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 -
Introducing the Austin Current: A new voice for Central Texas
Our new community newsroom will be focused on providing Austin-area residents with the knowledge and context they need to navigate a region transformed by explosive growth. Full Story
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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.]()
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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 -
Texas teachers, parents fear STAAR overhaul won’t take testing pressure off kids
Skeptics of the replacement, which requires three exams throughout the year, want to see less restrictions on testing day and more teacher input. Full Story
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![Austin Voices for Education and Youth, hosts a summer camp at the Dobie Middle School for students that attend the three Austin ISD schools at risk of closure. July 23, 2025.]()
Credit: Ilana Panich-Linsman for The Texas Tribune -
17 statewide propositions will appear on the November ballot. Here’s what Texas voters need to know.
A majority of the proposed constitutional amendments address tax cuts for homeowners and businesses. Full Story
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![The Capitol dome is seen from the north side of the complex in Austin on March 18, 2025.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee for The Texas Tribune -
Regents name sole finalist for president of newly acquired Texas A&M University-Victoria
The selection of Christian Hardigree, regional chancellor for the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, was one of several shakeups at the Texas A&M System on Thursday. Full Story
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![The Texas A&M Water Tower on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station on Aug. 18, 2023.]()
Credit: Meredith Seaver for The Texas Tribune -
Welcoming Melissa Barragán Taboada as the first editor-in-chief of our new Austin newsroom
A veteran Austin journalist, Melissa will lead a newsroom dedicated to closing the information gaps in Austin; fostering strategic collaborations with local organizations; and delivering relevant, timely journalism that keeps pace with Austin’s explosive growth. Full Story
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![Veteran Austin journalist Melissa Barragán Taboada is returning to Austin as the editor-in-chief of The Texas Tribune’s new Austin newsroom.]()
Credit: Courtesy of Melissa Barragán Taboada -
Student who mocked Charlie Kirk’s death “no longer” at Texas State University as clampdowns continue
The university's announcement came hours after Gov. Greg Abbott called for the student's expulsion. Full Story
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![Students walk through an area known as “The Quad” on the first day of the fall semester at Texas State University in San Marcos on August 24, 2020.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Roughly 350 complaints filed against Texas teachers for alleged comments on killing of Charlie Kirk
Several school districts have already taken disciplinary action against staff for comments made about the Christian conservative activist’s death. Full Story
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![Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath participates in a roundtable at the Alpha School campus in Austin on Sept. 9, 2025.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee 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 -
Texas legislative committees will study freedom of speech on college campuses in wake of Charlie Kirk killing
The committees were made to honor slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk and come as university faculty have come under online scrutiny. Full Story
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![A student walks through the Library Mall at the University of North Texas in Denton on March 22, 2022.]()
Credit: Emil Lippe for 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 -
TribCast: Texas is replacing the STAAR test
In this week’s episode, Matthew speaks with Tribune reporter Sneha Dey and the Commit Partnership’s Bridget Worley about the changes to the state’s standardized test. Full Story
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![Austin Voices for Education and Youth hosts a summer camp at the Dobie Middle School for students that attend three Austin ISD schools at risk of closure, on July 23, 2025.]()
Credit: Ilana Panich-Linsman 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 -
Some of Texas’ highest-paid charter superintendents run some of its lowest-performing districts
Three Texas charter school districts underreported compensation paid to top leaders. They also recently had failing or near-failing performance ratings. Full Story
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![A stack of schoolwork rubber-stamped with “D” and “F” grades, mixed together with $100 bills.]()
Credit: Lauren Crow for The Texas Tribune and ProPublica -
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 launches downloadable form to exempt kids from school-required vaccines
Previously, parents had to wait for the state to mail them the exemption form. They still have to get the form notarized before submitting it to the school for enrollment purposes. Full Story
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![Mateo Cardona, 4, receives a vaccine in Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston on June 28, 2022.]()
Credit: Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Legislature ends second special session marked by new political maps, slew of conservative wins
Between cracking down on abortion pills and restricting transgender restroom use, lawmakers also tackled flood safety and the STAAR test. Left untouched: Texas’ hemp industry. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, oversees roll call on the House floor in Austin on Sept. 3, 2025.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee for The Texas Tribune