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Texas
13th August 2026
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THE HOT STORY

Abbott shifts focus back to public schools

Governor Greg Abbott has successfully implemented a private school voucher program, a significant achievement compared to his predecessors. However, he is now redirecting attention to public schools, stating: “What my goal is next session is to put public education on a pathway to ranking No. 1 in the United States in educating our kids.” Abbott is also promoting the Texas Classroom Commission, which will provide recommendations to enhance public education, particularly in math and reading proficiency. Meanwhile, Democrat Gina Hinojosa has criticized Abbott for neglecting public schools, claiming: "No one has done more damage to Texas public schools than he has." Despite Abbott's assertions of record funding for public education, concerns about school closures and teacher shortages persist.

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ENROLLMENT

Enrollment surge in Catholic schools

The Diocese of Corpus Christi's Catholic Schools experienced a significant enrollment increase for the 2026-27 school year, with approximately 1,910 students registered on August 10, marking an over 8% rise from last year's 1,750 students. Katia Uriarte, a spokesperson for the diocese, noted that "about 650 Catholic school students received Texas Education Freedom Accounts," a new funding initiative for private education. The diocese encompasses schools in Corpus Christi, Robstown, Rockport, and Alice. Despite the introduction of the state program, the Corpus Christi ISD reported an increase of over 1,000 students compared to the previous year, indicating that the program has not adversely affected public school enrollments.

Enrollment declines hit North Texas schools

As students return to school in Texas, many North Texas districts, including Dallas ISD, are grappling with declining enrollment. Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde noted that Dallas ISD's enrollment has decreased by 3% from the previous year, continuing a trend of losing over 1,000 students annually since 2015. Factors contributing to this decline include immigration policies and demographic trends, such as lower birth rates. Elizalde said: “We are prepared to receive as many students as come through our doors,” as she anticipates enrollment to stabilize this year. The Texas 2036 report highlighted a statewide drop of 76,000 students in 2025, marking a 1.4% decline, the largest outside the pandemic. Despite these challenges, new initiatives like universal pre-K aim to attract more families to Dallas ISD.

DISTRICTS

Texas students embrace new voucher program

On the first day of school in Houston, many students utilized the new Texas Education Freedom Account (TEFA) vouchers, which allow families to afford private education. Governor Greg Abbott's legislation has sparked debate, but schools like the Dyslexia School of Houston are embracing the change. Founder and CEO Tammy Spencer expressed concern for children who cannot afford education, stating: "I worry about all children obviously, but it's the ones that can't afford it that keep me up at night." The school now offers full-time education for students with dyslexia, with families using voucher dollars to cover tuition costs. Christine Nuñez, a parent, highlighted the importance of TEFA funding for her daughter, saying: "We are reliant on the TEFA dollars; it opened up the opportunity for her to come here." As the program evolves, Spencer aims to prepare students for future educational paths.

Attendance matters: funding at stake

Attendance rates are critical for school funding in Texas, as districts like Alvin and Friendswood ISDs rely on average daily attendance (ADA) for financial support. Daniel Combs, AISD's Chief Financial Officer, explained: “Theoretically, if a student is only in attendance 95% of the time, the school district only receives 95% of the funding for that student.” FISD officials noted that the shift to technology-based instruction during COVID-19 has led to challenges in maintaining attendance, stating, “Learning can happen on a screen,” but it lacks the quality of in-person instruction. As attendance rates improve, FISD is closely monitoring these figures to ensure effective resource utilization and to foster a desire for students to attend school. “We want students to ‘want' to come to school,” FISD officials said.

Fort Bend ISD boundary changes ahead

Fort Bend ISD is set to finalize its long-range boundary planning this fall, following a March decision to close seven elementary schools due to fluctuating enrollment. District officials initiated secondary boundary planning in May to address overutilization at certain high schools, including Stephen F. Austin, Lawrence E. Elkins, and William B. Travis. Importantly, no secondary schools will close as part of this process. Fort Bend ISD has experienced a decline in enrollment, with the smallest kindergarten class size in nearly 20 years anticipated. Officials noted that kindergarten enrollment peaked at 4,840 students in 2019-20 but has since decreased, projecting a drop from 4,714 students in 2022-23 to 4,187 students by 2025-26.

WORKFORCE

Fort Worth ISD teachers face sanctions

Fort Worth ISD's state-appointed board voted 7-1 to report nine former teachers to the Texas Education Agency for resigning after the district's deadline. Superintendent Peter Licata emphasized that these teachers represent a small fraction of the 36 late resignations approved by the district. He remarked: "When teachers leave their contract... they break their commitment to students." Board member Rose Marie Berdeja opposed the resolution, arguing that the teachers should not be punished during "unprecedented times." The district has seen a surge in resignations, with over 1,000 reported during the 2025-26 school year, compared to 648 in the previous year. The increase is attributed to the stress of changes implemented by new leadership following a state takeover.

Houston ISD's bold pay shift

Houston ISD has introduced its "Pay-for-Performance" model, which evaluates returning teachers' salaries based on performance and ranking among peers. The Pay-for-Performance Teacher Excellence System, approved in March 2025, assesses teachers across four categories: quality of instruction, student academic outcomes, planning and professionalism, and campus action plans. Superintendent Mike Miles said: “All of that was happening prior to today and it ... sets us up for success until you see the manifestation of that work.” Salaries for returning teachers range from $70,000 to $101,000 annually, with new teachers earning between $70,000 and $74,000 based on experience. Additional pay opportunities exist for teaching core subjects, special education, and mentoring.

Bus driver shortage disrupts school year

The 2026-27 school year at Corpus Christi ISD began with significant challenges, including a shortage of 50 bus drivers and 97 unfilled teacher positions. As of the first day on August 11, 31,759 students were enrolled, but the district needs about 280 more to match last year's numbers. The district closed seven campuses and adjusted school start times to accommodate the bus driver shortage. "Unable to hire enough bus drivers to get all students to school on time," the district implemented a new schedule, with elementary schools starting at 7:50 a.m. and high schools at 8:50 a.m. Additionally, 178 teachers are currently uncertified, as the district has struggled to fill classrooms adequately.

CHARTERS

Pearland's charter school boom continues

Since 2019, Pearland has seen a rise in charter schools, starting with Horizon Montessori and followed by International Leadership of Texas' Pearland campus, which opened for the 2024-25 school year. Construction is underway for Harmony Public Schools' first Pearland campus, set to open in the 2027-28 school year, accommodating 825 students from pre-K to fifth grade. John Boyd, Harmony Public Schools' chief communications officer, said: "We're excited to partner with Pearland families and contribute to the community's future." While charter schools have expanded, their impact on local independent school district enrollments remains minimal, with only 2% of students in Pearland Independent School District transferring to charter schools by 2025-26. As families explore educational options, Laura Lawless, projections coordinator at Population and Survey Analysts, noted that the pandemic prompted many to rethink their children's education. “Families were able to see what education could look like ... and be in the classroom with their children,” she said.

POLICY

Screen time cut for Plainview students

Plainview ISD has revised its 2026-27 Student Handbook to reduce classroom screen time for students. The Board of Trustees approved the change in a unanimous 7-0 vote on July 30. The new guidelines aim for students to “learn with technology, not learn from it,” limiting passive screen time to 10-30 minutes daily, depending on grade level. 

CYBERSECURITY

School ransomware threat eases

Ransomware attacks against U.S. educational institutions fell 44% to 34 in the first half of 2026, compared with 61 in the second half of 2025, according to cybersecurity research firm Comparitech. Globally, K-12 attacks declined 26%, while attacks on higher education institutions increased by more than 8%. Despite the overall decline, the U.S. accounted for 33% of the 104 education-sector attacks recorded worldwide, and incidents continued to cause class cancellations, system outages, and data breaches. Comparitech cautioned that only 36 of the 104 global attacks were confirmed by the affected institutions, with the remaining 68 based on ransomware groups’ claims.

TECHNOLOGY

Claude enters education race

Anthropic has launched Claude for Teachers, an AI-powered assistant designed to support educators in lesson planning and personalized instruction. Drew Bent, education lead for Anthropic, said that the tool can analyze a student's past assessment and assignment data to create tailored lesson plans, allowing teachers to save time. The product, available for free to verified educators in the U.S., will be piloted in Detroit Public Schools Community District to study its impact on educator well-being. While AI adoption in classrooms is growing, concerns about privacy and the potential for diminished academic outcomes persist. Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, emphasized the importance of aligning privacy practices with educational needs, stating, "It's important that Anthropic is committing to these principles in their new Claude for Teachers."
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