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August 6, 2026
Texas’ first year of school vouchers is starting. Students with disabilities find hope, but face obstacles
(Dallas Morning News) North Texas families say they are grateful to leave public schools, but finding a private school hasn’t been easy, requiring them to weather through disappointment and confront additional costs.
Fort Worth ISD celebrates early A-F rating improvements. Will a school trigger intervention again?
(Fort Worth Report) Preliminary ratings show 13 fewer D and F campuses, but questions remain before Texas releases official grades. Related:
- Fort Worth ISD sees highest principal turnover in more than a decade (Fort Worth Report)
- 8 Fort Worth ISD schools receive more flexibility. What does that mean? (Fort Worth Report)
- Gay Teen Drag Queen Novel Sparks Fort Worth ISD Review Of Girls Soccer Coach Pick (Dallas Express)
Houston ISD responds to TEA concerns as special education changes move forward
(KHOU) As school begins, HISD says special education services will continue while it works to address TEA concerns over its Student Success Program. Related:
Houston ISD forced to end universal free lunch at 33 schools after Trump’s sweeping SNAP changes
(Houston Chronicle) More than 30 Houston ISD schools will no longer provide universal free lunch this school year due to federal changes to food assistance programs. Thousands of students could lose access to free meals and go hungry during the school day as a result, according to child nutrition experts. Related:
- San Antonio ISD says it will continue providing free breakfast, lunch to all students (San Antonio Current)
Northside ISD’s new virtual academy to open for 2026-27 school year
(KSAT) The program will welcome 200+ high school students.
Forney ISD principal was aware of special education teacher’s past arrest, failed to report abuse allegations
(Fox 4 KDFW) Wendy Bailey, a former Forney ISD elementary school principal, was aware of a special education teacher’s suspect past before hiring him last year, an arrest affidavit states. Despite previously acknowledging Jonathan Michael’s past arrest under the name Michael Roell, Bailey still contacted him multiple times about working in Forney ISD. According to the affidavit, Bailey told Michael she would not hire him under his old name, but would hire him if he changed it. Michael was arrested in May and charged with two counts of injury to a child and one count of child grooming. Bailey is charged with endangering a child and failure to report.
Winnsboro ISD board president arrested; district focused on new school year
(CBS19) Winnsboro ISD Board President Brandon Green faces charges of failing to report child abuse and tampering with evidence, marking the latest arrest linked to the district. In January, Superintendent Aaron David Nation, Brian “David” Wilcox (now-former superintendent) and Ashley Wilcox (David Wilcox’s wife and former speech-language pathology assistant) allegedly concealing child abuse after a Texas Ranger investigation. Chris Trotter is currently serving as interim superintendent.
Flower Mound teen receives 14 month probation sentence in Lewisville ISD football hazing case
(NBC DFW) An 18-year-old former Lewisville ISD Marcus High School football player Francisco Adams was sentenced to 14 months of probation Wednesday after entering two no-contest pleas in connection with a Flower Mound hazing incident involving a former teammate. Adams admitted to hazing his former teammate during an off-campus team dinner. A video of the incident, which was later posted on social media, showed what was later identified as a pellet gun pointed at the then-16-year-old victim after he had been stripped down. The victim was a member of the football team at the time but has since quit. Three additional students are expected to enter pleas in the coming weeks, according to a private investigator hired by the victim’s family.
Robstown ISD: Employee fired after federal arrest in child exploitation investigation
(KIII) District officials said the employee was arrested by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, immediately terminated and that no Robstown ISD students were involved in the case.
Texas youth football team coach dismissed amid wife’s ‘sex dungeon’ case
(Houston Chronicle) Dragon Youth Football (DYF), a youth program in Southlake, Texas tied to the powerhouse Southlake Carroll (Carroll ISD) Dragons high school program, dismissed coach Steve Powers after learning of an FBI case involving his wife, former Carroll ISD substitute teacher Jennifer Powers. Jennifer Powers and retired financier Howard Rubin were arrested in September 2025 and charged with sex trafficking and transporting women for commercial sex acts at a Manhattan “dungeon,” with Rubin also facing bank fraud charges tied to financing the Powers family’s Texas home. Steve’s removal as a youth coach came about 11 months later, following parent feedback and an additional review by DYF leadership.
Mold delays start of school at Friendswood ISD’s Westwood Elementary
(Houston Chronicle) Less than two weeks before Friendswood ISD students were scheduled to return to classes, the district said it was delaying the start of school at Westwood Elementary because of elevated mold levels. Friendswood ISD said the school’s HVAC system failed to control moisture, contributing to mold growth and saturation in parts of the roof deck. The district plans to clean the building and repair or replace the HVAC system and parts of the roof, followed by additional environmental testing.
How shrinking enrollment, budget cuts left DeSoto ISD without athletic trainers
(Dallas Morning News) DeSoto ISD was once the gold standard in sports medicine but now finds itself without certified athletic trainers on staff as football season nears.
Texas HB 8 funding changes will cost Alamo Colleges millions in state funding
(San Antonio Report) Alamo Colleges District, once a top earner under Texas’ House Bill 8 finance formula rooted in student outcomes, is now expecting to receive $3.9 million less for the upcoming 2027 fiscal year. Community colleges across Texas outperformed the state’s expectations, exceeding the funding allocations — $441 million for fiscal year 2026 and 2027 combined — which prompted changes and new limits to the funding formula. “They just thought we weren’t going to meet the projections, which is completely the opposite of what happened,” said Priscilla Camacho, Alamo Colleges chief legislative, industry and external relations officer. “Everybody lost money compared to what they got last year, and certainly lost money compared to what they were projected to get for fiscal year 2027.”
Texas A&M-Fort Worth’s downtown vision takes shape with $240M campus opening
(Fort Worth Report) Texas A&M opened the law and education building and began work on a $300 million research and innovation project.
When a Texas School Police Officer Got ‘Riled Up’ Over a Defiant Teen
(New York Times) The incident, one of thousands of times that school officers in Texas have used physical force in recent years, underscores long-held concerns about policing in schools.
Footage shows Northside ISD officer shoot woman outside packed football stadium
(KSAT) Newly released surveillance video shows the October 2023 shooting of a woman by a Northside Independent School District police officer outside of a crowded high school football stadium. The footage captures the moments leading up to the shooting of Markay Garcia, the wife of a Sotomayor High School assistant football coach, just outside Dub Farris Athletic Complex as thousands of spectators arrived for a varsity football game. Garcia survived the shooting, but she suffered a shattered humerus bone, a destroyed triceps muscle and has permanent nerve damage, according to a 2024 federal lawsuit she filed against the district and two of its officers.
Dallas ISD security officer honored for strengthening father-child bonds through school program
(WFAA) Dallas ISD Officer Joseph Thomas Sr. received a national award for creating a program that encourages fathers to become more involved in their children’s lives.
‘Definitely bittersweet’: Southwest ISD Superintendent Jeanette Ball resigns
(San Antonio Report) Southwest ISD Superintendent Jeanette Ball announced her retirement from the district during a special board meeting on Wednesday night.
Fine arts program gets an upgrade at La Joya ISD
(Progress Times) The La Joya school district received an extra $800,000 in federal grant funds at the end of the 2025-26 school year, allowing administration to invest in high-cost instructional and performance-related items. Public Relations & Communications Director Blanca Cantu said the district allocated the funds across campuses and programming needs. Some of the funds will go toward musical instruments, specialized supplies and student performance uniforms.
Texas Children’s Hospital must open country’s first ‘detransition clinic’ by October under finalized settlement
(KHOU) The agreement requires Texas Children’s Hospital to pay $10 million and open what the attorney general calls the nation’s first detransition clinic.
Some neighbors stand behind former Bosque County tax assessor convicted of abusing position
(KXXV) Despite her conviction on criminal charges for abuse of her office, some Bosque County neighbors are standing behind former tax collector and assessor Arlene Swiney.
Swiney was found guilty on misdemeanor charges during her time in office. Now some community members are standing behind her after her sentencing.
Award-winning professor taken into ICE custody at Texas airport
(Houston Chronicle) Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested a University of Maryland School of Pharmacy instructor last month at Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport. Dr. Berhanu Kibret was arrested at DFW on July 21 after visiting Dallas for a meeting of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, an event where he was given a Teacher of the Year award. “Against our nation’s laws, he overstayed his visa and failed to depart. He will remain in ICE custody pending his immigration proceedings,” Homeland security said.
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SY 2025-26
PEIMS Articles:
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Statewide Enrollment Data - Part 6 (Final):
ISD and Charter Enrollment Rankings
