Latest TexEdNews:

Reported Elsewhere:

Having problems?
Please refresh your browser.

Reported Elsewhere

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. 1, 2026
Exclusive: Texas public schools could lose $227M from voucher exodus, estimate shows

(Houston Chronicle) Hundreds of Texas school districts don’t know how many students they’re about to lose to vouchers. Large urban-area schoool districts have seen the most students leave. But the effect could be felt more acutely among smaller school districts, where losing a few students can be a big financial hit. The analysis by the Texas Center for Voucher Transparency and Every Texan, two advocacy groups that oppose vouchers, provides the first glimpse into the program’s effect on public schools. Related:

Texas schools reported losing 14,200 immigrant kids last year. The true number is likely higher

(Texas Tribune) The actual enrollment loss amid increased deportation efforts is much higher as the federal definition that identifies immigrant students is limited, experts said.

Exclusive: Spending on state-led Bluebonnet curriculum could top $1B

(Houston Chronicle) Since 2024, state lawmakers have allocated at least $504 million to craft the Bluebonnet curriculum, print it, distribute it, train teachers and administrators and entice school districts to use it. By 2029, the cost could grow to more than $1 billion. That’s according to a Houston Chronicle analysis of more than 2,500 pages of state budgets and the Texas Education Agency’s most recent budget request. The amounts are the first public accounting of the program, which is part of a broader overhaul of the state’s K-12 education system under Gov. Greg Abbott that includes a conservative rewrite of its social studies curriculum and a $1 billion-per-year voucher program.

Judge dismisses childcare providers’ challenge to Northwest ISD’s new pre-K centers

(KERA) A Tarrant County district judge on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit by the Texas Licensed Child Care Association and Horizon Kidz against Northwest ISD, which argued the district should have pursued partnerships with existing childcare centers before building its own pre-K facilities. The ruling lets Northwest ISD proceed with plans for three more pre-K centers, though the judge reportedly wanted more guidance from the Texas Education Agency on what state law requires.

Houston ISD teachers facing sudden mid-semester layoffs amid ‘campus leveling’ budget cuts

(Fox 26 Houston) Several Houston ISD teachers were notified last Friday that their positions were being eliminated, leaving displaced staff facing a Oct. 2 pay stop. While HISD’s annual campus leveling traditionally reallocates staff based on fall student enrollment, teachers and union representatives report this year’s process resulted in direct job eliminations rather than transfers. HISD officials defend the adjustments as necessary to keep expenditures aligned with revenue shifts, pointing to a current $730 million fund balance following major central office budget cuts over the past three years. Related:

Managers draft Fort Worth ISD goals, superintendent limits. Here’s what they propose

(Fort Worth Report) The draft goals and limits will shape how Fort Worth ISD’s Texas-appointed board holds Superintendent Peter Licata accountable. Related:

Rising diesel prices put pressure on Southeast Texas school districts

(KBMT) Rising diesel prices, about $5.87 a gallon in the Beaumont-Port Arthur area, are squeezing Southeast Texas school transportation budgets. Vidor ISD raised its fuel budget from $170,000 to $240,000 for its 18 diesel buses, and Port Arthur ISD’s monthly diesel spending for 30 buses has climbed from about $12,000 to $20,000. Beaumont ISD runs 80 diesel buses and used more than 167,000 gallons of diesel last year. Little Cypress-Mauriceville CISD has cushioned the impact with 10 grant-funded electric buses alongside eight diesel ones, though its superintendent noted that electric buses are harder to deal with when they break down. Despite the higher costs, districts say they don’t plan to cut routes or activities, and Vidor ISD says it will keep transporting students no matter how high prices go.

Friendswood ISD approves $1.3M for Westwood Elementary mold and moisture remediation

(Community Impact) Following the discovery of increased moisture and visible surface mold at Westwood Elementary in July, the total cost of remediation reached around $1.3 million after the board approved the emergency expenditure at its Sept. 28 workshop. The nearly $1.3 million remediation project, performed by Texas General Contractors, was completed and funded during the 2025-26 fiscal year through the district’s capital projects fund as an emergency expenditure, district documents show.

This campus got a fourth straight F. Is a state takeover coming for Richardson ISD?

(Dallas Morning News) Earlier this year, Richardson ISD Academy, an elementary school in northern Dallas, received its fourth F rating in as many years. Does that mean Richardson ISD is on the brink of a takeover? The simple answer is no, or at least not yet.

Waco ISD chief discusses strategy, Third Future deal in statewide panel

(Waco Bridge) Superintendent Tiffany Spicer says handing over struggling schools to a charter school was the price to keep local control of the district.

Fired Texas teacher sues GOP lawmaker Briscoe Cain who accused her of mocking Charlie Kirk

(Houston Chronicle) A former Crosby ISD teacher has filed a lawsuit against state Rep. Briscoe Cain, accusing him of defamation over a series of social media posts in 2025 calling for her firing after he said she was “mocking” conservative activist Charlie Kirk in the wake of his assassination. Jacqueline Marie Brookreson filed a lawsuit in September against state Rep. Briscoe Cain, a Republican who represents the Deer Park area. Brookreson’s lawyers described her as a private person who was “thrust into the spotlight solely” because of Cain.

Man arrested on suspicion of planning an attack on the Texas Capitol, authorities say

(AP) Benny Caldera Jr. was charged with making a terroristic threat against a public servant, a felony, the DPS statement said. The tip came in Tuesday evening, and SWAT officers made the arrest about 3 a.m. Wednesday at a residence in Converse, near San Antonio. DPS said Benny Caldera Jr. was in federal custody after being arrested by the FBI to face additional federal charges.

Schools warned to be on the lookout for ‘swatting’ calls faking bombs or active shooters

(KHOU) The new federal guidelines offer advice for schools to quickly determine whether a call about an emergency is real or a hoax.

Disappearing messages, permanent proof: How group chats are investigated in criminal cases

(Fox 26 Houston) A high-profile civil lawsuit alleging a 2024 gang rape at a Cornell University fraternity has sparked a reopened criminal investigation in New York and ignited a viral online debate: Should everyone in a private group chat be held legally accountable when a crime is broadcast in real time, or only those who participate? Under Texas criminal law, simply receiving a group message away from a crime scene does not automatically make someone an accomplice unless they actively participate, encourage, or recruit others. Legal and tech analysts warn students and parents across Greater Houston that remaining silent in a toxic or illegal group chat can still draw users directly into police investigations and subpoenas.

Girl stabs boy at Metzger Middle School, Judson ISD board member says

(KSAT) Judson ISD police are investigating after a stabbing unfolded at Metzger Middle School on Wednesday morning, district officials confirmed to KSAT. Trustee Jose Macias told KSAT that he was informed that a girl stabbed a boy at the middle school. Macias said the girl had multiple knives inside her backpack. The ‘student-related incident’ happened during a scheduled lockdown drill, Judson ISD says. “The situation was quickly contained. Appropriate disciplinary action is being taken, and the matter has been referred to law enforcement for further review,” a district spokesperson said.

Houston family of slain Westbury High School student plans to turn grief into action

(Fox 26 Houston) The family of LePaul Warren, the 17-year-old student shot and killed near Houston ISD’s Westbury High School last Friday, is speaking out for the first time. His mother and uncle are hoping to turn their heartache into a community rally to combat local youth violence. A 17-year-old former student, Travoris Hines, was denied bond after being charged with murder in the fatal shooting of LePaul.

Hasan Piker speaks to supportive crowd at UT Austin

(KUT) Controversial Twitch streamer and self-described socialist Hasan Piker came to the Forty Acres on Wednesday. The journey here wasn’t a smooth one. Piker told the crowd that the event served as a counterweight to UT’s previous crackdowns on progressive-leaning — and pro-Palestinian — demonstrations.

New Texas A&M director of colonias program in McAllen seeks to empower

(myRGV) Pablo Javier Almaguer, a legal aid attorney with about 28 years of experience, has been named director of the Colonias Program at the Texas A&M Higher Education Center in McAllen. He plans to expand legal resources and know-your-rights training and to rebuild trust with residents, who he says have grown wary of seeking services because of fear tied to ICE activity. He also wants to involve Texas A&M’s medical, nursing, and law schools more, giving students hands-on experience while keeping the existing literacy, job training, and health programs. His long-term goal is to ease burdens on colonia families and create a pipeline that brings colonia youth to Texas A&M.

In the NIL era, some Dallas-area players refuse to ‘chase the money’ during recruitment

(Dallas Morning News) Three Dallas-area football recruits (Richland running back Jayshon Gibson, headed to UCLA; Southlake Carroll receiver Blake Gunter, committed to Cal; and Anna lineman Peyton Miller, committed to Florida) say they chose their colleges based on fit, relationships, and personal ties rather than the biggest NIL (name/image/likeness) offer. Their families say reputable agents helped them understand the market, and they contrast these agents with predatory ones who take 20–30% cuts. Gibson’s father warned that families who chase bidding wars often see their kids back home within a year or two.

Community remembers Stockdale Superintendent Todd Deaver

(Wilson County News) Stockdale ISD Superintendent Todd Deaver, who had led the district since August 2022 and previously served as principal of Poth High School, died suddenly in late September 2026. Friends and colleagues, including Poth ISD board president Clint Garza and retired Stockdale counselor Sonya Pruski, remembered him as a “bigger than life” gentle giant who greeted students with high fives on the morning car line, worked alongside custodians, and attended every school and community event. A celebration of his life is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 3, at 11 a.m. at the Stockdale Church of Christ.

Best-selling Christian authors from North Texas arrested following investigation into child abuse

(Fox 26 Houston) Best-selling Christian authors Seth Day and Heather Thompson Day were arrested in Keene following an investigation into alleged child physical and sexual abuse. Authorities allege Seth Day physically and sexually assaulted a child, while Heather Day attempted to conceal the abuse and failed to intervene. Southwestern Adventist University in Keene, where Seth Day is a psychology professor, said in a statement Tuesday that he was placed on administrative leave.

Austin executive sues Dads Against Predators after H-E-B assault, alleged extortion

(Austin American Statesman) An Austin executive says a vigilante group’s confrontation destroyed his career. The group denies wrongdoing.

New state agency rule change would eliminate double tax for businesses, gig workers

(Center Square) The Office of Texas Comptroller is amending an agency rule, 3.330, that it says was previously misused to create a double tax on businesses, gig workers and others.

Texas AG opens probe into American Bar Association’s law school accreditation practices

(Fox 26 Houston) The Texas Attorney General’s Office has opened an investigation into the American Bar Association’s accreditation of law schools. The investigation is focused on determining whether the ABA used its accreditation authority to restrict competition and increase the cost of legal education, according to a release from the attorney general’s office. A news release cites multiple concerns, including allegations that the ABA artificially inflated faculty salaries, imposed costly accreditation requirements, and excluded certain law schools that “challenged” the organization’s views — and claims that the national organization enforced “unconstitutional racial and gender preference requirements on law schools’ admissions and hiring processes.”

Laredo ISD installs yellow crosswalk signs to protect deaf students

e(KGNS) Laredo ISD is installing bright yellow “SLOW Deaf Child Area” crosswalk signs outside its schools to bring attention to deaf students, starting with Cigarroa High School, home of the district’s Program for the Deaf. The signs are debuting during National Deaf Awareness Month. The initiative is expanding beyond Cigarroa to additional LISD campuses in the coming weeks.

Arlington ISD offers free classes to families of infants, toddlers. Here’s why

(Fort Worth Star-Telegram) At an Infant Time class on Tuesday, parents learned about safe sleeping practices for their children from Cook Children’s Hospital staff.

Treasury launches student loan support center as new data show 9.3 million borrowers in default

(CNBC) The Trump administration announced on Wednesday that it was launching a Default Loans Support Center for student loan borrowers who’ve fallen behind. As of June 30, roughly 9.3 million federal student loan borrowers were in default, up from around 6.2 million at the same time in 2016, according to new Education Department data released earlier this month. The new online portal will provide defaulted borrowers with information and options to get current on their loans, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Public high school set to open in Fort Worth will have unique mascot

(Fort Worth Star-Telegram) Northwest ISD is set to open its new high school in 2027, and its mascot will be the Diamondback, the district announced. Davis High School will be the first in the Fort Worth-area to use Diamondback as a mascot. It’s somewhat of a rarity for snakes to be a mascot in Dallas-Fort Worth. In the greater Fort Worth-area, the only other school to utilize a snake is the Tolar Rattlers in Class 3A.

Click for Earlier
“Reported Elsewhere” Dates

Latest from TexEdNews!

$ = Subscribers Only

TexEdNews Article Archives

$ = Subscribers Only

Commissioner’s Decisions
(Through August 2026)
SY 2025-26
PEIMS Articles: