Ysleta ISD nearly depletes savings under adopted budget, avoids layoffs for now

(El Paso Matters) The Ysleta Independent School District Board of Trustees adopted a budget Wednesday, June 17, for the 2026-27 school year that nearly depletes its savings and increases employees’ health insurance costs without pay raises. The budget includes a deficit of just over $12 million, which will eat much of the current $16.5 million fund balance. Related:

Austin ISD approves budget, preserves full-time librarians at every campus

(KXAN) Austin ISD trustees approved a budget Thursday night aimed at addressing a projected $181 million deficit for the 2026-27 school year. The budget includes nearly $186 million in spending reductions as district leaders work to stabilize finances amid declining enrollment, falling property values and a lack of state funding.

Socorro ISD approves balanced budget, state conservator delays departure over special education data reporting

(El Paso Matters) Socorro ISD approved a balanced budget with a small surplus as state oversight may continue and district leaders plan to rebuild depleted reserves. Related:

Bryan ISD approves balanced 2026-27 budget amid enrollment, funding challenges

(Community Impact) Bryan ISD trustees approved a balanced $186.5 million operating budget for the 2026-27 school year during their June 15 meeting, despite ongoing challenges tied to declining enrollment, stagnant state funding and rising costs.

Arlington ISD trustees adopt nearly $60M budget shortfall amid declining enrollment

(Arlington Report) Arlington ISD will face a nearly $60 million shortfall next year despite a staff reorganization and no raises for employees. Related:

A $1.4M budget shortfall won’t stop Lake Worth ISD’s turnaround, state appointed leaders say

(Fort Worth Report) The board of managers on Wednesday unanimously approved a 2026-27 budget with a projected $1.4 million general fund shortfall. Superintendent Ena Meyers presented the shortfall as a planned investment in Lake Worth’s academic turnaround, including new lesson plans, teacher support and staffing changes.

Conroe ISD reviews rising costs, decentralization plan for special education department

(Community Impact) Conroe ISD is preparing the next steps of its decentralization plan amid rising costs in its special education department.

Fort Bend ISD approves fiscal year 2026-27 budget with $32.8M shortfall

(Community Impact) At a June 15 meeting, the Fort Bend ISD board of trustees voted unanimously to approve the FY 2026-27 budget with a $32.8 million shortfall, which was initially predicted at $26.2 million last summer and rose as high as $56.4 million in February. The budget includes a compensation plan with targeted investments designed to attract, retain and reward educators and support staff, district officials announced in a June 16 news release.

‘Drum roll’: Keller ISD ’26-27 spending plan closes $12M shortfall

(Fort Worth Report) The Keller ISD finance department presented an optimistic 2026-27 budget to school trustees at their June 11 meeting: a spending plan that would close a looming $12 million shortfall and even produce a small surplus. Finance staffers propose to erase the projected deficit by leaving open positions unfilled; reducing department budgets; and drawing down a reserve fund for workers’ compensation. Expenditures for facilities and buildings remain intact — and employees will get a small pay increase.

San Elizario ISD to close 2 elementary schools, reorganize grade levels

(KVIA) The San Elizario Independent School District Board of Trustees approved closing two of its elementary schools, Superintendent Jeannie Meza-Chavez confirmed with ABC-7 Tuesday. In a letter Meza-Chavez sent to faculty and staff, she said the district’s decision to close the campuses and reorganize grade levels is because of statewide enrollment declining, increasing costs and limited funding.

Houston-area districts closed 26 schools over the past year. Here’s a look

(Houston Chronicle) District leaders in Aldine, Fort Bend, Houston and other ISDs have pointed to aging facilities, budget gaps and under-enrolled campuses as reasons for the closures.

After academic decline, Edgewood ISD changes who runs three schools

(San Antonio Express-News) Edgewood ISD will resume control of three campuses that a nonprofit and university ran for several years. The schools have recently struggled to perform academically. Edgewood trustees voted to terminate the district’s partnerships with the nonprofit Texas Council for International Studies, which runs Las Palmas and Cisneros, and Texas A&M University-San Antonio’s Institute for School and Community Partnerships, which runs Garcia.

College Station ISD votes to change employee health insurance, citing rising costs with current provider

(Community Impact) College Station ISD board members voted June 16 in favor of changing the employee health insurance benefits and plan from Blue Cross Blue Shield to Baylor Scott & White for the 2026-27 school year. Data presented at the meeting showed the overall rate of the Blue Cross Blue Shield plan increased 27.9% from the previous year, with an overall increase of 47.1% over the last three years.

Judson ISD interim leader steps down after 5 months on the job

(San Antonio Report) After arriving at a troubled Judson Independent School District five months ago, Interim Superintendent Robert Jaklich is stepping down. Jaklich is the third person tapped to lead the district on a temporary basis after the board pushed out Superintendent Milton Fields in a bitter months-long saga where board members accused him of financial mismanagement, harassment and failure to disclose knowledge of alleged abuse.

TEA closes investigation into outgoing San Antonio ISD superintendent, says allegations were ‘unsubstantiated’

(KSAT) The Texas Education Agency is no longer investigating San Antonio Independent School District’s outgoing superintendent after he was accused of failing to report educator misconduct, according to a letter from the agency shared with KSAT Investigates. The district and superintendent Jaime Aquino received the letter one day after the TEA confirmed to KSAT it had opened an investigation earlier this month. Related:

Reassigned Muslim Fort Worth ISD educator sues, wants principal job back

(Fort Worth Report) Shayma Alzubi, the Muslim educator reassigned from her role as Western Hills High School principal after online backlash over her past social media posts, is suing Fort Worth ISD in federal court. The June 18 federal lawsuit alleges the FWISD violated Alzubi’s First Amendment guarantee of free speech and 14th Amendment equal protection rights after announcing her promotion.

Uvalde school shooting: Former district police chief gets 2027 court date

(Fox 7 Austin) The court date set for former Uvalde CISD police chief Pete Arredondo is set to begin on Feb. 22, 2027, according to his attorney’s office. Arrendondo faces 10 counts of abandoning or endangering a child. He was indicted in June 2024 and pled not guilty in July 2024.

Newly released video captures the aftermath of a fatal teen stabbing at a Texas track meet

(AP) Newly released video from an officer’s body camera and a surveillance camera at a Texas running track captures the moments after a teenage athlete fatally stabbed another teen from a rival team in the stadium bleachers during a high school meet last year.

Wylie ISD East High School Assistant Principal Faces New Federal Child Exploitation Charges

(Dallas Express) Federal prosecutors announced that Zachary Christian Neu, 32, of Richardson, has been indicted on two counts of enticement of a minor. The federal indictment comes weeks after Neu was arrested by the Wylie Police Department and charged with solicitation of prostitution of a person younger than 18 and improper relationship between an educator and a student, both second-degree felonies under Texas law.

Lubbock man accused of taking girl from school indicted on indecency charge

(Lubbock Avalanche-Journal) A Lubbock County grand jury indicted Arthur Soto, 39, with a second-degree felony count of indecency with a child by sexual contact. His charges stem from a Lubbock police investigation that began on April 16 after Lubbock ISD police officers received a report that a student at Roberts Elementary School was sexually abused by Soto after he had taken her out of school for a doctor’s appointment, according to a probable cause affidavit. Investigators found video from the school’s security cameras that showed Soto, who was a “friend of the family” taking the girl from school.

Affidavit: Former West ISD teacher/coach accused of exchanging nude images with student

(KWTX) The McLennan County Sheriff’s Office arrested a former West ISD teacher and coach on June 17 as it investigates allegations of an improper relationship involving the educator and a student. Dylan Goforth, 34, was arrested as a result of an investigation that began in January 2026, according to the sheriff’s office.

Alice ISD cooperating in probe of Schallert PTA president

(KRIS) The district says a financial institution first raised concerns about the Schallert PTA’s accounts, prompting an immediate report to Alice police.

Video released of girl’s arrest at Killeen middle school. ‘You had no right to manhandle my daughter’ says mom

(KDH News) The Texas Education Agency determined last month that a Killeen ISD police officer and employee were involved in an incident in which a “prohibited aversive technique” was used during the arrest of a middle school student. The district has since released the body-cam footage of the arrest to the mother, who shared it with with KDH News. “You had no right to manhandle my daughter,” KISD parent Keneshea Williams said. “I don’t care what nobody says. At the end of the day, you had no right to do her like that.”

Krum ISD Places Softball Coach On Leave Following Family Violence Arrest

(Dallas Express) Krum ISD has placed Krum High School head softball coach and teacher Mitchell Davis on administrative leave after his arrest on family violence-related charges, district officials said.

Trump ramps up Education Department’s dismantling with changes on special education and civil rights

(AP) The Department of Justice will take on enforcement of civil rights in education, while the Department of Health and Human Services will oversee special education, administration officials announced. With those moves, the Education Department has now carved away the vast majority of its functions for other agencies to handle.

Texas college watchdog received nearly 70 complaints, opened one investigation, records show

(Texas Tribune) Allegations filed in the first five months of the new ombudsman’s work challenged course content, DEI, academic freedom and employment disputes.

Records challenge UT-Austin’s allegations against fired KUT leader

(Texas Tribune) The university fired General Manager Debbie Hiott on Monday citing “oversight and management of planning” for the public radio station’s inaugural festival.

UIL issues public reprimands and probations to Progreso ISD High School, coaches

(ValleyCentral) For the second straight year, the UIL issued public reprimands to Progreso High School. The UIL added two years of probation to Progreso High School, which is already one year into serving a two year probation for rule violations in 2025. That ruling came just minutes before the Red Ants boy’s soccer team’s semifinal match against Salado, which resulted in a Progreso forfeit. In addition to the school, the UIL served four Progreso coaches with public reprimands. The rulings all stem from a series of ineligible players either competing without a previous athletic participation form on file or due to a clerical error that led to a misclassification spanning from 2022 to 2025.

Hays CISD moves forward with affordable housing community for staff

(KXAN) Hays Consolidated Independent School District leaders have partnered with Upward Communities to offer affordable rental homes in Uhland. “Hays ISD will be the largest privately funded teacher housing initiative in the United States,” said Jason Roberts, Founder and CEO of Upward Communities.

Breach exposes data of 3 million Texas hunting and fishing license holders, officials say

(CBS Texas) More than 3 million Texans are being offered free credit monitoring after a cybersecurity incident exposed driver’s license and contact information from the state’s hunting and fishing license system, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials said.

Flu outbreak among Air Force recruits at Joint Base San Antonio after Hegseth ends mandatory flu vaccine

(ABC News) The basic training facility for the Air Force in San Antonio, Texas, is experiencing a flu outbreak following the end of mandatory vaccination for all service members.

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