The Senate gave unanimous approval to the budget Tuesday, sending SB 1 to the House, which will substitute its version. As we noted last week, the two-year budget plan does not include more than $17 billion for Texas schools from the federal pandemic relief funds approved by Congress in December and March. A House bill heard in committee today would allow a small group of legislators to determine how those federal funds are distributed and spent. Click here to read why TCTA opposes HB 2021, and read what H-E-B's CEO said about these funds below in today's Featured News.

A 12-hour House Public Education Committee meeting this week included testimony on a TCTA supported bill (HB 3804) to streamline training and professional development. TCTA’s Holly Eaton served as a subcommittee lead for the workgroup tasked with evaluating current requirements and eliminating redundancies, and testified in favor of the bill. 

In other action this week:

Throughout the session, you can find daily Updates from the Capitol and track key legislation related to education in our Bill Summaries.

H-E-B CEO Charles Butt sent a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott this week urging the state to send all of the federal funds intended for schools to local districts as quickly as possible. Texas is expected to receive more than $17 billion for schools from the latest rounds of pandemic relief funds approved by Congress.

Many states have started allocating these funds, including Florida, where the governor proposed a $1,000 bonus for educators this week. Texas has not sent any new federal money to local schools, and Butt said districts need the funds now so they can determine how to address learning loss. “We cannot afford for this current health crisis to become a generational education crisis that impacts the Texas economy for years to come,” Butt wrote.

In other pandemic-related news this week:

Students whose plots to attack schools were stopped demonstrated the same types of troubled histories as those who carried out attacks. They were badly bullied, often suffered from depression with stress at home, and exhibited behavior that worried others, according to a new study by the U.S. Secret Service's National Threat Assessment Center. It examined 67 thwarted school plots nationwide from 2006-2018 in K-12 schools.

In analyzing 100 students responsible for threats, researchers said all of the plots were serious planned attacks in which the plotters took some initial steps toward carrying them out. The informants who alerted authorities likely saved lives. "The findings demonstrate there are almost always intervention points available before a student resorts to violence," said Dr. Lina Alathari, the center's director.

Researchers hope schools use the information from this study, which follows up on a 2019 report, to be better equipped to deal with the warning signs and prevent attacks. Click here to see the full report.

TEA advised local districts to cancel the first day of STAAR testing Tuesday after technology issues prevented most students from accessing the online test system. Grade 4 writing, grade 7 writing and the English I end-of-course exams were affected.

“We understand the frustration this has caused students, parents, teachers and administrators. What happened today is completely unacceptable," TEA's Student Assessment Division said in a statement. “We are working to ensure that our students do not experience future testing issues.”

TEA said no further disruptions were reported when testing resumed Wednesday. ETS holds the current STAAR contract, but TEA will use a new vendor, Cambium Assessment, starting with the 2021-22 school year as it transitions to fully online testing by the 2022-23 school year.

A principal sued a school district after it voted to nonrenew her contract, alleging that the district's decision constituted discrimination against her based on her race and age. The district said its decision was based on the principal's violations of district policy, citing an investigation into financial misconduct. A district court dismissed the lawsuit, but the principal appealed. Click here to read more.

TEA is accepting applications through June 1 for its Purple Star Campus Designation program. The honor, created by the 86th Texas Legislature, recognizes schools that show their support and commitment to meeting the needs of military-connected students and their families. Click here for more information and application instructions. The designation lasts two years.

The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights is reviewing the department's regulations implementing Title IX to fulfill an executive order from President Biden that guarantees an education environment free from discrimination on the basis of sex, including sexual orientation or gender identity. The review will include public input on the regulations, ultimately leading to possible revisions through rulemaking. Click here to read more.

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