Texas public school campuses and districts received their state report cards late last week from the Texas Education Agency, with most showing little change from the previous school year, The Texas Tribune reported.
Of the more than 9,000 campuses in the 2025-26 school year, 24% earned an A; 34% earned a B; 23% earned a C; 10% earned a D,; and 4% earned an F. Some schools did not receive grades. About one in four schools saw their grades improve, while about the same number of campuses saw a drop.
TEA Commissioner Mike Morath praised the ratings, noting the hundreds of campuses in high-poverty communities that earned an A.
“We are teaching them handwriting. They are memorizing the timetables. They are thinking through more and more advanced math problems. All children can learn and achieve,” Morath said.
The grades are based on three main metrics: how students perform on the state exam and meet other college- and career-readiness benchmarks; improvement on state tests over time; and how well schools educate underserved students.
How the voucher numbers stack up thus far
As Texas gears up for the first year of its school voucher program, The Dallas Morning News reported that more than 27,000 students have returned their school vouchers. More than two-thirds were previously enrolled in public schools.
Although more than 122,000 students have been awarded vouchers, critics say using them can be challenging. Private schools can deny admission, charge more in tuition than the voucher covers, or be located too far away.
“Just because you got an award does not mean you have a seat in a private school,” said Dee Carney, director of the Texas Center for Voucher Transparency. “They have to pick you.”
The program offers $10,474 to families to offset private education costs. Special-needs students can receive up to $30,000, while homeschooled students can get $2,000.
Native American groups sue to block Big Bend construction
A nonprofit group that aims to protect Native American historical sites filed suit in federal court to block the Trump administration’s border security construction in Big Bend National Park, the Houston Chronicle reported. The suit claims the Department of Homeland Security does not have authority under federal law to build in national parks and seeks an injunction to stop construction and demolition work.
Construction equipment arrived at the park a few weeks ago to build new patrol roads and vehicle barriers, sparking strong opposition from park supporters and area residents. More than 40 Texas state House members, both Democrats and Republicans, have signed a letter asking Gov. Greg Abbott to halt demolition and construction in Big Bend.
“We support securing our border and recognize our duty to protect Texans. However, it is essential that border security policy be pursued in a manner that is effective, fiscally responsible, and respectful of the communities and landscapes we are sworn to protect,” the letter read.
New Secretary of State opposes suit seeking closed primaries
Texas’ new secretary of state says he agrees with his predecessor in opposing a lawsuit seeking to restrict Republican primaries to voters registered with the party, but predicts the issue will be settled in the next legislative session, The News reported.
Newly appointed Secretary of State Robert Howden recently filed an answer as to whether the state’s official position had changed. He recently succeeded Jane Nelson in that position.
The Texas GOP filed suit last year against the secretary of state’s office, arguing that only registered Republicans should be allowed to vote in that party’s primaries. Texans are not required to register with a specific political party, so they can vote in either party’s primary.
The party unsuccessfully tried to close the party’s primary system via legislation during last year’s legislative session, then filed the suit when that attempt failed.
Appeals court rules for mail ballot ID requirements
The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated limits on mail-in voting enacted in 2021 that a lower court ruled violated portions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the San Antonio Express-News reported. The decision by the three-judge panel was unanimous.
The new requirements included asking those who vote by mail to provide identification or a Social Security number, or risk having their ballots rejected. The judges echoed President Donald Trump’s claim of widespread election fraud in their ruling.
“It has long been established that mail-in ballots are prone to fraud,” Judge Andrew Oldham wrote in the opinion. “That is why voting by mail jeopardizes election integrity and democracy itself.”
Several advocacy groups had sued to block the provisions, saying they further complicated voting and locked people with disabilities out of the voting process.
ERCOT error left Texas grid with fewer power reserves
An undetected error led the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to buy billions of watts less in reserve power for seven months than its plans called for, The Dallas Morning News reported. Despite that, the Texas grid has held up thus far under record demand, even as ERCOT bought 3.7 gigawatts less in reserves. That is enough electricity to power as many as 3 million homes.
The reserves fell short because an employee responsible for modeling how much backup power was needed switched jobs, according to a regulatory filing. ERCOT has responded by adding a second reviewer to verify the modeling.
Independent market grid monitor Potomac Economics used the mistake to point out that ERCOT has been overpaying for reserves since the deadly 2021 winter freeze.
“The ERCOT proposal goes too far and will result in significant excess cost with no added reliability benefit,” the monitors wrote.
Migrant children held for months at detention center
Federal data show that many migrant children at the detention center in Dilley, south of San Antonio, have been held for 100 days or longer, the Texas Standard reported, far exceeding the 20-day legal limit.
For example, a teen who emigrated from Iran was arrested in Los Angeles with his family and sent to the center, and has been there for more than 123 days. In an affidavit, he said he and other detainees share rooms with cockroaches, spiders, and mosquitoes.
“We have been put through hell for the past four months, and our physical and mental health have deteriorated in ways that might not be reversible for years,” Maryam Tahmasebi, his mother, wrote.
At least 60 children have been held in Dilley for more than 100 days, according to an analysis of federal government data.
“The facility is in perpetual violation of the law,” said U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio.
Gary Borders is a veteran award-winning Texas journalist. He published a number of community newspapers in Texas during a 30-year span, including in Longview, Fort Stockton, Nacogdoches, Lufkin and Cedar Park. Email: gborders@texaspress.com.
