Texans could begin applying for school vouchers in February
Private schools looking to educate participating students may also have a chance to apply to the program before the end of the year. Full Story
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Jaden Edison is the public education reporter for The Texas Tribune, where he previously worked as a reporting fellow in summer 2022. Before returning to the Tribune full time, he served as the justice reporter for The Connecticut Mirror, another nonprofit newsroom covering government, politics and public policy. He also interned at Poynter, a nonprofit media institute. Jaden has a master's degree from the Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia University and a bachelor's degree from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Texas State University, where he was editor-in-chief of the The University Star, the campus' student-run newspaper.
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![Kindergarten and first grade students participate in a “putt-putt-palooza” workshop while U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon tours the Alpha School campus in Austin on Sept. 9, 2025.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee for The Texas Tribune -
Texas selects company that will help develop its school voucher program
Finance and technology company Odyssey will help design the application process, manage payments and review complaints for the state’s education savings accounts. Full Story
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![Sen. KELLY HANCOCK, R-North Richland Hills, on the Senate floor on May 12, 2023.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Texans ask for eligibility fixes, stronger accountability in school voucher program
For the first time since Texas authorized the program, the state heard public testimony from people concerned about pre-K funding, special education provisions and data reporting. Full Story
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![Members of the public give comments during a hearing regarding SB2, the school voucher program, on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025 in Austin.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
Texas investigation into teachers’ posts after Charlie Kirk’s death violates their free speech, experts say
Free speech experts say that when teachers speak in their personal capacity, even on school grounds but outside their official duties, they retain their right to comment on matters of public concern. Full Story
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![Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath testifies before the House Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety at the state capitol in Austin on June 23, 2022.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Christian activist David Barton will advise Texas State Board of Education during social studies overhaul
Barton’s appointment comes ahead of what is expected to be a politically charged debate over how and what children should learn about history. Full Story
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![David Barton, left, of WallBuilders talks with a delegate as he poses for photos at a Texas Eagle Forum reception at the Texas Republican Convention in Fort Worth on June 7, 2012.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
State Board of Education OKs Texas-heavy social studies plan, setting stage for clash over history lessons
Educators worry the plan will deemphasize topics like world geography, history and cultures. The board aims to vote on what specific content social studies lessons will include by next summer. Full Story
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![A school bus drives past the Texas Capitol Complex as State Board of Education members hold a meeting in the William B. Travis building on Nov. 17, 2023, in Austin.]()
Credit: Julius Shieh/The Texas Tribune -
Providing basic care to students does not violate Texas’ parental consent law, state guidance to schools says
The guidance comes in response to confusion over a new state law requiring schools to notify parents whenever students need health care services. Full Story
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![Students and teachers walk between classes at Blanco Vista Elementary School in San Marcos on Monday August, 23, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas educators praise new school cellphone ban
The new state ban took effect on Sept. 1, and Texas’ more than 1,200 public school districts have adopted policies ranging from secure phone pouches to increased monitoring. Full Story
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![Students eat lunch without devices at Lago Vista High School on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025 in Lago Vista, TX. HB 1481 passed during the special legislative session which requires schools to implement a policy prohibiting personal communication devices. Lago Vista has implemented a policy where students stow devices, primarily cell phones, in magnetically locked pouches that also block cell phone service, the devices can be unlocked in the event of an emergency as well as when the students exit the building using a wall mounted key near the building entrance. (Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune)]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
Texas' new parental consent law leaves school nurses confused about which services they can provide to students
The law’s authors urged districts to use “common sense.” But some nurses worry they could violate the law and face discipline for providing basic care without a parent’s approval. Full Story
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![A student walks through a hallway at Calk-Wilson Elementary School in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Aug. 11, 2025.]()
Credit: John Oliva/Corpus Christi Caller-Times/USA TODAY NETWORK via REUTERS -
Texas AG Ken Paxton encourages students to recite Lord’s Prayer in latest test of church-state separation
The endorsement comes as Texas elected officials push for more Christianity in public life and as Paxton’s office fights a legal challenge to religion in education. Full Story
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![Ken Paxton stands with attorneys Tony Buzbee and Mitch Little during prayer on the ninth day of then-suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial at the state Capitol in Austin on Sept. 15, 2023.]()
Credit: Julius Shieh/The Texas Tribune