Two weeks’ worth of school news this time, covering the Lege, the outcome of the May elections, and the state’s proposed takeover of Fort Worth ISD as well as the usual roundup of district news.
- Texas Tribune: Private school vouchers are now law in Texas. Here’s how they will work. This is what the Republicans wanted; they got it. On their heads be the outcome.
- Meanwhile, we have to finance our public schools. Dallas Morning News: Texas Senate school finance plan slashes per-student bump, outlines teacher pay raises; and KERA: Clock is ticking for Texas lawmakers to settle on $8 billion public school funding package. Everyone wants tell public schools about how to run facilities and hiring and student-teacher ratios, but nobody wants to spend tax money. Certainly not when we’re already paying part of the tuition for kids leaving the public school system!
- Related, from the DMN: State or local control? Historic Texas school finance plan offers differing approaches. Like every other pie the Lege has its fingers in, they want to put their greasy hands on the controls.
- Also in the Lege, via the Star-Telegram: Bill prompted by Keller school district’s proposed split stalls in Texas House. It’s the part of the session where bills start falling away.
- Star-Telegram: As Texas population booms, classrooms are empty. What’s happening? Demographics (aging populations and baby busts as Gen X’s Zoomer kids start reproducing) and economics (when times are hard, people delay marriage and childbearing).
- Moving on to the results of the May 3 elections, from KERA: North Texas voters support billions of dollars in school bonds. A good list.
- Texas Tribune: School board races across Texas deal losses for many conservatives. Their subhead: “Issues about control of book purchases and how curriculums teach race and gender have led to change on many boards, including Keller, Katy and Mansfield ISDs.” There’s a lot to say about this but this article will cover it for school board purposes. The Tarrant County GOP, in particular, seems to have bitten off more than it could chew in May.
- DMN: Here’s what to know about Texas’ school safety policies. The Lege has a lot of instructions about what schools and districts should be doing but they don’t want to finance it. This is what the education folks call “unfunded mandates”.
- Three articles covering Attorney General Ken Paxton’s decision to drop his lawsuit against Coppell ISD for illegally teaching critical race theory. First, KERA: Texas AG Paxton drops ‘critical race theory’ lawsuit against Coppell ISD. Second, the DMN: ‘Critical race theory’ lawsuit against Coppell ISD resolved, Texas AG Ken Paxton says. And the Texas Tribune: Ken Paxton drops “critical race theory” lawsuit against Coppell ISD. We all know what happened here: a right-wing rage factory whipped up some fury with a heavily-edited videotape, letting Ken Paxton throw some red meat to the hard right Republican senate primary voters, while not actually doing anything other than wasting the time of his lawyers, the district’s lawyers, and the district’s staff, plus the money to pay them all. Our tax dollars at work.
- We have several stories about Dallas ISD:
- DMN: After Wilmer-Hutchins shooting, Dallas school leaders want to crack down on propped doors. That’s how the Wilmer-Hutchins shooter got into the school with the gun. Also, from KERA: Dallas ISD considering student code of conduct update after school shooting.
- DMN: Dallas ISD superintendent praises effort to eliminate STAAR. I don’t think anyone likes the STAAR tests.
- DMN: Dallas schools strike DEI language from district site. Not what you want to hear, but these are the times we live in.
- Meanwhile, in Fort Worth ISD, first about the threatened state takeover, proposed school closures, and the dreaded budget:
- Star-Telegram: Texas Education Agency notifies Fort Worth ISD of potential state takeover. Also in the Fort Worth Report: Texas tells Fort Worth ISD ‘compulsory’ intervention required after string of failures at shuttered school and the DMN: Fort Worth schools at risk of state takeover, Texas education commissioner warns. Fort Worth ISD has already closed the school, but the Texas Education Agency claims that the five consecutive failures trigger the state takeover regardless of the status of the school that started the problem.
- Star-Telegram: ‘Time to turn the corner’: Lawmakers express support for TEA action in FWISD. Unsurprisingly, the pro-takeover lawmakers are Republican state legislators. Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker (also a Republican) has confidence in the new superintendent.
- Star-Telegram editorial: If state wants to take over Fort Worth schools, it needs a better case than this | Opinion. The Star-Telegram thinks the Houston cure is worse than the disease for Fort Worth schools.
- Two items on proposed closures starting with the Fort Worth Report: Fort Worth ISD proposes the closure of these schools. Here’s why — and where and the Star-Telegram: Fort Worth ISD school closures could save millions. But would they help students?. The school closure plan will be on the agenda for the May 20 board meeting.
- Star-Telegram editorial: No one wants to close schools. But here’s why Fort Worth ISD’s plan works | Opinion. I get the feeling that the powers that be at the Star-Telegram are pretty tight with Mayor Parker as far as city plans go.
- Somewhat related from Candy’s Dirt: Schools Top the List of Historic Fort Worth’s Most Endangered Places.
- Fort Worth Report: What to know as Fort Worth ISD works on its 2025-26 school year budget.
- Fort Worth Report: Fort Worth ISD dedicated $22.7M to literacy efforts. Here’s what a school finance expert thinks. A pretty interesting look at how FWISD is planning over multiple years to ensure the best teachers in the district are working directly with students instead of getting promoted out of the classroom.
- DMN: ‘Misinformation’: Frisco ISD says Karmelo Anthony won’t participate in grad ceremony. This is the senior who allegedly stabbed Austin Metcalf to death at a UIL track meet. They’re giving him his diploma but he won’t be allowed to walk. There’s been a lot of social media BS about this case, so the district made an announcement.
- Star-Telegram: Keller school board officially quashes plan to split district. Finalizing something we knew was happening.
- Related, a Star-Telegram editorial: Keller ISD shows harm of officials working in secret. DAs must keep them honest | Opinion. This is about the lingering Open Meetings Act lawsuit.
- DMN: $115K poured into two Prosper ISD trustee campaigns that failed. Who spent the money?. The answer is that the Accountable Leadership Committee PAC was from out of state and spent money in races around the country, so we still don’t know. The Texas Ethics Commission is looking into allegations against the PAC.
- Three from the Star-Telegram about Southlake Caroll ISD: Southlake Carroll ISD faces backlash after personnel decisions; Carroll ISD students crushed beloved principal won’t be handing them their diplomas; and Dallas Mavericks assistant slams Carroll ISD for dismissing basketball coaches. Two principals didn’t get contract renewals; a coach and a choir director were reassigned; and one coach was sacked over “sideline demeanor and use of profanity.” These were all well-loved school leaders and the board didn’t take that into account. I gather that’s normal for the Carroll board; maybe getting in a lot of trouble with parents who are voters will make a dent in their high-handed ways.