UT-Austin defends its handling of pro-Palestinian protest in federal trial
Read full article: UT-Austin defends its handling of pro-Palestinian protest in federal trialStudent 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.
Teachers with national certification earn more, but Texas is questioning its worth
Read full article: Teachers with national certification earn more, but Texas is questioning its worthThe National Board Certification is widely considered the most demanding for teachers. Texas leaders are examining whether it fits the state’s merit-based system.
Feds investigate Houston ISD for plans to separate students with disabilities
Read full article: Feds investigate Houston ISD for plans to separate students with disabilitiesHouston school administrators say the move would give children who need the support more focused attention. But the U.S. Department of Education worries the plan amounts to segregation.
Voting Rights Act ruling could change representation on city councils, school boards across Texas
Read full article: Voting Rights Act ruling could change representation on city councils, school boards across TexasThe 1965 federal law helped Latino and Black voters gain representation in city and school boards across Texas but now that could change.
‘Classic unfunded mandate’: San Antonio school districts reveal costs of new seat belt requirements
Read full article: ‘Classic unfunded mandate’: San Antonio school districts reveal costs of new seat belt requirementsTexas wants all school buses to have 3-point seat belts by 2029-30. But the price tag is high for local districts also facing budget challenges.
A Houston ISD exec tapped for Beaumont schools superintendent during its second state takeover
Read full article: A Houston ISD exec tapped for Beaumont schools superintendent during its second state takeoverFormer Houston school administrators now work as superintendents or key executives in three districts under Texas’ control. This is Beaumont’s second state intervention in recent years.
Eva-Marie Ayala will lead the Tribune’s education team into a new era
Read full article: Eva-Marie Ayala will lead the Tribune’s education team into a new eraA renowned Texas journalist, the Education Writers Association president joins us as we expand our team covering Texas schools and universities.
Portrayals of Islam and people of color dominate discussion in Texas’ social studies rewrite
Read full article: Portrayals of Islam and people of color dominate discussion in Texas’ social studies rewriteThe State Board of Education approved an early draft of social studies changes, setting up a vote in June that will determine how students learn history over the next decade.
Texas education board gives preliminary OK to required reading list that includes Bible material
Read full article: Texas education board gives preliminary OK to required reading list that includes Bible materialThe board will have multiple opportunities to revise the list before a final vote in June. Before recent changes, the proposal’s length, lack of diversity and Christian focus received criticism.
Democrats seek to pause Texas’ social studies revamp over $70K grant from conservative think tank
Read full article: Democrats seek to pause Texas’ social studies revamp over $70K grant from conservative think tankThe Texas Public Policy Foundation awarded the grant to Schreiner University’s Texas Center, which is led by a historian guiding the state in its social studies revision.
Texas students urge education board to focus on inclusion over politics in social studies overhaul
Read full article: Texas students urge education board to focus on inclusion over politics in social studies overhaulStudents, parents and teachers say Texas’ new social studies plan feels rushed and will exclude key perspectives and historical events.
These Texans want better schools for Black students. They disagree on vouchers as the answer.
Read full article: These Texans want better schools for Black students. They disagree on vouchers as the answer.One Black Texan sees education savings accounts as an escape from a burning house. Another fears they threaten a robust public school system.
White Texans, students previously in private school or home-school make up bulk of voucher applicants
Read full article: White Texans, students previously in private school or home-school make up bulk of voucher applicantsOf the almost 275,000 students who applied for vouchers, 45% are white and 75% attended a private school or home-school in 2024-25, final numbers show.
T-Squared: We’re relaunching our Texas Public Schools Explorer to better serve parents and teachers
Read full article: T-Squared: We’re relaunching our Texas Public Schools Explorer to better serve parents and teachersToday, we are unveiling our most ambitious update yet to The Texas Tribune’s schools explorer, with more information and added context to help Texans interpret information about our schools.
Explore our newly redesigned Texas Public Schools Explorer with expanded data
Read full article: Explore our newly redesigned Texas Public Schools Explorer with expanded dataThe explorer now shows long-term trends, school funding data, and newly released Texas Academic Performance Reports, among other updates.
TribCast: Assessing the rollout of Texas school vouchers
Read full article: TribCast: Assessing the rollout of Texas school vouchersIn this week’s episode, hosts Matthew and Eleanor talk with Tribune K-12 education reporter Jaden Edison about who in Texas applied for school vouchers and why Muslim schools were shut out of the program.
Strict schedules, long days, high pay: What Waco schools can expect from new charter operator
Read full article: Strict schedules, long days, high pay: What Waco schools can expect from new charter operatorThe Waco school district is expected to be the latest to contract with the charter operator founded by Mike Miles, the state-appointed superintendent of Houston schools.
After Minnesota scandal, Texas reviewed its child care spending. It found little fraud.
Read full article: After Minnesota scandal, Texas reviewed its child care spending. It found little fraud.An investigation ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott found that less than half a percent of federal money spent on child care scholarships in Texas was considered “improper.”
Texas Education Agency orders public schools to remove mentions of Cesar Chavez from lessons
Read full article: Texas Education Agency orders public schools to remove mentions of Cesar Chavez from lessonsSchools were also directed to cancel or change celebrations of the late civil rights leader amid allegations of sexual abuse.
Blocked from Texas vouchers, this private Islamic school wants a chance to prove its pro-America values
Read full article: Blocked from Texas vouchers, this private Islamic school wants a chance to prove its pro-America valuesSeveral Islamic schools sued Texas for excluding them from the voucher program. Iman Academy is instead calling for fairness while hoping to be judged by its work — not stereotypes.
Judge orders Texas to extend school voucher deadline in response to lawsuit from Islamic schools
Read full article: Judge orders Texas to extend school voucher deadline in response to lawsuit from Islamic schoolsThe application period, set to close Tuesday night, must now remain open until March 31, according to an attorney representing Islamic schools.
Texas clarifies voucher rules to help more families access future special ed support
Read full article: Texas clarifies voucher rules to help more families access future special ed supportAfter reporting from The Texas Tribune, the office tasked with handing out vouchers clarified that families who do not complete a special education evaluation this year may have a chance to qualify for more funding in future years.
Texas students with disabilities struggle to qualify for extra school voucher funds
Read full article: Texas students with disabilities struggle to qualify for extra school voucher fundsConfusion over the program’s special education requirements is making it difficult for families to meet a looming deadline — and creating more work for Texas school districts.
Wichita Falls ISD avoids state takeover, will keep its elected school board
Read full article: Wichita Falls ISD avoids state takeover, will keep its elected school boardThe threat of a Texas Education Agency takeover was triggered by one of the North Texas district’s schools that had been underperforming for years.
Texas school voucher award notices sent to first group of families
Read full article: Texas school voucher award notices sent to first group of familiesThe Texas comptroller’s office will conduct a lottery the week of April 27 to determine which additional families can receive education savings accounts.
School districts can set aside prayer time under a new Texas law. Few have done so.
Read full article: School districts can set aside prayer time under a new Texas law. Few have done so.School boards had until March 1 to decide whether to establish a daily period for students and staff to pray or read religious texts.
Texas education board approves 4,200 corrections in Bible-infused curriculum
Read full article: Texas education board approves 4,200 corrections in Bible-infused curriculumTaxpayers will bear the cost of fixing errors in learning materials published by the Texas Education Agency. The curriculum has drawn attention for its references to Christianity and the Bible.
Not all paths to college and career readiness pay off equally for Texas students, study finds
Read full article: Not all paths to college and career readiness pay off equally for Texas students, study findsStudents who took English and math college prep courses were less likely to complete college than their peers who were not considered college ready at all.
Attorney General Paxton launches investigations into three Texas school districts over students protesting ICE
Read full article: Attorney General Paxton launches investigations into three Texas school districts over students protesting ICEPaxton said his office is examining claims that administrators and faculty helped organize the demonstrations.
Texas school voucher program tops 100K applications in largest U.S. school choice launch
Read full article: Texas school voucher program tops 100K applications in largest U.S. school choice launchMore than 100,000 Texas families have applied for the state’s new Education Freedom Account program in less than two weeks. Here’s what to know before the March 17 deadline.
Texas Education Agency warns districts of potential state takeovers for “encouraging” student protests
Read full article: Texas Education Agency warns districts of potential state takeovers for “encouraging” student protestsThe state education agency issued guidance to districts after Gov. Greg Abbott directed its commissioner to investigate the student protests of killings by federal agents.
Texas’ social studies shakeup creates divide over whose histories to teach, and how
Read full article: Texas’ social studies shakeup creates divide over whose histories to teach, and howConcerned about Texas’ social studies overhaul, Democrats on the State Board of Education used a recent meeting to push for the inclusion of more Black and Indigenous perspectives and for young children to learn about the horrific nature of slavery.
Texas Education Agency moves to correct 4,200 errors in Bible-infused curriculum
Read full article: Texas Education Agency moves to correct 4,200 errors in Bible-infused curriculumState Board of Education members criticized the publishing errors and postponed their vote on the agency’s request until their next meeting.
Proposed reading list for Texas students draws concern over religious themes, lack of diversity
Read full article: Proposed reading list for Texas students draws concern over religious themes, lack of diversityFaced with a proposed list of almost 300 readings for K-12 students, the State Board of Education delayed a vote until April.
Low test scores on one campus can trigger a state takeover in Texas, affecting Black, Hispanic and low-income students most
Read full article: Low test scores on one campus can trigger a state takeover in Texas, affecting Black, Hispanic and low-income students mostThe demographic makeup of the “trigger” schools raises questions about whether Texas' accountability system fairly considers historic inequities tied to race and poverty.
Gov. Abbott orders Texas universities, agencies to halt H-1B visa petitions
Read full article: Gov. Abbott orders Texas universities, agencies to halt H-1B visa petitionsThe governor said public universities and state agencies may not seek new visas without Texas Workforce Commission permission through the end of the 2027 legislative session.
Ken Paxton: Comptroller can exclude schools from voucher program under anti-terror laws
Read full article: Ken Paxton: Comptroller can exclude schools from voucher program under anti-terror lawsA CAIR official blasted the Texas AG’s opinion, saying the law does not permit the comptroller to scrutinize Muslim schools because of their religious identity.
How teaching middle school in one of Texas’ poorest neighborhoods spurred James Talarico’s U.S. Senate bid
Read full article: How teaching middle school in one of Texas’ poorest neighborhoods spurred James Talarico’s U.S. Senate bidTalarico’s two years as a public school teacher is central to his Democratic Senate campaign after shaping his policy goals and driving his political rise through the Texas House.
Celina football coach retires after district clears him of cover-up allegations amid son’s sex abuse scandal
Read full article: Celina football coach retires after district clears him of cover-up allegations amid son’s sex abuse scandalBill Elliott was placed on administrative leave in October after his son, a football coach at Celina’s middle school, was accused of secretly filming boys in the school’s locker room. A district report found he pressured the principal to hire his son.
From school vouchers to flood warning systems, these are the Texas developments to watch in 2026
Read full article: From school vouchers to flood warning systems, these are the Texas developments to watch in 2026Several court hearings and policies affecting education, health and more will roll out in the new year.
Here are the most important stories from Texas Tribune’s data visuals team in 2025
Read full article: Here are the most important stories from Texas Tribune’s data visuals team in 2025The Tribune’s team of data journalists produced a congressional redistricting tool, covered several education data releases, visualized the measles outbreak and more.
Texas comptroller questions whether some Islamic schools can be excluded from voucher program
Read full article: Texas comptroller questions whether some Islamic schools can be excluded from voucher programActing Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock suggested schools that hosted events for the Council on American-Islamic Relations or are linked to China could be disqualified from the new program.
More Texas students complete journey through college, but low-income students still left behind
Read full article: More Texas students complete journey through college, but low-income students still left behindTexas has long failed to get most of its students the higher education credentials the workforce increasingly demands. But recent laws that reward schools for helping students succeed later in life could help the state make up lost ground, experts say. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board regularly tracks if students enrolled in eighth grade […]
Texas tracks the long-term outcomes of public school students. See how your school district compares here.
Read full article: Texas tracks the long-term outcomes of public school students. See how your school district compares here.Newly-released state data tracked the long-term outcomes of public school students who enrolled a decade ago.
Texans can use school vouchers for pre-K, but the pool of families who qualify is limited
Read full article: Texans can use school vouchers for pre-K, but the pool of families who qualify is limitedA limited group of families with 3- and 4-year-olds who already qualify for free public pre-K can receive state funds to attend private preschool.
Allegations against a legendary’s football coach’s son fracture a North Texas town
Read full article: Allegations against a legendary’s football coach’s son fracture a North Texas townThe top-ranked Celina High School football team is barrelling toward another state championship this month. Its coach is barred from the field.
Texas Education Agency taking over Lake Worth, Connally and Beaumont school districts
Read full article: Texas Education Agency taking over Lake Worth, Connally and Beaumont school districtsThe three interventions come after the state’s education agency announced plans to take over Fort Worth ISD in October.
Why Gov. Greg Abbott wants to let taxpayers decide whether cities can raise — or cut — taxes
Read full article: Why Gov. Greg Abbott wants to let taxpayers decide whether cities can raise — or cut — taxesTexas cities and counties already face limits on how much revenue they can generate. Local leaders have warned that further restrictions would mean fewer services like parks and libraries.
Rod Paige, former U.S. education secretary also known for the “Houston Miracle,” dies at 92
Read full article: Rod Paige, former U.S. education secretary also known for the “Houston Miracle,” dies at 92The former Houston ISD superintendent was the first Black person to lead the Department of Education and helped launch the No Child Left Behind Act.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has a sweeping plan to abolish school property taxes. Would it work?
Read full article: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has a sweeping plan to abolish school property taxes. Would it work?The governor must first win over lawmakers who have rejected similar proposals. The state may have to backfill more than $17 billion for school funding alone.
Texas launches plan to open Turning Point USA chapters in every high school
Read full article: Texas launches plan to open Turning Point USA chapters in every high schoolRepublican officials in Oklahoma and Florida have also launched plans to expand the presence of the conservative youth organization founded by Charlie Kirk.
How Texas’ law banning DEI, LGBTQ+ topics in K-12 schools could fare in court
Read full article: How Texas’ law banning DEI, LGBTQ+ topics in K-12 schools could fare in courtCases challenging Florida and federal policies provide a glimpse into the possible outcome for the Texas case. It is scheduled for a court hearing in Houston on Dec. 10.
In school voucher rules, Texas lets families get more for pre-K but rejects additional reporting requirements
Read full article: In school voucher rules, Texas lets families get more for pre-K but rejects additional reporting requirementsThe rules serve as the foundation for Texas’ private school voucher program, which will officially launch at the start of the 2026-27 school year.
Texas education chief met with Turning Point USA to discuss group’s expansion in high schools
Read full article: Texas education chief met with Turning Point USA to discuss group’s expansion in high schoolsThe meeting happened days before Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick pledged $1 million to help establish chapters of the conservative student group on every Texas college and high school campus.
Why some Texas teachers are being forced to “deadname” trans students under a new state law
Read full article: Why some Texas teachers are being forced to “deadname” trans students under a new state lawThe law requires school employees to use names and pronouns that conform to students’ sex at birth.
Texas superintendents say school takeovers aren’t a sustainable way to boost student learning
Read full article: Texas superintendents say school takeovers aren’t a sustainable way to boost student learningThree school district leaders at The Texas Tribune Festival said the Texas Education Agency’s reliance on state takeovers to improve academic performance threatens local control.
Texas State Board of Education advisers signal push to the right in social studies overhaul
Read full article: Texas State Board of Education advisers signal push to the right in social studies overhaulSome advisers have criticized diversity efforts, questioned the historical contributions of people of color, and promoted debunked beliefs.
Texas Head Start closures during government shutdown add to state’s child care woes
Read full article: Texas Head Start closures during government shutdown add to state’s child care woesHundreds of families lost child care when certain programs weren’t funded earlier this month, and scores more may be affected if Congress doesn’t fund the government by Dec. 1.
Gov. Greg Abbott launches reelection campaign for fourth term
Read full article: Gov. Greg Abbott launches reelection campaign for fourth termAbbott framed his campaign as a means to keep Texas as a conservative bastion, touting efforts to lower property taxes, bolster education and strengthen public safety.
Texas AG Ken Paxton sues three school districts for not displaying Ten Commandments in classrooms
Read full article: Texas AG Ken Paxton sues three school districts for not displaying Ten Commandments in classroomsThe suits against Galveston, Round Rock and Leander ISDs come after Texas passed a law requiring the commandments be posted in classrooms. The law is being challenged in federal court.
Texas put its chief financial officer in charge of school vouchers. Here’s what you need to know.
Read full article: Texas put its chief financial officer in charge of school vouchers. Here’s what you need to know.The Texas comptroller holds tremendous power over the program, including choosing which companies the state will pay millions to help manage it. Voters will decide who runs the agency next year.
Fort Worth ISD takeover was largely based on STAAR, despite plans to replace it
Read full article: Fort Worth ISD takeover was largely based on STAAR, despite plans to replace itBoth Republicans and Democrats have said STAAR sets students up for failure, raising questions about basing a state takeover on the test’s results.
What you need to know about Texas’ takeover of Fort Worth ISD
Read full article: What you need to know about Texas’ takeover of Fort Worth ISDA takeover is meant to correct the course of struggling school districts. But it can become a fraught process since the district’s elected school board loses its decision-making power.
Texas Education Agency takes over Fort Worth ISD, replacing its elected school board
Read full article: Texas Education Agency takes over Fort Worth ISD, replacing its elected school boardThe North Texas district is the 11th since 2000 to be taken over by the state and the second largest after Houston ISD.
Texas State Technical College looks to voters to fund upgrades for old buildings and tools
Read full article: Texas State Technical College looks to voters to fund upgrades for old buildings and toolsProposition 1 would create an $850 million endowment for the college system and its 11 campuses, which are struggling to accommodate a growing student population.
As appeals court is poised to consider Texas’ Ten Commandments law, other legal challenges mount
Read full article: As appeals court is poised to consider Texas’ Ten Commandments law, other legal challenges mountThe judges opting to hear the cases together marks a significant development in a saga that many believe will reach the U.S. Supreme Court.