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August 26, 2026
Superintendent Mike Miles says Houston ISD’s state takeover could end after 2026-27 school year

(Houston Chronicle) Houston ISD’s state takeover could end after the 2026-27 school year, state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles said Tuesday. Miles, appointed as superintendent by the state in June 2023, said he believes the district has nearly met all the criteria needed to end the state takeover. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath is expected to decide whether to begin the transition back to local control in June 2027. Related:

Tarrant County school board drops effort to keep legal fees hidden from public

(Fort Worth Star-Telegram) The Grapevine-Colleyville school board has voted to dismiss three lawsuits filed against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that aimed to block the release of records that district parents have long demanded be made public. All three lawsuits were related to invoices for legal fees the school district paid to attorney Tim Davis and the firms he worked for while he served as the school board’s counsel.

‘It was concerning’: Northside ISD parent worried Texas law could limit AP course instruction

(KSAT) A parent says a letter sent by the district created uncertainty about what students will learn and how they will be prepared for national exams.

Fort Worth ISD will reassign staff to address imbalance at schools across district

(Fort Worth Star-Telegram) With district enrollment roughly 2,500 students below projection for the 2026-27 school year, Fort Worth ISD leaders announced Tuesday they will begin staff leveling and reassigning positions to adjust to the enrollment drop at several campuses. In a statement Tuesday, Superintendent Peter Licata said the district is beginning the process of adjusting district and campus staffing to match actual student enrollment. That will include reassigning teachers to different campuses that need additional support. Related:

Texas charter school teachers are nearly 7 times as likely to be uncertified, TEA data shows

(KSAT) Charter school teachers in Texas were nearly seven times as likely to be uncertified as teachers working in traditional public school districts, according to KSAT Investigates’ analysis of last school year’s data from the Texas Education Agency. Texas law requires districts to have certified teachers teaching core subjects, such as English, math, science, and social studies by the start of the 2029-30 school year. However, the Texas Education Agency said the law does not apply to charter schools, which operate under a different statutory framework than districts and are granted certain autonomies in exchange for increased accountability.

Opinion: Come and Take Them, Dan Patrick

(Texas Observer) An Abilene public school librarian has a message for the lieutenant governor and his book-banning crusade.

Why 39% of El Paso County homeowners will pay no school property taxes this year

(El Paso Matters) Thanks largely to expanded tax exemptions approved by Texas voters in 2025, two of every five homeowners in El Paso County have owed no school property taxes the past two years.

Katy ISD approves fiscal year 2026-27 budget with $25.7M shortfall

(Community Impact) Katy ISD’s fiscal year 2026-27 budget includes a $25.7 million shortfall. The approved budget includes a competitive compensation plan, health care program improvements and items aimed at prioritizing student and staff safety.

Clear Creek ISD trustees approve $23M shortfall for FY 2026-27

(Community Impact) Clear Creek ISD’s board of trustees unanimously approved a $432 million budget for fiscal year 2026-27 at its Aug. 24 meeting after hearing about financial pressures the district is facing. The financial pressures have resulted in a $23 million shortfall, according to district documents.

Sulphur Springs ISD says parents interfered with bus routes, prompting driver’s resignation

(KLTV) Sulphur Springs ISD says two incidents involving parents interfering with school buses put students and staff at risk, including one in which vehicles blocked a bus and a parent confronted the driver. Another parent reportedly followed a bus while recording it. The district said the incidents contributed to a bus driver’s resignation and warned parents that following buses, blocking their paths or confronting drivers is unacceptable. The controversy comes after the district changed its bus routes before the start of the school year.

State investigation, officer exodus raise new questions over Leander ISD police 

(KXAN) A new school police department is facing questions about hiring, staffing and internal operations – but what’s happening in Leander ISD could be a preview of challenges facing school districts across Texas.

Austin Metcalf’s dad reacts to “gentlemen’s agreement” discussed at Karmelo Anthony appeal hearing

(Fox 4 KDFW) Jeff Metcalf, the father of the teen killed in the 2025 Frisco track meet stabbing, spoke for the first time since Karmelo Anthony’s motion for a new trial was denied. Metcalf said he wasn’t aware of the “gentlemen’s agreement” to keep Austin Metcalf and Anthony’s character out of the initial trial until Anthony decided against testifying. Anthony’s motion for a retrial was denied by a Collin County judge on Aug. 22. His case will now go through the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas.

Angleton ISD High School teacher arrested, accused of furnishing alcohol to minors

(KHOU) An Angleton ISD High School teacher was arrested Tuesday after being indicted on three charges stemming from an investigation that began with allegations of inappropriate relationships with students. Holly Schroedter Adams was indicted on one count of tampering with physical evidence, a third-degree felony, and two counts of purchasing or furnishing alcohol to a minor, Class A misdemeanors, according to the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office. The charges follow a nearly yearlong investigation that began with allegations involving students at Angleton High School.

Royse City student charged after firearm brought to alternative learning center

(Royce City Herald-Banner) A juvenile student was taken into custody Tuesday after bringing a firearm to the Royse City ISD Alternative Learning Center, according to the Royse City Police Department. The student was taken into custody and charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon, a third-degree felony.

Employee placed on leave amid Andrews ISD investigation

(KMID/KPEJ) An Andrews ISD employee has been placed on administrative leave after being involved in a situation that occurred during the summer. Due to the ongoing investigation, Andrews ISD did not comment on any specific details of the situation as they look to protect the privacy and rights of those involved.

Texas suspends licenses of four at Plano autism center over failure to report suspected child sexual abuse, agency says

(CBS Texas) Four behavior analysts at a Plano autism treatment center had their state licenses suspended after regulators said they failed to report suspected sexual abuse of a 4-year-old child by two center employees. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation issued emergency suspension orders Aug. 17 against four professionals tied to Apara Autism Center.

Ross Fire explodes to over 80,000 acres in North Texas, forcing evacuations and school closures

(CBS Texas) A wildfire that sparked near Ross in Palo Pinto County on Monday afternoon has grown to at least 80,000 acres and was 12% contained as of early Wednesday, forcing evacuations in neighboring Jack County and affecting local schools, officials in North Texas said. Jacksboro ISD delayed the start of school Tuesday by two hours, while Perrin-Whitt CISD canceled classes for the day. Related:

This Texas effort to prevent schools from ‘passing the trash’ could go nationwide

(K-12 Dive) A U.S. Department of Justice initiative meant to prevent schools from “passing the trash” recently led to criminal charges against two educators and over $14,000 in civil penalties in a Texas district — and may eventually be scaled nationwide. The initiative announced last week, called Project Safe Schools, is meant to reduce districts’ hiring or concealment of sexual predators in schools and is a cross-agency collaboration between the Justice Department, the FBI, and other state and federal agencies. 

Measles case confirmed in Dallas County after exposures in Allen, Fairview and Frisco

(Dallas Morning News) A Dallas County resident has tested positive for measles after visiting three North Texas locations while infectious, prompting health officials Tuesday to warn people who may have been exposed to the highly contagious virus. Dallas County Health and Human Services identified potential exposure locations in Allen, Fairview and Frisco.

Bryan ISD school bus with 24 students aboard involved in four-vehicle crash

(KBTX) A Bryan school bus was involved in a four-vehicle crash Tuesday afternoon, but no injuries were reported. The bus, a FedEx truck, and two other vehicles were involved in the crash on Boonville Road. There were 24 children on the bus at the time. The cause of the wreck remains under investigation.

Texas school district expects $13 million in utility savings through campus modernization plan

(The Cool Down) Canyon Independent School District in Texas is considering a campus modernization plan that could curb utility waste and save millions of dollars over time, serving as a reminder that energy upgrades can help protect school budgets while also lowering resource use. District leaders say a facilities modernization effort now under development could lower Canyon Independent School District’s utility bills by about $13 million over 20 years.

Why some Texas school districts are adopting ‘pay to play’ athletic participation fees

(Dallas Morning News) At least six Texas school districts will charge students money to play sports this school year as they look to combat budget shortfalls.

Frisco ISD pushes back football game start times. Could more districts follow?

(Dallas Morning News) Frisco ISD has changed the time of its outdoor football games amid extreme heat warnings in North Texas. Games on Thursday, Aug. 27 and Friday, Aug. 28 at Kuykendall Stadium and Toyota Stadium have been changed from 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Games at Ford Center will remain at 7 p.m. Other districts could follow suit to account for the triple-digit temperatures this week. The National Weather Service is urging North Texans to practice heat safety.

Another Texas high school football standout loses eligibility battle

(USA Today) Another Texas high school football player has been ruled ineligible for the 2026 high school football season. According to Stephen Garcia of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal —part of the USA TODAY Network — Frenship standout running back Bo Davis is ineligible for the upcoming high school football season after he transferred from Lubbock High to Memorial earlier this year. The UIL State Executive Committee upheld a district ruling that Davis transferred schools for athletic purposes. He is the latest high-profile Texas player to be ruled ineligible this year, following cases involving two five-star recruits.

Federal judge rules Texas’ drag ban is unconstitutional prohibition of free speech

(San Antonio Current) Tuesday’s decision reverses a separate court ruling earlier this year that allowed the Republican-backed law to go into effect.

Flock cameras are being used on college campuses; some students are not happy

(Dallas Observer) Public uproar over Flock cameras and other automated license plate readers (LPRs) has grown in recent months. Now, North Texas college students are taking their turn in speaking up. 

TWU plans downtown Dallas college for students left out of higher education

(Dallas Morning News) Texas Woman’s University plans to establish a college in downtown Dallas that would offer an associate degree with a path to a bachelor’s degree for students who might otherwise not enroll in college, university officials said. The first cohort of about 150 students could begin in fall 2027, pending approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The college eventually could serve about 300 students, according to TWU’s proposal.

Waco ISD Police remember K-9 Dalton, the police dog who left paw prints on the community’s heart

(KXXV) Waco ISD Police Sergeant Larry Martinez said goodbye to his retired K-9 partner, Dalton, last week. Dalton served on the force from 2019 to 2024 and passed away at the age of 11. “He really was a good dog, and he did good things for the community,” Martinez said. Throughout his career, Dalton answered more than 800 calls and gave more than 50 K-9 demonstrations. He helped catch dangerous criminals, find two missing seniors and a missing child, and helped seize 70-plus pounds of illegal drugs.

East Texas school district sees benefits from banning energy drinks

(KETK) Diboll ISD has started the school year with a new rule, no more energy drinks on campus. The East Texas district’s ban on energy drinks is being credited with helping improve student health and classroom focus. District officials say the highly caffeinated beverages can cause increased heart rates, anxiety, jitteriness and difficulty concentrating, while high sugar content can contribute to longer-term health problems. The ban, which follows similar policies in other East Texas districts, prohibits students from bringing energy drinks onto school campuses.

Opinion: What Is the Weirdest High School Mascot in Texas?

(Texas Monthly) Is it the Unicorns? The Bobkittens? The Moguls? Nope, nope, and nope.

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