Alief ISD’s pre-K center was built with younger kids in mind
Alief Independent School District is among a growing number of districts across the country to spend money on buildings tailored to 4- and 5-year-olds. Full Story
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Border Patrol chief calls report that agents will board buses to check students’ citizenship “absurd”
The chief’s comments came after Alice ISD sent a letter to parents Wednesday warning students may be detained and possibly deported if they can’t prove they’re in the country legally. The letter was later removed from the district’s website. Full Story
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![A school bus waits at an intersection while driving its morning pickup route before dawn on Sept. 12, 2023 in West Odessa.]()
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TribCast: Is a water crisis looming in Texas?
In this week’s episode, we talk about state House politics, proposals for the budget and the condition of water infrastructure in the state. Full Story
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![Thomas Skinner collects sediment in a strainer to identify the type of rock their rig is drilling through while drilling a water well on Thursday, March 14, 2024, outside of Alpine.]()
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Here are the biggest stories from our data visuals team in 2024
The Tribune’s data journalists helped visualize everything from voter participation and extreme weather to gaps in the state’s border wall. Here are some of the highlights. Full Story
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![Share art for the zoning regulations story for the affordable housing series.]()
Credit: Carla Astudillo -
Inside the only college class in Texas to help prepare inmates for life after prison
More than 250 Texas prisoners are on the waitlist to join the Lee College reentry class. Programs like these prepare students to find jobs and help lower recidivism. Full Story
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![Women who are incarcerated participate in a Lee College course that focuses on reentry at Lucile Plane State Jail in Dayton, Texas, US, on Monday October 28, 2024.]()
Credit: Callaghan O'Hare for The Texas Tribune -
State Board of Education says it wants more control over public school library books
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. Full Story
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![Books line shelves at the Walsh Middle School library in Round Rock on July 11, 2022.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Mental health support for toddlers has lagged in Texas. That’s now changing.
Lawmakers and child care centers are pushing for a statewide mental health system for toddlers. Full Story
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![Children work on letter puzzles at Kid's Castle Family Daycare and Preschool in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 28, 2022.]()
Credit: Lauren Witte/The Texas Tribune -
Latest effort to block school ratings cracks Texas districts’ once-united front
Dozens of districts sued Texas saying the ratings painted an unfair picture of their schools. Others voluntarily have released their own. Full Story
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![Students leave the classroom to work in the computer lab at Mata Intermediate School.]()
Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune -
Public education takes center stage at Houston lawmakers discussion
Lawmakers reflected on Houston ISD takeover and prospect of the Legislature creating subsidies for private school tuition Full Story
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Dozens of Texas school districts press state to suspend new student data reporting system
The superintendents said they haven’t received enough support from the state or time to fix errors the system generated. Full Story
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![TEA Commissioner Mike Morath addresses the State Board of Education on June 26, 2024, at the William B. Travis Building in Austin.]()
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Texas school districts say upgrades to the state’s student data reporting system could hurt their funding
The Texas Education Agency says there’s time to fix problems before officially reported data is used to determine how much money districts get. 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 -
After six years of low scores for students learning English, Texas educators say it’s the test’s fault
Students’ scores in a test that gauges their English skills have been low since a redesign introduced computer scoring. Full Story
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![The library at West Avenue Elementary in Waco on April 5, 2024.]()
Credit: Greta Díaz González Vázquez for The Texas Tribune -
Judge blocks Texas from releasing this year’s school accountability ratings
The ruling marks the fifth consecutive year Texas families have not received a full picture of their schools’ ratings, which are used to determine how they are performing. Full Story
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![Lorenzo G Alarcon Elementary School received Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds to create a calming and quiet room with the school counselor in San Elizario, Texas on July 23, 2024.]()
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Texas’ Christian-influenced curriculum spurs worries about bullying, church-state separation
Some secular groups and members of other faiths say the curriculum could give schools too much control over how children are taught religion. Full Story
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![A monument to the Ten Commandments on the grounds of the Capitol in Austin on June 24, 2024.]()
Credit: Olivia Anderson/The Texas Tribune -
Did FAFSA delays impact your decisions about college or housing? Share your story with us
The delayed rollout of the new FAFSA caused many students to experience setbacks in receiving financial aid packages. If these delays impacted your college choices, The Texas Tribune wants to hear your story. Full Story
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![A student studies in Rayzor Hall on the campus of Rice University in Houston on Sept. 26, 2023.]()
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Feds investigate another Texas school district for its gender identity mandate
Katy ISD’s board voted this past fall to require staff to notify parents if their child wants to use a different pronoun or identifies as a different gender. Full Story
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![Free pronoun buttons at the AISD "Pride Out!" Party in the Park event at Eastside Early College High School in Austin on Saturday, Mar. 26, 2022. There were fill-in-the-blank and other options not pictured as well.]()
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Here’s how to vote in Texas’ May 28 runoff elections
The last day to register to vote is April 29. Early voting runs from May 20-24. Full Story
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![Voting stickers for 2024 primary election voter guide.]()
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A new Texas law allows schools to hire chaplains as counselors. So far, only one school has opted into the program.
Many independent school districts, including the largest ones, do not allow chaplains to serve as counselors, which is now allowed under a new Texas law. Full Story
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![Nimitz Middle School students gather in the hallway outside of a classroom as they wait for a teacher between periods Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023 in Odessa.]()
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After 7 years of state oversight, Texas’ takeover of Marlin ISD starts winding down
The transition at the Waco-area school district will shed light on how a democratically elected school board resumes control after a takeover. Full Story
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![Commissioner of Education Mike Morath, far right, answers questions from State Board of Education members during a hearing Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023 at the William B Travis Building in Austin.]()
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Texas children are still struggling with math after the pandemic. Some schools are trying a new approach.
Policy experts worry students will fall short of the state's future workforce needs. Educators hope the new curriculum will help them. Full Story
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![Third grade teacher Eran McGowan helps students work through math problems at the Eddie Bernice Johnson STEM Academy in Dallas, Texas on Feb. 5, 2024.]()
Credit: Azul Sordo for The Texas Tribune