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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.

May 12, 2026
Texas public schools see first non-pandemic enrollment drop in decades

(Texas Tribune) Latino children accounted for the vast majority of students who left public schools this year, according to a new analysis.

Texas lawmakers tackle STAAR scores, school closures, AI and safety during House Education Committee hearing

(KCEN) Some of the biggest issues facing Texas public schools took center stage as lawmakers questioned education leaders during a House Committee on Public Education hearing led by Chairman Brad Buckley. The hearing focused on major challenges impacting schools statewide, including declining student enrollment, school closures, STAAR testing, school safety and the growing use of artificial intelligence in classrooms.

How Texas school funding could change if property taxes disappear

(San Antonio Express-News) Texas lawmakers want more property tax relief. Here’s how school funding could change under proposals to eliminate school taxes.

Deal reached with hackers to delete data stolen from the Canvas educational platform

(AP) The company that operates online learning system Canvas said it struck a deal with hackers to delete the data they pilfered in a cyberattack that created chaos for students, many of them in the middle of finals. The company didn’t provide any details on the agreement, including whether it involved a payment, and didn’t elaborate who was behind the hack.

Beaumont ISD acting superintendent contract: Sandi Massey to earn more than $1,200 a day

(KBMT) Beaumont Independent School District’s new acting superintendent will receive a daily paycheck topping $1,200, and a $10,000 relocation allowance, according to a contract signed just days ago. Sandi Massey’s term as acting superintendent will continue until the district and Massey enter into a permanent Superintendent Contract of Employment. The education commissioner appointed Massey and a board of managers to take over BISD’s operations late last month.

Clear Creek ISD faces $5.3M costs to meet state school bus seat belt mandate

(Community Impact) The district operates a fleet of 300 buses. Of those, 144 non-compliant buses would require retrofitting under SB 546, at an estimated cost of over $5.3 million, according to district documents.

Carroll ISD trustee gives Republicans his blueprint for successful schools

(Fort Worth Star-Telegram) Carroll ISD School Board vice president spoke to a crowd of about 50 True Texas Project meeting attendees Monday on how to demand accountability and a better product from their school board. Trustee Andrew Yeager said he’s likely the only conservative elected that believes in making public schools great again. Yeager said there are three goals people run for municipal office to accomplish: their own will, someone else’s will or God’s will. The reason he first ran for the school board back in 2021 was to accomplish God’s will, and he said he does so by focusing on Plato’s transcendentals of truth, goodness and beauty.

Spring Branch ISD board votes to close Northbrook Middle School, redraw boundaries starting in 2026-27

(KHOU) The Spring Branch Independent School District Board of Trustees voted Monday to close Northbrook Middle School at the end of the current school year, citing declining enrollment and the need to use district resources more efficiently. The board approved the closure and redistributed its roughly 452 students among three nearby middle schools.

How a $10 million investment could change college access for southern Dallas County students

(Dallas Morning News) A $10 million investment into a Dallas nonprofit could expand college and career guidance for tens of thousands of students across southern Dallas County.

Education leaders look to teacher quality as key to Tarrant County student gains

(Fort Worth Report) District leaders say stronger pay, training and grow-your-own programs are needed to keep effective teachers in classrooms.

Teacher turns layoff into calling as Texas schools struggle to retain staff

(Spectrum News) Teachers across the country are being celebrated for Teacher Appreciation Week, but for many Texas school districts, finding good teachers often feels like searching for a needle in a haystack. But Cedar Hill Independent School District said they’re going against the grain, in finding Tiffanie Plummer, their newest fourth-grade teacher.

School cellphone bans improve discipline over time, but academic impacts are limited, study says

(K-12 Dive) A National Bureau of Economic Research paper finds such restrictions had little impact on attendance, attention and perceived online bullying.

Humble ISD Teacher Resigns Days Before Arrest on Felony Sex Charge

(Texas Scorecard) A former theater arts teacher who spent more than a decade in the Houston area’s New Caney and Humble school districts has been arrested on a felony charge of indecency with a child, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. Garrett Cross, 38, turned himself in to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office on May 8 after investigators obtained an arrest warrant the previous day.

Connally ISD educator in custody for improper relationship with student

(KCEN) A Connally ISD educator is in custody facing multiple charges, the Lacy Lakeview Police Department has announced. Police said the educator, identified as David Martinez, a band director at Connally High School, cooperated with the investigation and turned over electronic devices for review. While searching the devices, Lacy Lakeview Police said investigators discovered an “ongoing intimate relationship” they say took place over several months, as well as “illicit pornographic material involving a child under the age of 18.”

Driver expected to face charges after student hit outside Comal ISD Pieper High School, constable’s office says

(KSAT) A driver is expected to face charges after hitting a student outside Pieper High School and leaving the scene, according to the Bexar County Pct. 3 Constable’s Office. The incident happened Friday in the school parking lot. Investigators said someone driving a truck hit a student before leaving. The student was evaluated by a school nurse and later released to his parent. Officials said a criminal investigation is ongoing and charges are expected.

Bomb threat at Liberal Arts and Science Academy a case of ‘swatting,’ Austin ISD says

(KVUE) Austin ISD leaders say a bomb threat reported at an East Austin high school on Monday was a case of “swatting.” Someone called in the threat to the Liberal Arts and Science Academy around 12:15 p.m. The campus went on a “hold,” meaning school activities continued inside the classrooms but everyone stays in place and hallway transitions are delayed. Law enforcement determined the threat was a false report intended to cause panic and disruption.

Only favors Indian-origin candidates: Chinese-American professor sues Southern Methodist University

(Times of India) A Chinese-American Assistant professor, Dr. Sean Wang, has sued Texas’ Southern Methodist University over discrimination.

Texas A&M Gave Former VP Pence $150,000 ‘Honorarium’

(Texas Scorecard) Texas A&M University gave former Vice President Mike Pence a $150,000 “honorarium” to speak at a Civil Discourse Symposium sponsored by the Bush School of Government and Public Service. TAMU also spent almost $30,000 on planes for the former Vice President and an unknown amount on “reasonable incidentals.”

UT-Austin defends its handling of pro-Palestinian protest in federal trial

(Texas Tribune) Student Ammer Qaddumi is suing the university after he was suspended for his involvement in the 2024 demonstrations, calling it a violation of his free speech rights.

UT San Antonio to cut ties with Dallas police on crime plan

(Dallas Morning News) The split would cut short a three-year agreement with the San Antonio university the Dallas City Council approved last April.

University of Houston student group wants clarity on university ICE compliance policy amid federal crackdown

(Houston Chronicle) University of Houston students are demanding answers about how the school would respond to federal immigration authorities as enforcement expands nationwide.

Coastal Bend College launches tuition program to help rural South Texas students graduate debt-free

(KRIS) Coastal Bend College has launched a new tuition assistance program aimed at making higher education more accessible for students in rural South Texas communities. The “Coastal Bend Promise” program is a last-dollar tuition initiative designed to cover remaining tuition costs for qualifying students after financial aid and scholarships are applied. Tuition costs at CBC can range between $900 and $2,300 per semester.

It used to take 2 years to get affordable childcare in Travis County. Now, it’s taking months

(KUT) Through Raising Travis County, a program created by a voter-approved tax increase in 2024, children 3 and under will no longer have to wait for affordable childcare scholarships by the end of the summer.

Remember field trips to the Alamo? They’re now better with education center opening soon

(San Antonio Report) The Texas Cavaliers Education Center at the Alamo, a state-of-the-art building featuring an auditorium and classroom space, is nearly complete and ready to welcome this year’s summer campers and teacher workshops. When fully up and running, it is expected to serve 250,000 school-aged children a year.

Mental health crisis response teams in Dallas expand services to teens, kids with new pilot program

(KERA) Since 2018, Dallas’ RIGHT Care Program has deployed teams made up of a paramedic, a social worker and police officer when someone is experiencing a mental health crisis. Now, the program is testing out two teams that expand those services to mental health related 911 calls involving minors between 3 and 11 p.m. daily.

Alcohol Detection Systems in School Buses Among Latest NTSB Recommendations

(School Transportation News) The National Transportation Safety Board called for alcohol detection systems in all school buses with the release of its final report of a March 2024 school bus crash in Calhoun County, West Virginia, determining a drunk school bus driver caused the incident.

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