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Sept. 15, 2026
UT Austin students attacked by Bo French call his comments “disgusting” and too familiar

(Texas Tribune) Students at the University of Texas at Austin said they were dismayed — but unsurprised — by the racist attacks lobbed at them online after a Republican candidate for statewide office suggested white Americans were being “displaced.” Bo French, the Republican running for a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates the state’s oil and gas industry, on Sunday posted racist comments on X that included an image of UT students of South Asian descent celebrating the victory. In a statement Monday night, university officials indirectly addressed Bo French’s comments, calling students at the game Saturday night “incredible fans.” Related:

Texas school vouchers program raises questions over how families can use funds

(KPRC) Texas’ new school choice program has awarded funds to about 118,440 students, but as families begin using the funds, families raise questions about what the money can actually pay for and how the state-funded accounts interact with financial assistance offered by private schools.

A year later, what teens tell us about school cellphone bans

(Brookings) Our best evidence so far suggests that these restrictions are having generally positive effects. These studies show that cellphone bans reduce students’ phone use (albeit not to zero), increase academic achievement (although effects vary by age and subject), and after an initial adjustment period, do not increase students’ disciplinary problems.

School bus driver shortages persist at several San Antonio-area districts

(San Antonio Express-News) As school districts across the country struggle to find enough bus drivers to take kids to class, the North East Independent School District’s bus fleet is the most staffed it has been since before the COVID-19 pandemic. But driver retention challenges still plague nearby districts, including three of the area’s four largest: Northside, San Antonio and Judson ISDs. San Antonio ISD has 16 bus driver vacancies for about 125 total routes and Judson ISD needs 10 more drivers to be fully staffed, according to the districts.

Fort Worth ISD therapy, special education contract spending grows to $3.2 million months after cuts

(Fort Worth Report) Fort Worth ISD will pay contractors $2.51 million more than planned to fill special education jobs it eliminated in April. Related:

Austin ISD responds to parent petition plan to avoid state takeover

(KVUE) Austin ISD Superintendent Matias Segura responded to Mayor Kirk Watson’s proposal that parents at Burnet and Webb middle schools petition the state to close their own campuses as a way to avoid a full state takeover of the district, following the schools’ fifth consecutive failing accountability rating. In a Monday night email to families, Segura said the district won’t help gather petition signatures, but if a majority of parents at each school sign on, Austin ISD will submit a comprehensive closure plan to the state outlining how students would be supported next year. Watson noted that under state law, a successful parent petition would direct the commissioner to close just those two schools rather than allow a takeover of the entire district and elected board.

Back in the classroom: El Paso ISD administrators substitute as cost-saving measure

(El Paso Matters) On the Friday before Labor Day weekend, Veronica Reyes asked a group of attentive students at Silva Magnet High School in South El Paso to describe the three branches of government. It had been at least 14 years since Reyes, who is the assistant superintendent of specialized learning services at the El Paso Independent School District, last worked as a teacher. That was until EPISD began its central office substitute program, which requires salaried administrative employees who do not work on a school campus to substitute classes four days a semester — or eight days a year — on top of their regular duties. It is the only major district in the region that requires administrators to substitute.

Waco ISD superintendent responds to failing campus ratings, outlines plan to improve scores

(KXXV) Eight Waco ISD campuses received failing grades in the state’s latest accountability ratings, and district leaders are now outlining steps they say will turn those scores around.

Hutto ISD seeks to expand virtual academy enrollment

(Community Impact) Hutto ISD opened its online “virtual academy” to all Texas students this summer, mainly to bring in more state funding — since virtual students who transfer in count toward the district’s funding just like in-person kids. The program lets students learn at their own pace, and now offers dual-credit classes through Temple College. The district hired a new administrator to grow it further, and is even looking at eventually letting out-of-state students enroll.

Alief ISD: ‘Serious incident’ between staff member, student puts Hastings HS into ‘secure mode’

(KTRK) Parents at Alief ISD’s Hastings High School received a troubling letter from principal Dr. William Price on Monday morning about a ‘serious incident’. The district said an incident involving a staff member and a student ended with emergency responders on campus, but now the district isn’t answering questions. The district has not said how seriously the staff member was injured, or what job that staff member fills at Hastings HS.

Second Del Valle ISD police officer indicted for same reason

(KXAN) Former Del Valle Independent School District Police Department officer Ernest Ferniz has been indicted on six felony counts alleging he falsified records and information during the hiring process, according to court documents. The indictment marks the second case involving a former Del Valle ISD police officer to result in criminal charges.

Palestine ISD basketball coach accused of abusing, threatening to kill son

(KLTV) A Palestine High School teacher and coach was arrested Friday after police said he assaulted his 15-year-old son on campus, according to the Palestine Police Department. Maurice Heade was the head basketball coach for Palestine High School boys basketball, according to the Palestine ISD Athletics website.

Gunter ISD Baseball Coach placed on administrative leave

(KTEN) District officials have confirmed that their Gunter ISD baseball coach, Deryl Hellman, has been placed on administrative leave over allegations that he made inappropriate comments.

Retired Bridgeport ISD Educator Caught Soliciting Child for Sex Gets 12 Years

(Texas Scorecard) A retired Bridgeport High School athletic trainer was sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to five counts of soliciting sex from a child online. William Lawrence “Billy” Newsom, 62, was caught in an online sting in March 2024 sending sexually explicit messages to someone he thought was a 12-year-old girl and arranging to meet her for sex. Newsom was caught by Alex Rosen of Predator Poachers, who uses adult decoys to track suspected pedophiles online then records their confessions and turns over evidence he collects to local authorities. According to Rosen, Newsom also admitted to viewing child sexual abuse material showing victims as young as 6 years old.

Harper ISD Band Teacher Gets 15 Years for Child Sex Abuse Material

(Texas Scorecard) A now-former Central Texas teacher arrested last year for illicit recordings of female students was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to 17 felonies including possession of child sexual abuse material. Pedro DeLuna III was first arrested in December 2025 and charged with invasive visual recording, a state jail felony punishable by up to two years in jail. DeLuna was an assistant band director and music teacher in Harper Independent School District. A 15-year-old female student invited to DeLuna’s home along with her family members discovered a partially hidden cell phone in his bathroom that was recording video and told her mother, who notified authorities.

Mother says Austin ISD failed to do enough to stop teacher in sexual relationship with teen

(KVUE) A mother is suing Austin ISD, claiming it failed to act promptly after she reported a suspected inappropriate relationship between her 16-year-old son and Rodney Childers, assistant band director at LBJ Early College High School in July 2024. Childers faces seven pending criminal charges, including possession of child pornography and improper relationship with a student, and a second teenage victim has since been identified.

Venus ISD employee arrested for alleged improper relationship with student, district says

(Dallas Morning News) In a Monday statement, Venus ISD Superintendent of Schools Howard Gatewood said the employee was placed on administrative leave after the district received the allegation and is no longer employed there. It remains unclear when the arrest took place.

Texas Judge Disciplined for Requiring Parents To Be Vaccinated for Visitation

(Texas Scorecard) Judge Travis Kitchens Jr., presiding over the 258th District Court covering Polk, San Jacinto, and Trinity Counties, was publicly admonished by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct after ordering a father in a 2021 custody case to receive the COVID-19 vaccine or produce a negative test within 72 hours before visitation, after the mother and children had been quarantined due to COVID exposure. Kitchens, first elected in 2018 and reelected in 2022, is running unopposed in the 2026 general election.

Former head of Walden Media to take over UT Austin’s Moody College of Communication

(KUT) Cary Granat has been appointed new dean of UT’s Moody College of Communication. Granat previously served as co-founder and CEO of Walden Media, a production and publishing company known for films like the “Chronicles of Narnia” series. He will take over as dean of the college from interim Dean Anita Vangelisti, who’s been in that role since August 2024. Granat will oversee the hiring of KUT and KUTX’s next general manager after Debbie Hiott’s firing earlier this summer.

UT El Paso enrollment reaches all-time high

(KVIA) A record number of students enrolled in the University of Texas at El Paso this fall, according to the school. For the first time, UTEP’s enrollment passed 27,000.

Lone Star College System student enrollment exceeds 100K for first time

(Community Impact) Over 100,000 students have enrolled at Lone Star College System for the fall semester, marking a milestone for the college system, according to a Sept. 14 news release.

St. Mary’s University, Texas Lutheran University Partner to ease pathway into law school

(San Antonio Report) In efforts to create more “clear and predictable” pathways toward a higher education degree, St. Mary’s University President Winston Erevelles signed an agreement securing entry into the St. Mary’s School of Law for Texas Lutheran University students. The three-year agreement, signed on Sept. 4, secures seats for qualifying students who are on track to earn a bachelor’s degree, as well as those who completed a bachelor’s within three years of applying.

UT Austin launches $30 million effort to study what happens when robots move into everyday life

(KXAN) From dorms to hospitals, robots are increasingly leaving the lab and entering the real world. Now, a new National Science Foundation-funded center led by The University of Texas at Austin aims to better understand what happens when people and robots share the same spaces over long periods of time. The Center for Human and Robot Co-Adaptation will bring together researchers from six universities and industry partners to study how humans and robots learn from one another.

Donna ISD awarded $3.12 million for outdoor classrooms

(ValleyCentral) The Donna Independent School District was awarded $3.12 million by the Texas A&M Forest Service Schoolyard program to build new outdoor classrooms, increase tree canopy and add nature-based learning spaces to eight district schools. According to a release, the program is a partnership between Texas Trees Foundation, Donna ISD, Region One ESC and the Texas A&M Forest Service Schoolyard Program.

Perry Weather Lands $110M Growth Investment, Plans Major Dallas Hiring Expansion for Weather Ops & Safety Platform

(BusinessWire) More than 20 state high school athletic associations now mandate wet bulb globe temperature monitoring and require activity adjustments when readings cross defined thresholds, including Texas, where the University Interscholastic League’s mandate took effect in August.

Coach saves choking LaPoynor ISD sixth-grader with Heimlich maneuver during school lunch

(CBS19) A sixth-grader’s choking incident during lunch at LaPoynor ISD highlights the life-saving impact of emergency training.

A high school football team scored 105 in a game. What can be done to avoid running up the score?

(Dallas Morning Texas) Both coaches shared their perspectives on the outcome, the first time a Dallas-area team has scored more than 100 points in nearly 100 years.

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