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Brian Lopez is the public education reporter, covering how policy and politics affect Texas’ K-12 public education system and the nearly 5.5 million kids enrolled in schools. Brian is a New York native but moved to Texas after high school. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington and is based in San Antonio. Before landing at the Tribune, Brian was the Tarrant County reporter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Brian reports in both English and Spanish.
More than 380 supporters and opponents signed up Wednesday to testify on the proposal, which would allow parents to use state funds to send their children to private schools. Full Story
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The proposals target the taxes homeowners pay and require school districts to lower their tax rates. Full Story
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The Texas Education Agency announced on March 15 that it would replace the current superintendent and its democratically elected school board with a new board of managers as soon as June 1. Full Story
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The announcement comes almost four years after the agency first moved to take over the district. Full Story
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Texas’ education agency first moved to take over the district in 2019 after years of low student performance at a single Houston ISD high school. Critics said the district has made improvements since then. Full Story
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The bill, introduced months after the Uvalde school shooting, also allocates more funds to the state’s school safety allotment, which is money given to districts to improve campus security. Full Story
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The Texas Education Agency has been in a legal battle to take over the state’s largest school district since 2019. Full Story
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The yearlong review also recommends increasing the funds schools get per student, a measure already favored by lawmakers looking how to spend a historic state budget surplus. Full Story
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Without the state’s safety net, districts with pending bond projects must now decide whether to pay more in interest or halt construction. Full Story
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The incident comes as lawmakers debate how to make schools safer after the Uvalde massacre and favor measures like arming more educators. Full Story
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