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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.

June 29, 2026
Mandated Bible stories in reading lists, revamped history for Texas public schools approved

(Texas Tribune) Texas will require Bible stories in public schools after the State Board of Education approved a mandatory reading list Friday alongside a rewrite of K-8 social studies lessons that minimize racial, geographic and cultural diversity. The Republican-led board passed the mandated Christian stories in public school lessons on a 9-4 vote along party lines, with two members not present for the vote. The revamped social studies lessons, which required separate votes for each grade, also passed. The board postponed changes to four high school courses, which members will vote on at a future meeting.

Texas Supreme Court rejects lawsuit by survivors of Uvalde school shooting

(Texas Tribune) The Texas Supreme Court on Friday rejected an appeal by Robb Elementary students and teachers who argued failures by the Department of Public Safety and Uvalde County contributed to a botched response to the 2022 shooting that killed 19 students and two teachers. The court’s order, issued without comment, upheld a February ruling by the San Antonio-based 4th Court of Appeals that dismissed the lawsuit.

Austin ISD is closer than ever to a state intervention. Here’s what happens next

(Austin American-Statesman) Over the past few years, the state has increasingly laid the groundwork to take over more Texas school systems, and Austin ISD has become a vulnerable target. A potential announcement could come as soon as August, when the state releases 2026 grades for public school campuses, although the next steps toward intervention could take months to play out. Related:

Keller ISD Budget: 1% Raises For All, But Lags Behind North Texas Peers

(Dallas Express) Keller ISD approved its 2026-27 budget with raises for every employee, but the 1% increase trails what most other DFW disticts are offering.

Q&A: North East ISD’s newest leader talks challenges, AI and changing public education landscape

(San Antonio Report) New North East ISD Superintendent Anthony Jarrett said his top priorities are addressing declining enrollment, managing budget challenges, and adapting to Texas’ new education savings account (voucher) program while keeping the district focused on student success.

Midway ISD narrows its deficit and raises pay after tough decisions

(Waco Bridge) Midway Independent School District reduced its budget deficit after closing Speegleville Elementary School, eliminating programs and reorganizing staff. The budget includes a 2% raise for all employees.

Alvin ISD trustees approve lower property insurance rate

(Community Impact) Alvin ISD’s board of trustees approved a property insurance premium cost of over $5.4 million at its June 23 meeting. The new cost has dipped by nearly $430,000 compared to the rate approved for the 2025-26 fiscal year. This premium reduction is largely due to a $0.015, or 5.5% decrease in the property insurance rate, according to district documents.

Midland ISD denies ICE at construction site amid rumors

(KMID/KPEJ) After social media posts claimed ICE agents were conducting an operation at a Midland construction site Friday morning, Midland ISD has issued a statement, saying there were no federal immigration officers on the district’s job site, and no arrests were made.

Former president of Boling ISD school board sentenced for sexually exploiting child, possessing child pornography

(KPRC) Former Boling ISD Board President Jerry James Svatek Jr. has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to producing and possessing child sexual abuse material. The court heard that Svatek continued distributing images of a child victim through an underground online community even after serving as a school board president, and considered victim impact statements describing the harm caused to the child’s family. In addition to the prison sentence, he was ordered to pay $78,500 in restitution to the victims, serve lifetime supervised release after his prison term, comply with strict restrictions on internet access and contact with children, and register as a sex offender.

Son of former Arp ISD assistant principal pleads guilty to luring 14-year-old he impregnated

(CBS 19) The son of a former Arp Elementary assistant principal pleaded guilty Friday to luring a 14-year-old girl, whom he later impregnated, away from her parents to commit a felony. Blake Florence, 23, was arrested in late August 2025 on charges of sexual assault of a child and tampering with physical evidence, along with his mother, Karla Florence, who was the assistant principal at Arp Elementary at the time. She was arrested on charges of failure to report and making a false report to a peace officer. Records show that Karla Florence has not been indicted on any charges since her arrest.

Judge denies Amarillo ISD bid to dismiss seizure death lawsuit; trial set July 28

(KVII) A federal lawsuit filed against Amarillo ISD for the 2022 death of Jaxson Mendoza is headed to trial after a judge denied the district’s motion for summary judgment. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk clears the way for a jury trial scheduled to begin July 28. The lawsuit stems from August 24, 2022, when 14-year-old Mendoza suffered a prolonged seizure during a basketball warmup on the track at Amarillo High School.

National Science Foundation finds no violations in Texas A&M research security contract

(Houston Chronicle) The National Science Foundation found no violations in a major $17 million Texas A&M University contract that came under scrutiny when a key GOP leader alleged that the institution failed to protect other federally funded research from entities linked to the Chinese military.

Texas A&M University-San Antonio’s first doctoral program now accepting applications

(San Antonio Report) Texas A&M University-San Antonio’s first-ever doctoral program — the Doctor of Education Leadership — is fully vetted and ready to start welcoming applicants that will start classes this fall, officials announced this week.

Texas Southern University gets $300,000 grant for estate planning services for Houston neighborhood

(Houston Chronicle) The program will enable residents to more effectively handle property and estate matters.

HBCU Love: Jarvis Christian University Partnership Expands Educational Opportunities for Texas Youth

(Texas Metro News) Jarvis Christian University continues to advance its mission of expanding educational opportunity through a partnership with the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) that enables students in TJJD facilities to earn college credit while preparing for future academic and professional success.

More kids want schools specializing in trades, college and medicine. San Antonio’s largest districts deliver

(San Antonio Report) Families in San Antonio’s largest school districts want career and technical education programs, according to student application numbers for the upcoming 2026-27 school year. A review of the number of applications for magnets and other “choice” schools in San Antonio Independent School District, North East ISD and Northside ISD show preference for trade-based and early college programs, especially those with a focus on the medical field, science, technology, engineering and math or STEM.

Smart glasses give visually impaired Lighthouse East Texas campers new independence

(KTRE) Blind and visually impaired campers at East Texas Lighthouse are getting a new way to navigate the world, thanks to technology that can describe what’s around them. At this week’s East Texas Lighthouse camp for people who are blind or visually impaired, campers received Meta smart glasses that can assist with everyday tasks — from reading menus to finding signs — giving them more independence in real-world situations.

Texas Democrats leave convention united in effort to end GOP’s 30-year hold on Texas

(KUT) Texas Democrats spent their 3-day convention in Corpus Christi rallying party activists, training volunteers and making the case for Democratic policies and candidates across the state ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Texas public schools are central to Gina Hinojosa’s bid for governor. Will voters care?

(Fort Worth Report) Fort Worth parents heard the Democrat’s anti-takeover case against Gov. Greg Abbott, but one wanted more clarity on school accountability.

Federal student loan changes are coming July 1. Here’s what’s changing

(San Antonio Report) The July 1 deadline is quickly approaching and there are some notable changes to how federal student loans are issued and repaid, under the Trump administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Nearly 4 million student loan borrowers live in Texas, with their total debt accounting for $132 billion of the more than $1.7 trillion total student loan debt in the United States, according to data from the Education Data Initiative. 

Census: Texas leads the U.S. in having more kids, but the state’s fertility rate is still falling

(Texas Tribune) Texans are having more babies than the rest of the United States as the nation’s fertility rate declines, Census data released Thursday show. But the state’s fertility rate is falling, too.

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