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Friday, May 1, 2026
One-on-one interview, new Beaumont ISD superintendent vows A or B ratings in 3 years
(KFDM) Beaumont ISD began its first full day under new leadership after the Texas Education Agency officially took over the district yesterday, installing a new superintendent and a board of managers. New Superintendent Sandi Massey said her goal is to make all schools in the district A- or B-rated within three years. State Rep. Dade Phelan said the change will be good for students and the community.
Texas takeover of Lake Worth ISD begins quietly as appointed leaders set priorities
(Fort Worth Report) The Lake Worth ISD boardroom was quiet Wednesday night — no public comment, no speakers at the podium. In the audience, three elected trustees watched as the district’s new state-appointed board of managers took control and immediately made its priority clear. “This new governance team is committed to focusing unrelentingly on improving student outcomes,” new board President Tom Harris said.
El Paso school districts see enrollment decline as superintendents cite national trend
(KFOX) Empty desks are becoming a defining challenge for El Paso’s largest school districts, with new data showing tens of thousands of unused classroom seats across El Paso ISD, Ysleta ISD and Socorro ISD. Across the three districts, nearly 85,000 classroom seats are sitting empty, roughly one out of every three seats.
Ysleta ISD eyes tax ratification election as enrollment declines, future layoffs possible
(El Paso Matters) Ysleta ISD superintendent Xavier De La Torre isn’t ruling out future layoffs at the Ysleta Independent School District if student enrollment continues declining – and is pinning hopes on stabilizing the district’s finances on a tax ratification election in November.
Spring Branch ISD may close Northbrook Middle School due to enrollment decline
(Houston Chronicle) Spring Branch ISD is considering closing Northbrook Middle School as the district faces enrollment declines and a $24 million shortfall for next school year. Trustees discussed closing the campus at a Monday board meeting due to its shrinking student body and are expected to vote on the proposal at a May 11 workshop, according to a district email.
Austin ISD parents, staff voice concerns at budget meeting
(Fox 7 Austin) With Austin ISD facing a multi-million dollar budget deficit, parents and staff voiced their concerns at a budget meeting. This comes as the district considers cutting stipends and staff to meet growing financial needs.
Harlingen CISD builds up fund balance to $31.3M
(myRGV) Battling years of falling enrollment and state tax cuts, school leaders have built up a $31.1 million fund balance, bolstering the district’s financial standing two years after the past administration plunged it into its deepest financial crisis in decades. Now, officials are planning a new budget for the upcoming fiscal year, with current revenues standing at $137.6 million, covering $128.9 million in expenditures, leaving a balance of $8.6 million.
West Oso ISD faces projected $600K deficit, plans to reduce 20 positions amid enrollment decline
(KRIS) West Oso ISD is facing a projected $600,000 budget deficit, and district leaders are now outlining steps to close the gap — including reducing about 20 positions and selling off unused land. Superintendent Kimberly Moore pointed to declining enrollment and inflation as the primary drivers of the district’s financial pressure. “This used to be a school district of 2,100 students — we’re now a school district of 1,800,” Moore said.
Northside ISD consultants compiling campus profiles for ‘optimization’ of school funding
(Texas Public Radio) Northside ISD is undergoing a so-called “optimization” process to make better use of district resources and eliminate the need for future deficit budgets.
These Dallas private schools serve mostly low-income families. Will Texas’ school choice program deliver?
(Dallas Morning News) Mount St. Michael Catholic School, a private school with a majority low-income student population, believes the Texas Education Freedom Accounts will help draw more students.
South Texas School District Pressures Staff To Vote in Bond Election
(Texas Scorecard) Internal emails released by a staff member at Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District reveal that the district is tracking whether district staff have or have not voted in the May 2 school bond election. While the school district cannot track how an employee voted, it can track who has voted.
Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD HR chief accused of driving intoxicated on district property
(San Antonio Express-News) Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District’s human resources director is accused of driving onto district property while intoxicated around lunchtime on Friday, as questions remain over how the district handled the incident. On Monday, school district officials informed campus leaders and administrators that Cindy Ward, the district’s director of human resources, had abruptly decided to retire, according to an email obtained by the San Antonio Express-News.
Cy-Fair ISD employee charged with felony after pushing autistic student who later died, records show
(Houston Chronicle) A Cypress-Fairbanks ISD employee was charged Wednesday with injury to the disabled, a third-degree felony, after “forcefully and deliberately” pushing a 16-year-old student who later died, according to Harris County court records. Behavioral specialist Donald Perkins was “unprovoked and excessive” when he pushed a student from behind on April 23, according to a complaint by Cy-Fair ISD police department detective Sheena Evans. The student hit the ground “with significant force” and later died, she wrote in the complaint.
Officials: Multiple staffers fired amid child abuse allegations at Fort Bend ISD’s Burton Elementary
(KTRK) An investigation into child abuse allegations at a Fort Bend ISD elementary school has expanded, according to an update from county officials. The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Wednesday that more staff members at Burton Elementary School in Fresno had been fired amid the investigation. Families of students with special needs have come forward, saying they believe their children were hurt by their teachers or assistants. The parents say the district has shown them videos of the alleged abuse.
Two-time defending state champion Grapevine baseball deemed ineligible by UIL hours before playoff game, per district
(WFAA) In a letter sent from Grapevine-Colleyville ISD, the district says the decision came after allegations of an ineligible player were flagged by the UIL. Related:
Rockdale ISD bus involved in crash with 18-wheeler in Minerva; students reported safe
(KWTX) According to the investigating DPS Trooper on scene, the operator of a tractor trailer lost control of the vehicle, jackknifed, and collided with the rear of the school bus as it was stopped and unloading students. DPS said one student reported minor, non-life-threatening injuries.
Grand jury declines to indict suspect in fatal road rage shooting near Frisco ISD High School
(Fox 4 KDFW) A grand jury has decided not to indict a man accused of murder after an alleged road rage-related shooting in a Frisco High School parking lot in 2025. Police said there were no Frisco High School students involved in the incident.
Child denied restroom at Houston gas station humiliated after video shared at schools, police investigating
(KPRC) A Houston ISD middle school student was denied access to a gas station restroom and was forced to relieve himself outside, after being told the restroom was out of service. The situation escalated when store surveillance video of the incident was allegedly shared and circulated among other students, leading to bullying and emotional distress for the child. The boy’s family reported the incident to police, prompting an investigation into the gas station and the handling of the video. Community activists have since become involved, demanding accountability for what the family describes as a humiliating and harmful experience.
Texas A&M University has been upended by politics. Can its next president bring stability?
(Houston Chronicle) After years of tumult in the president’s office, Texas A&M officials seek stability in upcoming vote for Susan Ballabina to lead the flagship university in College Station.
UT Austin accuses KUT of ‘false’ statements, ‘poor planning’ after pushing festival off campus
(Austin American-Statesman) Days before KUT’s inaugural festival at the University of Texas campus, new guidance from top UT officials prompted the station to cancel and relocate some events.
UNT approves faculty buyouts amid $45 million shortfall. Here’s how many and how much it could save
(Dallas Morning News) The University of North Texas approved voluntary buyouts for 40 faculty members as it looks to trim costs and close a projected $45 million shortfall. The buyouts could save the Denton campus an estimated $4.7 million, according to a UNT spokesperson. UNT does not expect to issue “university-wide layoffs.”
UT Dallas class uses Minecraft to help students get into medical school
(KERA) A new class is using the video game Minecraft to familiarize pre-med students with a hospital, doctors, patients, symptoms and diagnoses. It helps prepare them for the MCAT – the test needed to enter medical school.
These new degrees are coming to Tarrant colleges
(Fort Worth Report) Colleges and universities in Tarrant County are launching new degree and certificate programs in aviation, social work and pharmaceutical sciences in coming semesters. The programs are each designed to place students into in-demand fields.
Inside Texas State University’s push toward achieving a prestigious research title
(KXAN) Texas State University has made significant strides toward a prestigious title few universities across the nation procure. The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education designates universities with R1 research status as having “very high research spending and doctorate production.”
Governor Greg Abbott Directs TRS to Seek TRS-Care Premium Reductions
(Texas Retired Teachers Association) Texas Governor Greg Abbott directed the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) to “implement the maximum feasible premium reductions that both preserve the long-term financial stability of the TRS-Care fund and reduce Medicare Advantage insurance costs for retired educators.” This directive will not immediately reduce premiums, but it instructs the TRS Board of Trustees to consider maximum savings through premium reductions for TRS-Care Medicare Advantage participants. The next opportunity for TRS to consider premium reductions will occur during the July Board of Trustees meeting, with potential implementation as early as January 2027.
Education is not a ‘professional degree,’ Education Department says
(K-12 Dive) The U.S. Department of Education on Thursday released final regulations excluding graduate education programs from its definition of “professional degrees,” making them ineligible for higher federal student loan caps. Consequently, borrowing for these programs will be capped at $100,000.
Camp Mystic abandons bid to reopen this summer
(Texas Tribune) Camp Mystic on Thursday said it has withdrawn its application for an operating license, a decision that means it will not reopen to campers this summer. The decision follows a grueling hearing earlier this week when Texas lawmakers pushed the family that runs the camp to consider if they were truly ready to reopen after 25 campers and two counselors died there during last year’s July 4 flood, along with the camp’s executive director Dick Eastland. Families of victims had criticized plans to reopen.
The Onion’s acquisition of Austin-based Infowars is on hold — for now
(KUT) A successful last-minute appeal by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones means his flagship Infowars platform won’t be turned over to the satirical media outlet until after a hearing next month. Infowars was set to be acquired by The Onion, which aimed to revamp the site and give profits to the Sandy Hook Elementary families Jones was accused of defaming. Jones was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion in damages in 2022 and filed for bankruptcy.
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