Student discipline, uncertified teachers and school bans on DEI and cellphones are some of the topics being debated at the Texas Legislature this session.

House Bill 4 would make the test shorter and base scores on how students’ performance compares to national averages.

The bill would bar those under 18 from checking out books with sexually explicit material without parental permission.

Students who are behind in third grade rarely catch up. Texas lawmakers want to intervene earlier.

The Teacher Incentive Allotment gives raises to teachers based on performance. But it leaves out many educators and school staff who contribute to students' success.

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.

Texas will give participating families about $10,000 to pay for their kids’ private schooling. Other details about the program, set to launch in 2026, are unclear.

A fiery debate on the House floor Friday gave way to the Senate Bill 412’s final vote. Supporters say it’s needed to protect children.

Abbott tapped into a powerful national conservative movement and his own campaign war chest to turn turned legislative races into multimillion-dollar affairs.

Officials at a rural school district voted on Tuesday to begin developing a tax break agreement intended to draw Exxon to their stretch of the Gulf Coast north of Corpus Christi.

Dozens of people who signed up to speak were ready at 4 a.m. to debate whether public school classrooms should have to display the Ten Commandments.

The bill, which would require schools to use a definition of antisemitism when considering discipline for students, will soon head over to Abbott’s desk.

A House bill would require school districts to hold an election before breaking into smaller entities.

Students are concerned the legislation could silence supportive teachers, dismantle safe spaces, lead to overenforcement and prevent honest conversations about identity.

The program will officially launch at the start of the 2026-27 school year.

The Texas Education Agency released the 2022-23 school year ratings on Thursday after a 19-month legal battle over how those ratings are calculated.

Failing grades for districts were made public for the first time since 2019. They showed schools with the poorest students were more likely to get a low score.

School leaders have privately criticized a bill that would make it harder to contest their performance ratings in court. But they did not testify against it to avoid lawmakers’ ire.

Texas Republican lawmakers in regions known for support of public schools defended voting for vouchers, saying they gained leverage to seek concessions.

The lieutenant governor proposes that the Texas Senate adopt the House bill, which would eliminate a negotiation over the two versions and cement the victory for supporters.

Anti-voucher Republicans said they voted for the bill so they could fight to improve it, and also to fend off political retribution.

The House approved historic legislation that would implement school vouchers in Texas. Here’s how each representative voted.

The bill would let families use taxpayer dollars for their children’s private schooling. Lawmakers also signed off on a sweeping $7.7 billion package to boost public school funding.

The lower chamber overwhelmingly voted in favor of House Bill 2, a sweeping $8 billion piece of legislation that would also limit schools’ reliance on teachers without formal classroom training.

A last-minute amendment would require students to go to alternative education settings if they attack a teacher or make terroristic threats.

The Texas House also approved more money for schools in a bipartisan vote.

In this week’s episode of the TribCast, Matthew and Eleanor ask the question: Are Texas teachers OK?

From The Blast: More than 50 House Democrats have signed on to a plan to spike all constitutional amendments unless the House allows voters to decide whether school vouchers will be legalized.

For the first time since Texas outlawed nearly all abortions, lawmakers are clarifying the “life of mother” exception. But they don’t plan to address cases where the fetus won’t survive.

In a state with a checkered history with federal special education law, advocates say Texas students will see an erosion of their disability rights protections.

The House Public Education Committee voted to advance a pair of priority bills to create education savings accounts and to raise how much state money public school districts receive.

Paxton’s office launched an investigation into the district’s policy after an administrator was caught on tape discussing a possible loophole in the state’s ban.

A Tribune analysis also found the state’s share of the funds that schools receive per student significantly decreased in the last decade until recently.

Lawmakers propose addressing antisemitism by requiring schools to use a set definition. Critics say the measure will stifle speech.

Diversity, equity and inclusion has become highly politicized — and there’s no standard definition for what it is.

Supporters say diversity initiatives close educational and income gaps born from a history of prejudice. Republican officials say they prioritize identity over merit.

The ads praise 14 Texas Republicans, including House Speaker Dustin Burrows, for their support of education savings accounts.

The gaps over eligibility and on spending levels are narrower than the fundamental differences of the previous session.

The attorney general office’s lawsuit is based on an undercover video published in February by a conservative activist group.

The proposal aims to make working conditions safer for teachers but critics worry it could push the state’s most vulnerable students out of the classroom.

If the proposal becomes law, Texas would follow in the footsteps of several Democrat- and Republican-led states that have enacted similar bans.

Emboldened by court rulings and election victories, the Christian right is outspoken as it pushes its moral views through the Texas Legislature.

Proponents say the changes would better serve special education students with widely varying needs — and help schools pay for it.

Underprepared teachers have been tied to student learning losses. But amid a teacher shortage crisis, school leaders fear the restrictions will lead to fewer instructors in their classrooms.

The hearing on House Bill 3 started Tuesday and ended Wednesday morning. Hundreds of Texans waited overnight to testify.

The prominent right-wing pastor told state lawmakers that an anti-communist curriculum is crucial to reaffirming that America is a “Christian country.”

Senate Bill 13 would create school library advisory councils largely made up of parents. It would give school boards, rather than librarians, the final say over new books.

Lawmakers this week listened to testimony on House Bill 2, which would raise schools’ base funding per student by $220 — a figure that falls short of what many Texans say is needed.

The bill would require school districts and law enforcement to meet once a year to plan their response to an active shooter situation. It would also mandate annual multi-agency exercise drills on how to respond to an active shooter.

Neither of the Legislature’s voucher bills require private schools to accept certain students, which some warn could block the neediest children from access.

The 75 co-sponsors plus the bill’s author would provide enough votes to pass Gov. Abbott’s top priority measure in the 150-seat House.

The Lufkin school district says it must do a better job of promoting itself amid growing competition from charter schools and homeschooling.

The bill would ban diversity, equity and inclusion policies related to hiring and programming, while creating ways for parents to complain about violations to the DEI ban.

The bill would require the state to reduce the test’s length, prioritize post-secondary preparation and launch a revamped version by 2026.

The proposal, filed Thursday, comes well short of the increase school administrators and education advocates have been asking for.

The proposal sets a few possible points of contention between the House and Senate, including how much money should families get through the program.

Supporters of voucher-like education savings accounts are trying to press their advantage early and build a sense of inevitability.

A recent budget analysis noted the Texas Senate’s voucher bill could affect the fund if it leads students and teachers to leave public schools.

Teachers with three and five years of experience would qualify for raises under Senate Bill 26. Instructors in smaller school districts would get bigger pay bumps.

In this week’s episode, we discuss the details of the plan to let parents use state funds to pay for their children’s private schooling.

The governor also called on lawmakers to prohibit the practice at all schools.

Past efforts to allow more religion in public schools have been hamstrung by legal challenges. But those on the religious right feel empowered by recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions.

From teacher pay and preparation to special education and DEI, here are issues Texas lawmakers are prioritizing this legislative session.

Texas law requires an armed officer at each school. Districts are asking lawmakers to pay the full yearly cost, which they say is $100 per student.

A San Antonio panel discussed the results of a new survey on the well-being of Texas children Thursday and proposed solutions to the state’s ongoing challenges.

Senate Bill 2 now heads to the House, where top officials say they have the support to create education savings accounts.

Chronically absent students — those who missed at least 10% of their school days — are more likely to drop out, education advocates say.

After successful campaigns for House allies, the governor is in a position to set an ambitious course for the legislative session.

Texas students' overall math scores dropped from 2022. But English learners and fourth-grade Black students did better than their peers elsewhere.

Restrict THC, help with deportations, infuse religion in schools and provide property tax relief – these are among the Patrick priorities.

The Senate could vote on the proposal as soon as next week. Democrats on Tuesday criticized the bill saying it fails to prioritize the state’s neediest children.

Senate Bill 2 starts a new debate on a school voucher program in Texas. A funding proposal would allow up to 100,000 K-12 students who want to enroll to a private school to participate.

More than two dozen Texas Democrats expressed concern about the elimination of a federal policy preventing immigration arrests at schools.

Vouchers would let parents use public funds to pay for their kids’ private education. Learn about how they could work and the political battle around them.

Schools near the border say it’s hard to prepare for the unknown. Immigration advocates say they should help communities understand students’ rights.

In 2023, Texas passed a DEI ban at the state’s public universities. Now Abbott wants the state to stop funding diversity programs in K-12 schools.

Republicans accused Rep. Vicente Gonzalez of supporting gender transitions for children throughout the 2024 election cycle, which he said took a political toll.

From debating school vouchers and improving the state’s water supply to reining in property taxes, the GOP-led body will look to pass its conservative priorities amid fighting within the party.

After the state missed the Jan. 1 deadline, lawmakers still have time to approve administrative costs before applying for $400 million in federal summer meal assistance.

A look at some of the best photos from the stories we published over the last year.

Our journalists brought life to the experiences of everyday Texans, held powerful institutions accountable and surfaced stories that went beyond the daily news cycles.

The request comes after an audit found Texas improperly billed the federal government for reimbursements related to Medicaid-eligible students.

Some voucher opponents are ready to compromise; others are hoping supporters will fumble over the program's size, eligibility and accountability.

The Texas Legislature has prioritized getting high school dropouts the skills they need to enter the workforce.

A majority of the panel voted to call on the Texas Legislature to pass a state law giving members the authority to determine age-appropriate books for students.

Tiffany Clark, who was elected to fill a vacant State Board of Education seat in January, said she would have voted against the curriculum.

Critics say the curriculum overemphasizes Christianity. Texas school districts don’t have to use it but will receive $60 per student if they do.

Education officials say the materials were designed to be age appropriate but critics argue they repeatedly omit key context and oversimplify history.

School voucher supporters say they have the votes to get a bill across both the Texas Senate, led by Patrick, and the House, which has repeatedly blocked such proposals.

Last year, Abbott refused to give public schools a major raise without passing a voucher program. His tone was more conciliatory after Election Day.

Republicans Tom Maynard, Pam Little, Aaron Kinsey and Brandon Hall prevailed in contested races. Democrat Gustavo Reveles won in the District 1 race.

Gov. Greg Abbott said the House would have enough Republicans to pass school vouchers next year.

Five people were charged in connection with the scheme. Investigators say aspiring teachers would pay for help cheating in the certification test.

School officials says the state decision to cut federal money likely will hurt their ability to recruit and retain critical staff for students with disabilities.

High school students that are getting a jump on college through dual credit now make up the majority of students at one East Texas community college.

Revising the social studies curriculum could be among the divisive issues the Texas State Board of Education tackles next year.

Despite the group’s strong participation, Hispanic students graduate college at a lower rate than peers in the program, according to a report.

The Texas Education Agency found that checks mailed to Miles’ charter school network in Colorado were eventually deposited into the network’s Texas account.

Lawmakers and child care centers are pushing for a statewide mental health system for toddlers.

Texan voters will have significant influence in November, both within and outside the state. They will be electing a U.S. senator, 38 U.S. House members, 150 state House members, as well as various judges and local elected officials. Additionally, they will have influence over important questions.