Education

Following his election as Speaker of the Texas House, Lubbock Representative Dustin Burrows announced former Texas Tech chancellor Robert Duncan as Chief of Staff for the legislative session. Our reporter Olivia O'Rand has more on the upcoming retirement of Lubbock-Cooper Independent School District's superintendent Keith Bryant. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission says the data of as many as 61,000 individuals may have been improperly accessed by agency employees and recommends folks review their accounts.

Ad Astra School has opened around the corner from Elon Musk’s corporate compound in rural Central Texas. Nonprofit filings show secondary schools and a university are also planned.

Midland County Commissioners on Tuesday adopted a new policy that will create a committee tasked with determining whether books at local libraries are appropriate for children and teenagers.

During the last Texas legislative session, public education groups spoke with one voice on private school vouchers. Now, there’s been a shift.

Some voucher opponents are ready to compromise; others are hoping supporters will fumble over the program's size, eligibility and accountability.

Studies done by the National Foster Youth Institute show that half of students in foster care do not graduate high school. In 2021, nearly 30,000 children were in foster care in the state of Texas. A statewide program called WHIT is helping to serve foster students across Texas with structured, consistent tutoring.

In 2021, nearly 30,000 children were in foster care in the state of Texas. Studies done by the National Foster Youth Institute show that half of students in foster care do not graduate high school. Our reporter Olivia O’Rand has more on WHIT: a San Angelo-based program looking to help serve foster students across the state.

Following last week's vote to close Hodges Elementary School, starting in the 2025-2026 school year, families in the attendance zone for Hodges will be in the boundaries for Bean Elementary. Our reporter Samantha Larned has more on the decision from the Lubbock Independent School District’s Board of Trustees and what comes next.The district's transfer window is open Dec. 17 through Jan. 17.

Lubbock Independent School District’s Board of Trustees has approved the consolidation and closures of three LISD campuses. Going into effect in the 2025-2026 school year, “phase one” of the plan impacts Hodges Elementary, Overton Elementary, and O.L. Slaton Middle School.

In Texas, more than 45% of teachers are people of color, according to a new dashboard released Tuesday by the National Council on Teacher Quality, compared to nearly 74% of students. And the gap could worsen if fewer people of color pursue careers in education.