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Reported Elsewhere

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March 14, 2025
Legislative Update:
Texas lawmakers and charter leaders push back on the $870K paid to Valere schools’ superintendent

(Texas Tribune) The rebuke from lawmakers and charter school leaders came after an investigation from ProPublica and The Texas Tribune revealed that Salvador Cavazos, who oversees fewer than 1,000 students, is among the most well-paid superintendents in the country.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick lays out second round of Texas Senate priorities. Here’s the list

(Austin American-Statesman) Patrick’s second round of priority bills include a teacher pay bill that would give educators a raise of up to $10,000 and boost funding for the Teacher Incentive Allotment program, which is meant to reward high-performing teachers. SB 26 passed unanimously late last month.

Will $1 billion for school vouchers be enough? Not in Texas, budget experts say

(San Antonio Express-News) Republican state leaders pushing a private school voucher plan have emphasized it would transform the face of education in Texas. They also say its cost would be limited to $1 billion for the first year. But projections from the nonpartisan Legislative Budget Board show demand for the program providing students with taxpayer funds to subsidize homeschooling or private education options could quickly outpace that initial investment, pressuring lawmakers to pour more and more money into it, while pulling millions from public schools.

FURRIES Act filed by Texas lawmakers targets non-human student behavior in schools

(KVUE) A new bill filed in the Texas House would prevent students from behaving like anything other than a human being at schools in the state. The Forbidding Unlawful Representation of Roleplaying in Education, or FURRIES, Act, filed by Austin-area Republican State Rep. Stan Gerdes, would “prohibit any non-human behavior by a student, including presenting himself or herself, on days other than exempt days, as anything other than a human being.” Related:

Senate Bill 37 aims to curb faculty influence at Texas colleges and universities

(Houston Chronicle) A state senator from Conroe filed an expansive bill on Thursday to enforce stricter oversight of public higher education institutions – including by restructuring faculty senates and curbing their role in curriculum design.

House Republicans’ bill would let educators suspend Texas’ homeless students more often

(Houston Landing) Texas House Republicans have proposed new legislation that would give educators significantly more discretion over suspending homeless students, weakening legal protections for the state’s most vulnerable children.

Texas Southern University asks for $120 million to replace aging law school

(Texas Tribune) Law students might lose financial aid if TSU does not address health and safety concerns about the building.

Bill proposes to transfer University of Houston-Victoria to Texas A&M system

(Crossroads Today) State Sen. Lois W. Kolkhorst and Sen. Paul Bettencourt have filed a bill (SB2361) to transfer the University of Houston-Victoria to the Texas A&M University System.

Also Reported:
259 Texas Measles Cases Reported as of March 14

(Department of State Health Services) At this time, 259 cases have been identified since late January. Thirty-four of the patients have been hospitalized. There has been one fatality in a school-aged child who lived in the outbreak area. The child was not vaccinated and had no known underlying conditions. Related:

UT Rio Grande Valley notifies students, staff of confirmed TB case in Cameron County

(myRGV) The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley on Thursday sent an email to students and staff informing them that Cameron County Public Health has confirmed a case of tuberculosis, or TB, “involving a member of the UTRGV campus community.”

Trump tariffs will kill 410,000 jobs in Texas, longtime state economist warns

(San Antonio Current) A brief released Thursday by Waco-based the Perryman Group cautions that Texas would bear more of the economic burden than any other state if the administration continues its tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China. Mexico accounted for $157.6 billion in Texas business last year, and the state also does substantial trading with Canada and China.

El Paso County’s $3.9M deal with AT&T to bring fiber internet to underserved areas

(KFOX ) Over 1,000 households in underserved areas of El Paso County will soon have access to high-speed internet. According to El Paso County, thanks to a partnership between AT&T, households in over 50 colonias will have access to fiber broadband internet as part of a $3.9 million deal.

Greg Abbott releases details on TEA probe into Houston ISD’s Bellaire High over student pronoun allegations

(Houston Chronicle) Gov. Greg Abbott called for employees at Houston ISD’s Bellaire High School to be investigated for potential child “abuse or neglect” after allegedly calling a student by a different name and pronouns. Abbott said in a letter Thursday that he has asked the Texas Education Agency to investigate whether employees at Bellaire High School had engaged in misconduct or if the school had violated any state policies after a local Moms for Liberty chapter alleged last month that teachers had been “socially transitioning” a student. The TEA confirmed that it was investigating the matter but declined further comment due to the ongoing investigation.

Edcouch-Elsa to consolidate sixth grade campus into its junior high

(myRGV) The Edcouch-Elsa school board voted Wednesday to consolidate its sixth grade campus into its junior high as a cost-saving measure to address its budget deficit and due to declining enrollment.

Chronic absenteeism remains a big obstacle to student success. How are Houston schools combating it?

(Houston Chronicle) In Texas, the share of students who are chronically absent — those who miss 10% or more of the school year — has almost doubled from 11% in 2019 to 26% despite districts’ efforts, according to a February report from the Education Recovery Scorecard. Like districts across the country, Houston ISD campuses are trying to use attendance incentives and other measures as chronic absenteeism continues to hinder students’ well-being and academic progress five years post-pandemic.

Clear Creek ISD trustees approve additional $646.5K for culinary arts project

(Community Impact) Clear Creek ISD’s board of trustees approved a $646,500 contract with Houston-based construction company Generocity Services for additional funding for the expansion of the culinary arts program at Clear Lake High School.

Fact brief: Does TCU’s tuition cost more than Harvard’s?

(Fort Worth Report) Yes. Texas Christian University in Fort Worth charged nearly $5,000 more for tuition than Harvard during the 2024-25 academic year.

New drone technology could help make schools safer

(Fox 7 Austin) An Austin company has developed drones that they say could actually stop an active shooter and save lives. Campus Guardian Angel’s co-founders say that these high-tech drones can slow down or even stop an active shooter by cutting through windows, deploying flash bangs or pepper launchers, or even hitting the shooter with the drone to injure them.

Q&A: Why one Houston-area community college will soon help adults get a high school degree

(Houston Landing) Two San Jacinto College leaders explain why the Houston-area college will soon help adults get a high school diploma — and workforce credentials to boot.

In lawsuit settlement, Texas Tech’s med school promises it won’t consider race in admissions

(Texas Tribune) A group led by Stephen Miller, President Donald Trump’s deputy chief of staff, is claiming victory after it got a commitment from Texas Tech’s medical school not to consider race in admission decisions, which the school continues to deny ever doing. Related:

NCAA taps this Texas-based Athletic Director to manage back-pay settlement, NIL future

(Houston Chronicle) Texas A&M’s Trev Alberts was among the 10 names on a list of athletic directors who will serve on a proposed NCAA committee overseeing revenue sharing between colleges and their athletes. The proposed House v. NCAA settlement is expected to be approved on April 7, meaning, schools will provide $2.78 billion over 10 years in back pay to thousands of college athletes seeking damages for being prohibited from receiving compensation through third parties for their name, image and likeness, as well as revenue sharing opportunities through the school.

Texas self-reports NCAA violations related to sports wagering amid new monitoring efforts

(Austin American-Statesman) The UT Austin athletics department self-reported five NCAA violations related to impermissible sports wagering between July 11 and Nov. 4 2024, according to documents obtained by the American-Statesman. The wagers were placed with PrizePicks, a “daily fantasy” sports website where users can wager money on athletes’ statistical performances. Traditional sports betting remains illegal in Texas, but daily fantasy sites like PrizePicks are legal.

UT San Antonio is the new owner of downtown Kallison Square property

(San Antonio Report) The University of Texas at San Antonio is continuing its march across downtown San Antonio, recently acquiring another 1.67 acres of prime real estate in the urban core. County records show UTSA bought the circa-1900 storefront buildings and parking lot known as Kallison Square in early March.

Former Belton ISD athletic trainer sentenced to federal prison for possession of child pornography

(KCEN) Former Lake Belton High School athletic trainer Trevor Swift has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for possession of child sexual abuse material, or child pornography, according to the United States Department of Justice. Court documents reflect Trevor Swift was working as an athletic trainer at the Belton ISD high school in May 2022 when students saw him through his office window viewing images depicting child sexual abuse material on his phone. The students reportedly recorded Swift and reported him to administrators. Swift admitted to the Temple Police Department that he had viewed sexually explicit images, but said they were of adult men and women, court documents said. The DOJ stated that during the investigation, an SD memory card was seized from Swift’s office at the high school which revealed “pornographic images depicting prepubescent and pubescent children”, including male and female children as young as five years old, engaged in sexual acts.

Former Itasca ISD baseball coach, history teacher charged with improper relationship with a student

(KWTX) Adrian Buruato, 29, is charged with indecency with a child-sexual contact and improper relationship between an educator and student. On March 10, the Hill County Sheriff’s Office says they received a complaint of an improper relationship between a former Itasca ISD faculty member and an Itasca ISD student. The incident, according to HCSO, was alleged to have happened during the 2023-24 school year. At the time of the alleged incident, HCSO says Buruato was the head baseball coach and junior high history teacher with Itasca ISD and the victim was a 15-year-old female student with Itasca ISD. Buruato currently works for Fort Worth ISD.

Texas gives Elon Musk’s SpaceX $17.3M to expand manufacturing site near Austin

(KUT) The state of Texas will give Elon Musk’s SpaceX $17.3 million to help expand its Starlink manufacturing facility near Austin. Gov. Greg Abbott announced the funding on Wednesday. The money will be awarded to SpaceX subsidiary Starlink through Abbott’s Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund, an incentive program to encourage semiconductor research, development and manufacturing.

Students Spark Virtual Welding Torches at Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

(Houston Press) If you thought the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo was just about country music and farm animals, you’d be wrong on many counts. Youth and adults have been flocking this year to NRG Center to let virtual sparks fly at a new welding experience. Cameron High School student Owen Graham is one of hundreds who tried out the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s virtual reality welding simulator, hosted by Ohio-based Lincoln Electric Company.

Why a single company has resisted a Railroad Commission directive intended to curb earthquakes

(Texas Standard) The commission asked oil and gas companies to stop injecting wastewater underground, but Blackbuck Resources claims that its well could not be responsible for seismic activity.

Coastal Bend College Joins Growing List of Texas Schools Partnering With Uwill

(PR Newswire)  Coastal Bend College (CBC) has announced a strategic partnership with Uwill, the leading mental health and wellness solution for colleges and students, to strengthen the college’s counseling offerings and provide students with immediate, flexible support, becoming the ninth Texas school to partner with Uwill.

At UT Dallas, Texas students protest arrest of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil

(LoneStar Live) Students from multiple North Texas universities demonstrated at the University of Texas at Dallas March 13 to protest the arrest and detention of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil. “Mahmoud Khalil, a student organizer, was kidnapped by ICE for standing for justice,” said a student organizer with the UTD chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine. “His abduction is a direct attack on this movement.”

American girl with brain cancer reportedly deported while on way to Houston for treatment

(Houston Public Media) The 10-year-old girl along with her siblings and parents, who are from Mexico and had been living in Texas without legal status for more than a decade, were detained in early February at an immigration checkpoint in South Texas, according to the Texas Civil Rights Project.

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Region 16 ESC to Launch Cutting Edge Data Center

Soon, students across the Texas Panhandle will benefit from faster, more reliable internet to make schoolwork more efficient. The Amarillo headquartered Region 16 Education Service Center wanted a solution to install fiber internet…
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