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Sept. 21, 2026
After outcry, Texas lieutenant governor says schools should teach Holocaust books

(Jeruselum Post) The lieutenant governor of Texas says his recent call for the state’s public schools to remove “over 2,000 titles” of “dirty, filthy and vulgar books” was not meant to include books about the Holocaust. Dan Patrick’s statement, provided exclusively to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency on Friday, comes after a month of confusion following a press conference in which he and a conservative Christian activist threatened schools with potential loss of state funding if they did not comply with his directive to purge their libraries.

North Texas high school readiness rises, but college completion remains low

(Dallas Morning News) North Texas high school seniors are increasingly meeting a state benchmark for college, career or military readiness, but a much smaller share is enrolling in postsecondary education or completing a program, according to the Dallas Regional Chamber’s 2026 Regional Outcomes Report.

Houston private school says TEFA helped boost enrollment 200% as it opens first brick-and-mortar campus

(KPRC) A Houston private school operator says Texas’ new school choice program has dramatically increased enrollment at his school, helping fuel an expansion into a new brick-and-mortar campus. Andrew Green, founder of PSAT Academy, said the school’s enrollment has grown by about 200% since the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program launched. He said the growth comes as the school moves into its first true brick-and-mortar location in Houston.

High costs, dwindling enrollment: Is Houston ISD’s playbook under takeover sustainable?

(Texas Tribune) The high price tag, coupled with less state funding from students leaving the district, raises questions about whether the academic improvements are sustainable in the long run and whether other districts can afford to replicate it. Related:

Austin ISD appeals two failing school ratings in bid to avoid takeover

(KUT) Burnet Middle School missed a D by one point and Webb Middle School by two, leaving Austin ISD a narrow path to overturn the ratings. If the two schools ratings rise, the district could stave off a state intervention.

Fort Worth ISD working to adopt silent panic alert system to comply with Texas law

(WFAA) Fort Worth ISD is working to implement a silent panic alert system for its schools in order to comply with a new state law. The Fort Worth ISD Board of Managers approved the purchase of Centegix on Sept. 8, the same system that Argyle ISD has in place for years, and the system is also being used in Mansfield ISD. Related:

‘We need to rightsize’: Mission CISD plans for fewer students to avoid financial hit

(ValleyCentral) Leaders with the Mission Consolidated Independent School District are looking ahead to continued enrollment declines and the potential financial impact on the district, including possible changes to campuses and staffing. The district’s enrollment has declined from about 15,000 students to roughly 13,000 over the last decade.

Judson ISD rewinds policy that made it easier for middle schoolers to move to the next grade

(San Antonio Report) Wanting to hold students more “accountable,” the school board at Judson Independent School District backtracked on a previous rule that let middle schoolers fail math or reading and still move on to the next grade level. The new policy, passed in a 5-1 vote on Thursday, requires that students score an overall average of 70 in all their classes and a grade of 70 or above in English, math and science or social studies.

If Texas schools must offer voter registration, why are so few teens signed up?

(San Antonio Express-News) An obscure state law requires Texas high schools to give eligible students an opportunity to register to vote. But voting-rights groups say many schools don’t bother. New data from a national nonprofit advocacy group shows Texas and Bexar County lag behind much of the country in the percentage of 18-year-olds registered to vote.

NBA player Myles Turner pledges up to $2M to Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD as Trinity arena takes his name

(Fort Worth Report) Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD trustees Sept. 14 approved an agreement naming Trinity High School’s new arena the Myles Turner Fieldhouse. The naming was paired with a pledge from the 2014 Trinity graduate and NBA veteran of up to $2 million (up to $100,000 a year for 20 years) for athletics across the district. The vote was 6-0, with trustee Becky Ewart absent. Dobie Williams, deputy superintendent of business operations, told the Fort Worth Report the pledge is the largest donation he has seen during his time with HEB ISD.

Aldine ISD pulls Nimitz High School band T-shirts depicting a Black person tied to a stake

(Houston Chronicle) The Nimitz High School band will stop wearing this year’s marching season T-shirts after activists, parents and students complained about offensive imagery, Aldine ISD officials said Friday. The black shirt provided to band students depicted a Black person tied by rope to a wooden stake with fire burning behind it. At the top of the shirt are the words “The trial.” Sheila Adams, Aldine ISD’s chief communications officer, said the shirt was designed to coordinate with the UIL competition-approved theme of “The Crucible,” a play about the Salem Witch Trials. She said another entity designed and printed the shirts. “Once district officials became aware of the matter, we acted promptly to stop distribution and asked students to return the shirts,” Adams said.

Ex-Forney ISD principal, special ed teacher indicted after allegedly concealing teacher’s background, federal prosecutors say

(CBS Texas) A federal grand jury has indicted a former Forney ISD elementary school principal and a special education teacher on charges they conspired to circumvent district hiring safeguards, authorities said. According to the seven-count indictment, Michael Raymond Roell, also known as Johnathan Michael, and former Crosby Elementary Principal Wendy Bailey allegedly concealed Roell’s prior criminal charges and disciplinary history during the district’s hiring process. Prosecutors said Roell legally changed his name after a previous arrest for indecency with a child and multiple abuse-related leave placements in other school districts.

Fourth Texas Leadership Charter Academy coach charged: Brandon Richardson booked into Tom Green County jail

(Fox West Texas) Former Texas Leadership Charter Academy San Angelo (TLCASA) coach Brandon Rydell Richardson, 33, of San Angelo, was arrested Friday after being indicted Sept. 9 on eight felony charges by a Tom Green County grand jury. Richardson is the latest of four coaches charged in connection with the Feb. 25, 2026, incident at TLCASA, in which approximately 50 student-athletes were forced to perform hundreds of pushups over three consecutive days without water or breaks as punishment for a jersey mix-up, according to a civil lawsuit filed April 10 by 12 families. The lawsuit alleges 20 students were hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis, a severe condition caused by rapid muscle breakdown that can lead to kidney failure and death.

Parents seek answers after Lamar CISD says a parent entered a campus, classroom, without permission

(KTRK) Some Lamar CISD families are demanding answers after a viral video showed a parent walking through a school and entering a classroom full of students to confront a teacher. School leaders told ABC13 that last week a parent got past Pink Elementary School’s security measures. A spokesperson told ABC13 a parent accessed the building without permission and went into a classroom. The parent recorded the incident and shared it on social media. The widely seen video has caused an uproar with parents we spoke to, who are questioning school security. The spokesperson said the mom was issued a criminal trespass warning.

Beaumont mom seeks accountability from Beaumont ISD after 3 hour search for daughter’s bus

(KFDM) A Beaumont mother is demanding accountability after she said her 5-year-old autistic daughter spent about three hours on a Beaumont ISD school bus Tuesday afternoon and arrived home in urine-soaked clothes. Apryl Essien said her daughter, who is autistic and nonverbal, was picked up around 3:20 Tuesday afternoon but did not get home until around 6 p.m. In an email to Essien, Beaumont ISD Transportation Director Corey Metts said several employee absences affected route times and that, because of the staffing shortage, the route had to be doubled. Metts also apologized for the length of the ride and for Essien’s daughter arriving home in a soiled pull-up.

Teen arrested after reported sexual assault during Magnolia High School football game

(KHOU) A 16-year-old boy has been taken into custody after a 15-year-old reported being sexually assaulted near the athletic field during a football game at Magnolia High School, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. Magnolia County sheriff’s deputies were called to the school around 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, after receiving a report of a sexual assault that had just occurred. Sheriff’s deputies and Montgomery County Precinct 5 constable deputies working as school resource officers met with the 15-year-old. Because the teen taken into custody is a minor, his name isn’t being released.

Profs who sued Texas A&M over free speech ask court to block system’s limits on teaching race, gender

(San Antonio Current) The American Association of University Professors and four individual professors have asked a federal court to block the Texas A&M University System from enforcing a policy that they argue amounts to censorship and stops them from teaching material critical to their disciplines. This filing comes after the plaintiffs sued in August to challenge a policy the Texas A&M Board of Regents adopted last year that restricts professors’ ability to teach material related to race, gender and sexual orientation. The new motion seeks to stop the policy’s enforcement until the Houston-based court renders a final decision on its legality.

Opinion: College Football Doesn’t Need Friday Night. High School Football Does

(Sports Illustrated) Texas Tech and Houston delivered a fantastic game Friday night, but it was played at a time that should still belong to high school football.

Hallsville ISD cancels classes Monday as city addresses water supply leak

(KLTV) A leak in the Hallsville water supply line has caused city officials to advise residents to limit water usage and forced the cancellation of classes Monday.

‘Can’t guarantee a winning team, but I can guarantee a team where…winners play’: Winona ISD launches first-ever soccer program

(KLTV) Winona ISD is starting its first-ever soccer program this fall after students spent years playing informal games on their own.

Amid new fentanyl variant warnings, Laredo schools point to existing Narcan access

(KGNS) Amid White House warnings about new, far more potent fentanyl variants like carfentanil, Laredo officials say the threat is being treated seriously even though overdose deaths in Webb County are currently down. Locally, United ISD has placed Narcan inside every defibrillator unit on its campuses, trains all staff on recognizing overdose signs, and is warning students that vapes or street pills can be laced with fentanyl or carfentanil. Laredo ISD similarly stocks Narcan at every campus, with nurses and athletic trainers carrying doses and receiving annual training to spot and respond to overdoses.

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