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August 19, 2026
North Texas feds launch program they say will crack down on school districts covering up child abuse

(KERA) North Texas law enforcement agencies announced a new initiative Tuesday aimed at cracking down on school districts they say cover up widespread child abuse. “Project Safe Schools” aims to hold school districts accountable for abuse, said Ryan Raybould, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. Officials also announced a $14,000 civil lawsuit settlement with Forney ISD, and two wire fraud charges against a teacher and principal in the district. The lawsuit and new charges stem from a state-level case that alleges Crosby Elementary School principal Wendy Bailey helped a teacher with prior child abuse charges get hired. Related:


‘That is scary’: Most Bexar County area school districts don’t have cardiac emergency response plans

(KSAT) A new Texas law will soon require schools to have a plan for cardiac emergencies, and KSAT Investigates found most Bexar County-area school districts are still working on them. Texas law gives school districts until 2027-28 school year to finalize plans.

Gov. Abbott proposes ban on H-1B visa use for Texas public schools during campaign stop

(Texas Tribune) Some districts use the temporary work permits to fill critical teacher shortages in roles such as bilingual education.

Fort Worth ISD’s new ethics rules target vendor donations, PAC money and board conflicts

(Fort Worth Report) Vendors working with Fort Worth ISD can no longer bankroll school board candidates’ campaigns. The Texas-appointed board of managers finalized a conflicts of interest policy that bars vendors and contractors from donating to school board campaigns, caps gifts to both appointed and elected board members and empowers the board to censure members who break the rules.

Editorial: Why is Houston ISD’s spe­cial edu­ca­tion fix so rushed?

(Houston Chronicle) When Houston ISD announced it was consolidating special education services and would reassign some 3,000 special education students to different schools, outcry followed. And even the Texas Education Agency, which installed Miles, flagged the district’s plan for “potential harmful effects.” The agency instructed the district to review the individualized education plans for affected students and get parents’ approval. Houston ISD insists it has things under control. Reporting by the Houston Chronicle newsroom suggests otherwise. 

New ranking puts 11 Texas high schools in national top 100

(Houston Chronicle) One Texas high school cracked the top 10 nationally in the U.S. News & World Reports 2026-27 Best High Schools rankings.

70% of Texas voucher awardees previously attended private school or were homeschooled, state data shows

(KPRC) Seven out of every 10 students awarded money through Texas’ new school voucher program previously attended private school or were homeschooled, according to newly released state data.

Winnsboro ISD Keeps Arrested Trustee as School Board President

(Texas Scorecard) Trustees voted 5-2 against choosing new officers after Board President Brandon Green was arrested for allegedly helping cover up a coach’s sexual abuse of a student. The vote reflected the division within the community over how school officials have handled the sex abuse allegations since the June 2025 arrest of Winnsboro High School teacher and coach Nicholas Gabriel for having sex with a student and his fellow coach Jared Lancaster for failing to report Gabriel’s abuse.

Felony case against former Centerville ISD Superintendent thrown out

(KBTX) A Leon County district court judge has dismissed the state-jail felony indictment against former Centerville Independent School District Superintendent Carole Lee Dickey. The court granted a supplemental motion to quash filed by Dickey’s defense, which argued that the indictment failed to set forth the specific statutory facts required to establish that she violated her duty to report an educator’s misconduct. Dickey retired from the district in June 2026.

Alice ISD board member says he has ‘no intention of throwing in the towel’ after wife’s arrest

(KRIS) Alice ISD board member Cody Reeves said in a Facebook Post that he has “no intention of throwing in the towel.” Reeves did not mention his wife Erika Reeves or her charges by name in the post. He wrote that he has “chosen to handle privately” his personal life and thanked those who “respected that without prying or jumping to conclusions.” Erika Reeves was arrested in late July and charged with theft of property greater than $2,500 but less than $30,000 and forgery of a financial instrument in connection with the Schallert PTA, where she served as president.

To dodge TEA takeover, Everman ISD turns failing campus into public charter school

(Fort Worth Star-Telegram) After Charles Baxter Junior High School received a fourth consecutive F grade in the state’s annual A-F Accountability ratings, Everman ISD will turn the campus into a public charter school that will be operated by an outside organization, district officials said this week. Everman ISD is partnering with Third Future Schools, a nonprofit educational management organization, to turn Charles Baxter into a public charter school. The campus will remain as part of Everman ISD, but Third Future Schools will run the campus and its daily operations.

Students start the new year at shuttered Austin ISD campus after their school flooded

(KUT) After Travis Heights Elementary flooded during the summer, AISD officials told families the first weeks of school would take place at Dawson Elementary, which closed in May. District officials expect students to return to the Travis Heights campus within a few weeks once emergency repairs are completed, though no firm reopening date has been announced.

Texas district still allows paddling. A football incident may change that

(Houston Chronicle) In one Texas town, an archaic method of discipline is still in use, leaving parents and supporters of a local high school football team at odds. Port Arthur ISD is investigating allegations that a Memorial High School football player was severely bruised after being paddled three times by a coach. Corporal punishment is currently permitted under district policy unless a parent submits a written opt-out request. The school board will now reconsider that policy.

UPDATE: Copperas Cove ISD to close again Wednesday, classes cancelled as water crisis lingers

(KXXV) The City of Copperas Cove announced the water crisis currently enveloping the community is not over, as water storage levels have not recovered as expected. As a result, the Copperas Cove ISD will stay closed and classes cancelled through Wednesday. The City declared a local disaster Monday following critical water infrastructure failures that left the entire municipal water system compromised.

Fundraiser started to help sons of East Bernard coach Jeremy Jenkins, wife Brandy after deaths

(Houston Chronicle) A GoFundMe page has been established to support the three sons of East Bernard ISD athletic director and head football coach Jeremy Jenkins and his wife, Brandy, following the couple’s deaths in a car crash Saturday night.

Mysterious computer issues delay UT San Antonio fall semester start

(San Antonio Express-News) The University of Texas at San Antonio delayed the start of classes, which were to start Wednesday, until Monday, Aug. 24 because of computer system outages. The university has said it “responded to attempted unauthorized activity against” its technology systems. The problem was detected “at the edge of our network, before it reached core systems” and the campus tech team took immediate action to contain the issue.

Buyouts offered to nearly a quarter of UT Tyler employees amid budget shortfall

(Texas Tribune) The university in East Texas is among other state colleges facing financial strains. Nearly 100 employees at UT Tyler accepted buyouts expected to save the university $9.6 million in the coming fiscal year as officials aim to keep the East Texas school affordable. Along with 99 staffers accepting the buyouts, University of Texas at Tyler officials paused salary increases amid its budget shortfall.

UNT Health looks beyond Fort Worth with approved Frisco expansion

(Fort Worth Report) The university is laying groundwork for a Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine expansion site inside UNT’s 52,000-square-foot Inspire Park building in Frisco. The University of North Texas Board of Regents on Aug. 13 approved UNT Health’s property acquisition and renovation.

Two Dallas ISD students struck in possible hit-and-run on way to school

(Fox 4 KDFW) Dallas ISD confirmed that two middle school students were hit in a possible hit-and-run at the intersection of Glasgow Drive and Abrams Road on their way to school on Tuesday morning. Dallas ISD Police confirmed the students were ok after the incident, and have not released any information about the suspected car or driver. Neighbors who live near where the accident happened say they’ve raised safety concerns after multiple crashes in the area.

Holmes HS coach injured after he was struck by car, Northside ISD says

(KSAT) A Northside ISD cross country coach was hospitalized after he was struck by a vehicle while running off campus Tuesday morning, according to a district spokesperson. The district identified the coach to KSAT as Steve Barlow. Barlow leads the cross country program at Holmes High School. Northside ISD said Barlow was taken to a local hospital for further treatment. His condition is unknown at this time, and it is unclear if the driver is facing any charges.

Ex-Central Texas softball coach gets 58 years in prison in decades-long child sex assault case

(KWTX) A former youth softball coach from the Bellmead-Waco area was found guilty of repeatedly sexually assaulting a child victim decades ago and will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars. Corey Robinson Richards, 54, was convicted of continuous sexual abuse of a child and sexual assault of a child, according to court documents. He received a stacked 58-year sentence, meaning he would be 102 years old if he serves the entirety of his punishment. The district attorney’s office said Richards is not eligible for parole.

‘Ruined her life:’ San Antonio boxing coach banned for life over child sex abuse charges

(San Antonio Express-News) A San Antonio boxing coach has been banned for life by a sports regulator after he was arrested on 16 felony charges related to child sexual abuse. The U.S. Center for SafeSport permanently banned Jose Angel Garcia, 67, on July 10, according to records of the nonprofit. SafeSport is authorized by Congress to review and respond to reports of sexual misconduct in Olympic and Paralympic sports. The nonprofit declared Garcia “permanently ineligible” because of criminal charges for sexual misconduct involving minors, SafeSport records indicate.

Fast-growing Waller ISD faces registration backlog after first day of school

(Houston Chronicle) Waller ISD was still reviewing 389 student registration applications Friday, three days after classes began, as the fast-growing district worked through a surge of new-student requests.

Harris County Sues Trump Over Threats to Local Elections

(Houston Press) The lawsuit claims the Department of Homeland Security will withhold public safety grant funds if voting practices aren’t altered.

Title VI Update: Education Department Ends Race-Conscious Discipline

(Dallas Express) The U.S. Department of Education issued new guidance Tuesday directing schools receiving federal funds to apply student discipline policies without regard to race, ending prior approaches that treated statistical disparities as potential civil rights violations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon stated on X that “For too long, the left’s pursuit of ‘equity’ has perversely required schools to discipline students differently, based on their race. The Trump Administration is committed to keeping classrooms safe and holding schools accountable for discrimination.”

Round Rock school district searches for fourth police chief in six years

(Austin American-Statesman) The Round Rock school district is searching for a new police chief for the fourth time in six years as students return to class this week, continuing a pattern of leadership turnover in a young department that has also dealt with culture problems, officer attrition and staffing shortages.

Houston ISD cop pulled him over on Beltway – but was he allowed to?

(Houston Chronicle) A Houston driver who got pulled over by a Houston ISD police officer on the East Beltway was surprised to learn just how far the district’s police jurisdiction extends. 

Texas Maternal Mortality Committee’s Next Report Will Skip Post-‘Roe’ Deaths. Lawmakers Suspect Political Influence

(Texas Observer) One Texan says the body’s decision “retriggered” the pain of losing his wife, who counts among the preventable deaths that soon followed the state’s abortion bans.

Texas has now reported more than 100 cyclospora cases, still low compared to outbreak states

(Dallas Morning News) Texas has reported more than 400 cyclosporiasis cases this year, according to state health authorities, with two weeks left in the typical cyclospora season.

East Texas schools emphasize support for neurodivergent students’ successful transition

(CBS19) As East Texas students return to school, educators emphasize providing tailored support for neurodivergent students to ensure a successful start to the year.

San Antonio’s first crisis nursery opens with a collaborative ‘Puro San Antonio’ model

(San Antonio Report) San Antonio’s first crisis nursery has officially opened, offering free, voluntary short-term child care for families facing emergencies such as medical crises, domestic violence, housing instability or other unexpected hardships. Rather than relying on a single facility, the new Safety Nest Network brings together local nonprofits to provide child care, transportation, medical support, case management and overnight residential care through what organizers call a uniquely collaborative “Puro San Antonio” model.

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