Latest TexEdNews:

Reported Elsewhere:

Having problems?
Please refresh your browser.

Reported Elsewhere

Where possible, these headlines link to no-paywall or soft paywall articles, or to websites offering free trials. TexEdNews neither condones nor endorses the accuracy of this news feed.

June 3, 2026
Crystal City ISD faces closure, consolidation risk amid $9.2 million debt crisis

(KSAT) CCISD interim Superintendent proposes paid athletics, budget cuts to keep district from consolidating with other local districts.

‘We will right the ship’: El Paso ISD plans largest workforce reduction in county school district history amid budget crisis

(El Paso Matters) If the El Paso Independent School District declares financial exigency and permits Superintendent Brian Lusk to cut hundreds of jobs in coming weeks, the district can move quickly to restore financial health, the school board was told Tuesday morning. The board was presented with a plan for extensive cost cuts to prevent a deficit of more than $40 million in the 2026-27 budget after racking up a deficit of more than $50 million this year. The seven members will vote Thursday night on the plan which would declare a financial exigency for the remainder of this budget year, which ends June 30, and for all of 2026-27.

North East ISD escapes appointment of a state conservator following amended cell phone policy

(Texas Public Radio) The TEA rescinded its recommendation to appoint a conservator after the district voted to implement a bell-to-bell cell phone ban next school year.

Mike Miles’ HISD reforms are spreading through Texas schools as state takeovers, partnerships expand

(Houston Chronicle) Houston ISD’s state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles’ reforms are spreading beyond Houston as his top deputies from HISD lead other Texas districts under state takeovers, struggling campuses adopt his instructional model, and districts partner with the charter network he founded. Related:

Texas public school teachers are leaving the profession at a higher rate than the national norm

(Spectrum News) A Texas Education Agency employee told lawmakers the rate of teachers leaving the profession in the state is 12% compared to 7% to 8% nationally. “There’s a lot of promising data that programs that the Legislature has funded in HB 2 will lead to the decrease in teacher attrition that we need,” said Kelvey Oeser, the commissioner of educator support for the Texas Education Agency.

Fort Worth ISD parents, educators protest Muslim principal’s reassignment at board meeting

(Fort Worth Report) A majority of speakers brought posters in against the district reassigning Shayma Alzubi.

Another Houston-area school district is consolidating special education programs for the upcoming school year

(Houston Public Media) The move by Cypress-Fairbanks ISD will require transferring students to new campuses so they can access the specialized programs in Texas’ third-largest school district. The changes resemble Houston ISD’s special education restructuring, which prompted a federal civil rights investigation.

Mansfield ISD school trustees investigating residency claim made by board president

(Fort Worth Star-Telegram) The Mansfield school board is looking into questions about whether the board president meets district residency requirements following a Star-Telegram report on Tuesday. Stu Madison, a lawyer for the Mansfield school district, told the Star-Telegram via email the board had asked an outside attorney to examine the issue.

Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson stepping down

(Texas Standard) Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson announced Tuesday she will resign effective July 17, capping off three and a half years as the state’s top election official. Nelson’s office oversees elections. Abbott appointed her to the role in 2023 after she became the longest-serving Republican woman in Texas Senate history.

South Texas man arrested after using AI to turn school social media photos into child pornography

(Fox 7 Austin) 31-year-old Adan Covarrubias was arrested on May 19, 2026, and booked into the Dimmit County Jail, just Northeast of Laredo, on charges of possession of computer-generated child pornography. The suspect allegedly downloaded public photos of children from social media pages affiliated with South Texas schools to create the material, with 30 victims identified so far. The first-degree felony charges were brought under a new Texas law that explicitly criminalizes AI-generated material depicting children, and the investigation remains active.

Nearly 100 children rescued, 276 arrested in statewide operation targeting online predators

(Fox West Texas) A major operation in Texas, Operation Soteria Shield, led to the rescue of 89 children and the arrest of 276 suspects accused of exploiting minors online.

Ex-band director at Copperas Cove ISD High is facing 13 years in prison

(KDH News) Disable ad blocker to access: Coryell County prosecutors will be asking a judge to sentence ex-Copperas Cove ISD High School band director Lawrence Dale Varela-Halbert to 13 years in prison, which is the maximum allowed under a plea agreement that was reached this week. Varela-Halbert pleaded guilty Wednesday in a Gatesville courtroom to one count of sexual assault of a child, which is a second-degree felony, according to Coryell County District Attorney Dusty Boyd. Sentencing is set for July 27.

Records: Ex-Randolph ISD High School volleyball coach arrested for improper relationship with student

(KSAT) BreAnn Halcumb, 34, was arrested in East Texas on a Bexar County warrant. Halcumb is now a volleyball coach in Bastrop ISD.

Former United ISD teacher avoids prison, gets 10 years probation

(KGNS) A former United ISD high school teacher convicted of an improper relationship with a student will not serve time in state prison. Emmanuel Palacios was sentenced to 10 years of probation with strict sex offender conditions. A judge sentenced Palacios after he pleaded guilty to one count of improper relationship between an educator and student. As a parole condition, Palacios will serve 180 days in the Webb County Jail, register as a sex offender while on probation, complete a sex offender education program and post a warning sign outside his home.

Attempted copper theft at Corpus Christi ISD Fannin Elementary causes gas leak

(KIII) An attempted copper theft at Fannin Elementary led to a gas leak after suspects reportedly cut power to the campus and tried to remove copper wiring from the roof before fleeing some time between Friday night and Saturday morning. During the attempted theft, investigators say the suspects damaged a gas line, causing a gas leak on campus. Authorities believe the suspects fled after school officials noticed the power outage and went to investigate.

Parent, lawyer raise concerns about Frenship ISD response to inappropriate conduct in special education classroom

(KCBD) Questions arise after teacher aide T’nae Harrel was arrested for voyeurism after incident with 7-year-old student.

Alamo Colleges confronts $28 million budget deficit as tax revenue falls short

(San Antonio Report) Stagnant property values, slow residential property sales, new tax exceptions and funding changes have Alamo Colleges District officials preparing to address an imminent $28 million budget shortfall for fiscal year 2027. “We have never seen anything like this,” said Priscilla Camacho, Alamo Colleges District chief legislative, industry and external relations officer, when addressing the board of trustees in late May.

‘It’s going to become much more unaffordable’: New student loan rules spark concern

(ValleyCentral) Sweeping changes to the federal student loan system are scheduled to take effect July 1, bringing significant changes for future borrowers and current students navigating repayment. Advocates warn the overhaul could make higher education more expensive for many families, with some students potentially turning to private lenders to fill funding gaps.

Texas State University to become first Division I school in the Lone Star State to offer women’s gymnastics

(Spectrum News) The Bobcats will launch the state’s first Division I women’s gymnastics program in early 2028, one academic year after the school’s planned move to the new-look Pac 12 conference. A search for its first head coach is underway, with recruiting to start immediately afterward.

Austin will soon have a $30 million Ayn Rand indoctrination center near UT Austin campus

(San Antonio Current) The institute aims to influence young minds using the controversial philosopher’s writings promoting radical self-interest and unfettered capitalism.

Newborn screening in Texas expands to include rare neurological condition

(KVUE) Texas added a new enzyme deficiency test to its newborn screening, increasing the total conditions screened to 60.

Here’s why childcare has become a workforce issue for Dallas employers

(Dallas Morning News) Business, nonprofit and government leaders say childcare access affects jobs, retention and economic growth across North Texas.

Lemonade Day teaches Coastal Bend kids business skills through hands-on entrepreneurship

(KIII) Young entrepreneurs learn budgeting, marketing and leadership while preparing to run their own businesses across eight Coastal Bend communities.

Click for Earlier
“Reported Elsewhere” Dates

Latest from TexEdNews!

$ = Subscribers Only

TexEdNews Article Archives

$ = Subscribers Only

Commissioner’s Decisions
(Through May 2026)
SY 2025-26
PEIMS Articles: