- Star-Telegram: Tarrant County schools, cities urge appraisal district changes, say millions at risk. This is about the Tarrant County Appraisal District’s decision to move to appraising property every other year and the bill Rep. Chris Turner (D-Grand Prairie) to force TCAD to appraise every year.
- WFAA: Texas school districts rush to pass nearly 100 bond proposals as funding remains murky in state legislature. There are 89 bond proposals on the May ballot, totalling $12 billion. The funding needs are in mid-sized districts that are growing. Also, inflation.
- Dallas Observer: Trans Sports and CRT: Ken Paxton Targets North Texas School Districts. Gotta keep throwing that red meat to the base while he runs for Senate!
- KERA: Dallas ISD, AG’s office reach agreement in investigation into trans athletes policy. It’s a wrist slap and all that happened is the superintendent told the district to follow state law. See: red meat for the base.
- The Barbed Wire: Paxton’s Anti-CRT Lawsuit Was Based on A Manipulated Video, Coppell ISD Says. I’ve talked about this elsewhere, but the subhead says it all: “District officials claim the suit was meant to fuel debates over private school vouchers and public school funding”. See: red meat for the base.
- Dallas Morning News: Dallas ISD teachers, staff could see pay increases under proposed budget. This is the budget for the next school year, of course, which is up in the air because of vouchers.
- Fort Worth Report: Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD adopts new reading curriculum for $3M. It’s Amplify Texas, not Bluebonnet Learning, the controversial religious curriculum.
- Star-Telegram: Fort Worth ISD election: Incumbent accuses opponent of illegal campaign activity. This is in their District 1 election; the incumbent says the challenger of illegally gathering mail-in ballots.
- Star-Telegram: A new Fort Worth political action committee looks to marshal support for literacy. “Fort Worth Students First” is a PAC started by Fort Worth officials including Mayor Mattie Parker and Commissioner Manny Ramirez (both Republicans) to get elected officials on board with increasing literacy. We’ll have to see how this pans out and whether it leads to actual expenditures, like more money for the library.
- Fort Worth Report: Fort Worth ISD considers closure of S.S. Dillow Elementary due to structural issues. The building has underground leaks and they’re worried about the walls moving and tiles popping off. It was already under consideration for closure under the district’s consolidation plan, but the damage to the building means it may close after this year.
- Fort Worth Report: Fort Worth ISD trustees OK $22.5M in spending. Here’s what they approved in March.
- Fort Worth Report: Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD sees mixed results from midyear test results.
- Star-Telegram: Keller ISD will close early learning centers, consolidate classrooms to cut costs. One of the two early learning centers they’re closing is in a free-standing building that was rezoned by Fort Worth City Council recently.
- Star-Telegram: Keller board says lawsuit alleging open meetings violation has no merit, calls to dismiss. They’re making technical arguments here that are above my pay grade. The gist of it is that the split didn’t happen so there’s no problem, which seems a little disingenuous to me.
- Fort Worth Report: Northwest ISD budget remains $965K short following $15M in cuts to staff, programs. Voters rejected a tax increase in November, so they’re stuck figuring out how to do more with less, and it’s really going to be less with less.
- Fort Worth Report: Tuition at many Fort Worth private schools is higher than proposed voucher amount. The current voucher proposal is about 2/3 of average private school tuition.
Tag: Schools: Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD
School District Sunday – 2025 03 30
Normally this is a Saturday event, but this week we’ve had to delay to Sunday evening.
- Texas Monthly: “We Might Have a Mutiny on Our Hands”: Why One Texas District Won’t Abandon the Four-Day School Week. An interview with the superintendent of Athens ISD, which is about an hour and 15 minutes from Dallas in East Texas. They’ve been running a four-day school week for six years. Since a lot of rural districts are now looking at moving to four-day weeks for retention reasons, this is a preview of the rural future.
- Texas Tribune: Texas schools have leaned on uncertified teachers to fill vacancies. Lawmakers want to put a stop to it. Almost 40% of new teachers in Texas are uncertified this year. The state will pay to help them get certified, but there will still be a shortage, and according to the article, teacher salaries in Texas are about $9,000 less than the national average. All this explains why rural districts are willing to go to four-day weeks to retain the good teachers they have and attract new ones.
- Fort Worth Report: Fact brief: Can Texas school districts use voter-approved bonds for budget deficits?. Answer: NO.
- Texas Observer: ‘We’re Not Just Some Bureaucrats’: DOE Employees on How Their Work Helps Texas Students. Former employees from the Dallas office of the Department of Education talk about what they did until their office was shut down by the current administration.
- Dallas Observer: North Texas School Districts Among The Wealthiest in Texas. Our area took seven of the top ten spots, including Highland Park and Southlake-Carroll, which are tied for first place.
- Moving into local districts, we have news from Coppell ISD (which is one of those top ten districts). From KERA: Texas AG sues Coppell ISD in response to undercover ‘critical race theory’ video. This is Accuracy in Media, and “edited” may be doing a lot of work there along with “critical race theory”, which often means any accurate history of how badly America has treated her Black citizens, during and after slavery. Also in the Texas Tribune: Texas AG Ken Paxton accuses Coppell ISD of violating Texas’ “critical race theory” ban.
- We have two stories from the Fort Worth Report about Eagle-Saginaw ISD. First, Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD looks to lower student-to-teacher ratios despite $10M deficit. Even if they lower the ratios to 24:1, they’ll still be above the state requirement of 22:1 and need to get a waiver. Second: Why Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD’s new superintendent is hopeful about public education. A bit of a puff piece but note, as a piece of the larger pie, that the new superintendent calls out the Lege’s refusal to increase the per-pupil allocation for schools since 2019.
- KERA: To cut costs, Euless charter school to lose middle, high school grades. They’re also going to a four-day school week next year to keep their teachers.
- There’s a lot of news about Fort Worth ISD and its new superintendent, mostly but not all from the Fort Worth Report.
- Fort Worth Report: How much will Fort Worth ISD’s new superintendent earn? Here are the details from her contract? $360,000 annually for the next three years, without the bonus structure that the previous superintendent got.
- Fort Worth Report: Q&A: Superintendent Karen Molinar outlines Fort Worth ISD’s turnaround efforts. Also: Transcript: Newsmaker Q&A with Fort Worth ISD Superintendent Karen Molinar.
- Fort Worth Report: Educators vie to represent southwest Fort Worth ISD on school board. This is for the District 7 election.
- We have two stories on literacy efforts in FWISD. First, from the Star-Telegram: Fort Worth ISD wants to redirect $22.7 million toward reading, which will mean job cuts. And, related, from the Fort Worth Report: Fort Worth ISD looks to spur reading renaissance through literacy-infused budget. There are a lot of statistics and charts about FWISD’s performance in this one.
- Last, but not least, a follow-up to a story from last year in the Fort Worth Report: Fort Worth ISD apologizes to North Side cheerleaders following fall racist incident. Last year, during the previous superintendent’s tenure, North Side high cheerleaders were insulted with (anti-Latino) racial slurs by Arlington Heights students. The district can’t pin down exactly who said what so nobody’s getting punished and the cheerleaders are unsurprisingly unsatisfied.
- We also have a lot of fallout from the Keller ISD situation even after the board made the decision not to split the district. Most of the news is from the Star-Telegram.
- Star-Telegram: ‘It’s not over’: Opponents of squashed Keller ISD split rejoice, but demand transparency.
- Star-Telegram: Keller ISD’s pursuit of a split district is over, but the school board’s legal woes aren’t.
- Star-Telegram: Keller school board may have violated open meetings act with decision to kill split. Unsurprising, since they’ve been violating it all along.
- Star-Telegram editorial: Effort to divide Keller schools was sneaky to the end. How do we prevent a repeat? | Opinion. The answer seems to be “throw the current board out”, which is probably a good idea. I’ve heard but haven’t seen proof that the board members behind the plan were Patriot Mobile candidates, so they need to go if that’s the case regardless of their position on the split.
- Star-Telegram: Keller trustees who were ‘blindsided’ by split plan surprised again when plan is called off. This is my lack of surprise face.
- Fort Worth Report: Council approves new zoning for planned Cultural District hotel, Keller ISD properties. This is about the properties in the Fort Worth city limits that it really looks like the district-splitters wanted to sell off to make a bunch of money.
- Two on the same move by the Heritage HOA, one of the groups opposed to the Keller split. First, from the Fort Worth Report: Heritage HOA demands removal of Keller ISD trustees over alleged open meetings violations. Also in the Star-Telegram: Keller school board member calls latest legal move a ‘publicity stunt,’ waste of money. I hope all the board members involved end up out on their ears in May and that part of the lawsuit is rendered moot.
- Fort Worth Report: Mansfield ISD trustees approve library books every month. Now, the policy might go statewide. This is about SB 13. You’d have to have a small district and the number of library books you add each month would have to be small for the policy of taking individual book choices to the trustee level to make sense.
- Fort Worth Report: Northwest ISD is spending $3 billion on new schools, stadiums. Here’s where projects stand. Mansfield currently has 33,000 students and is expecting another 18,000 by 2033, so they need more facilities.
- Dallas Morning News: Plano arts center: $67.5M building offers new amenities in Dallas suburb. I attended a couple of events in a Plano ISD auditorium when my niblings were in high school there, so I’m glad to see them building something nice(r) for the kids. I’m interested in this venue for non-school shows, too; I’ve been to shows at the Eisemann, which is one of their comparison halls, and I’m happy to see some competition for shows. I hope it means we’ll get more acts in suburban venues.
School District Saturday – 2025 03 15
We’ll start today with the biggest news, which is the change of heart from the half of the board of Keller ISD which makes the decisions, and move on from there. The themes are clear: districts have a lot of money problems, small districts are going to four days a week, and a lot of kids need to get vaccinated.
- Fort Worth Report: Keller ISD abandons plan to split district into two, citing financial barriers; Dallas Morning News: Keller school board kills plan to split district, citing costs associated with detachment; Star-Telegram: Keller school board kills plan to split district, citing costs associated with detachment. Not the outcome I expected but I’m glad they came to the correct conclusion. Nobody wanted the district to split except half of the board, and I hope those folks aren’t on the board much longer after all this. Also, some related items from before the board made this decision:
- KERA: Keller ISD grapples with potential $12.4M deficit as new split details emerge. One of the factors leading up to the decision.
- Fort Worth Report: Former Keller ISD superintendent to earn $425K after resigning amid split proposal. Also a factor. And now they lost her and the money for nothing.
- As Keller ISD saga continues, lawmaker seeks to require public vote on school district splits. That’s State Rep. David Lowe (R-North Richland Hills), and the bill was filed before the decision not to split the district came out.
- KERA: Dallas ISD absences spiked in January – and it could cost the district. Looks like it wasn’t just illnesses, but also immigration threats. The article explains how attendance and absences affect funding.
- DMN: Fewer Dallas teachers will get bonuses as school turnaround model shifts. This is about bonus money teachers get at schools that need to “turn around”. They’re reducing the number of schools that get extra support from 80 to 50, so fewer teachers will get the extra pay.
- Fort Worth Report: Fort Worth ISD spares five schools from closure or consolidation. More decisions loom. The district isn’t going to get any more money from the state, and enrollment is declining as we go into another demographic low, so they’re going to have to find savings somewhere. I feel sorry for everyone involved. Related, also from the Fort Worth Report: Vouchers aren’t pushing Fort Worth ISD to close schools, leaders say. Here’s what is.
- Star-Telegram: Fort Worth ISD school board hires Karen Molinar for superintendent position. This is something of a formality since she was the only finalist. See also the Fort Worth Report: Fort Worth ISD trustees hire new superintendent.
- Star-Telegram: FWISD board says it prioritizes literacy. Time to put district’s money where its mouth is | Opinion. I don’t know the organizations behind this op-ed, but I’m noting it here.
- Fort Worth Report: Fort Worth ISD trustees OK $22M in spending. Here’s what they approved in February. The Fort Worth Report covers FWISD spending every month.
- Fort Worth Report: Fact brief: Is Fort Worth ISD considering a four-day school week? No. Though other area districts are.
- Star-Telegram: 4 challengers are on Fort Worth ISD school board ballot in May. Here are their priorities.
- Fort Worth Report: Arlington ISD cuts 27 junior high teaching positions through attrition, increases class sizes.
- Fort Worth Report: Q&A: These candidates want to be on Arlington ISD school board. Here are their priorities.
- KERA: Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD to close four schools. Three elementary schools and one middle school.
- Fort Worth Report: Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD faces $10M deficit in next budget, admins eye cuts.
- KERA: Grand Prairie ISD names lone superintendent finalist. He’s Gabe Trujillo, currently Nacogdoches ISD superintendent.
- Star-Telegram: Mondays no more: Kennedale ISD to switch to four-day school week in 2026. Kennedale is south-southeast of Fort Worth, between Fort Worth and Mansfield.
- D Magazine: Monty Bennett Is Secret Mastermind Behind Dallas Charter School Group. And when the educators involved figured it out, most of them immediately quit because Bennett is toxic.
- Is the four-day school week inevitable? Why more Texas districts are headed that way | Opinion. This op-ed by Mark Davis, a local talk radio guy who regularly opines for the paper, is probably a good look at what the talk radio listener at home thinks.
- DMN: What does the U.S. Department of Education do for Texas students?. Our tax dollars no longer at work, because the current administration has decided to close the Department of Education whether it’s legal or not.
- Last but not least, a series of articles about measles:
- DMN: Map: These Texas schools have low measles vaccination rates. Yikes.
- WFAA: These North Texas schools have the lowest measles vaccination rates in the region. Also yikes.
- DMN: Fort Worth’s Mercy Culture celebrates school with lowest measles vaccination rate in Texas. Under 15%. Very yikes. This is the school attached to the church where Rep. Nate Schatzline is pastor.
- Star-Telegram: Mercy Culture pastor celebrates church school having lowest vaccination rate in Texas. There’s even a picture of the head pastor wearing a T-shirt celebrating this “achievement”.
School District Saturday – 2025 03 01
This week our news again centers on Tarrant County, specifically Fort Worth and Keller ISDs. Fort Worth has been holding community meetings on school closures. Keller ISD is continuing doing whatever it thinks it’s doing.
- Texas Tribune: Republican lawmaker files bills to ban DEI in Texas K-12 public schools. I don’t even have words for how this bill is taking up valuable time that could go to solving a real problem in Texas.
- Fort Worth Report: Tarrant Appraisal District to discuss reappraisal plan in March amid school district outcry. The outcry is because the reappraisal plan (every two years) is going to significantly reduce school district funding. One of the things I like about the Fort Worth Report is that they explain matters like how changing the timing of appraisals interacts with state funding.
- Arlington Report: Arlington gives final approval to gas wells near day care center over resident opposition. Technically not a school story but I feel like it fits.
- Dallas Free Press: Second resource center for DISD families to open in West Dallas. Resources available include free groceries twice a month, a laundry room with detergent included, and afterschool activities for DISD children.
- Fort Worth Report: Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD’s nature-infused admin building wins statewide award. It also includes two science labs for students.
- Star-Telegram editorial: Did FWISD find best possible superintendent? No one can say, and that’s not ideal | Opinion. They’re not happy about the lack of transparency in the hiring process.
- Star-Telegram: 4 challengers are on Fort Worth ISD school board ballot in May. Here are their priorities.
- A series of articles on upcoming Fort Worth ISD school closures and the community discussions around them:
- Fort Worth Report: ‘Comes with some sacrifice’: Fort Worth ISD tells communities about school closure options.
- Star-Telegram: More questions than answers for community at Fort Worth ISD meeting on school closures.
- Star-Telegram: ‘A lot of talking at people’: Fort Worth ISD holds second meeting on school closures.
- Fort Worth Report: Fort Worth ISD seeks balance between community voice, data in school closure plan.
- Star-Telegram: Fort Worth ISD’s third community meeting on school closures sparks array of emotions.
- Fort Worth Report: After his son adjusted to school, he learned the boy’s Fort Worth ISD campus could close.
- Star-Telegram: Fort Worth ISD could join hundreds of districts suing 4 social media giants. Here’s why. 200 districts including HISD and Northside ISD in San Antonio are already plaintiffs in the suit against Google (YouTube), Meta (Facebook and Instagram)m ByteDance (TikTok), and Snap (Snapchat), claiming the companies designed the products to addict children and teens and instill anxiety when they’re not online. The suit’s allegations may have some merit but I’m not sure what the legal recourse is.
- There are two stories on Keller ISD’s budget shortfall. From the Star-Telegram: Extensive cuts likely in Keller school district as it wrestles with budget shortfall. And from the Fort Worth Report: Keller ISD grapples with potential $12.4M deficit as new split details emerge. The Fort Worth Report story also covers more of the ongoing issues around the possible breakup of the district and the previously reported rezoning of the land owned by the district.
- Related in the Star-Telegram: Keller school board member frustrated that colleagues hid cost of district audit.
- Star-Telegram: Fort Worth wants to buy troubled Keller ISD property, but certain conditions must be met. This is about the land that Keller ISD had to buy next to one of their elementary schools last year because they failed to get it zoned properly to keep someone from putting an extended-stay motel next to the school.
- Fort Worth Report: City of Fort Worth pushes for public vote in Keller ISD split.
- Star-Telegram: Texas school district reports on investigation into bullying that led to girl’s suicide. This is the case Jocelynn Rojo Carranza, who was taunted by classmates who threatened to have her family deported. The district is Gainesville ISD, near the Oklahoma border.
- Two stories about Ponder ISD’s switch to a four-day week in the 2025-2026 school year. First, from WFAA: Another North Texas school district is switching to a four-day schedule. And from KERA: Ponder ISD approves 4-day school week for next year. Ponder ISD is in Denton County.