As proposed by the House, the bill will include an increase in the basic allotment of funds, so each public district in the state will be given $6,555 per student.

The current basic allotment is $6,160 per student, which hasn’t changed since the 2019-20 school year.

In addition, the bill includes an automatic raise for teachers across the state and more funding for special education programs.

The increased funding hopes to “to increase the number of qualified and appropriately credentialed special education staff, including special education teachers, special education paraprofessionals, evaluation personnel, certified interpreters, board-certified behavior analysts, registered behavior technicians” and others.

Fund Schools First has set up a site for constituents to share their support for the bill. It has a message template that can be used for an email and lists phone numbers for the offices of the Chair of the Finance Committee, Senator Joan Huffman, and the Chair of the Education Committee, Brandon Creighton.

Senator Tan Parker serves on the Senate Finance Committee and represents Argyle ISD, Lewisville ISD and Northwest ISD.

His office can be reached at 512-463-0112.

Representative Brad Buckley filed the bill on February 20. It went through a plethora of steps before getting passed onto the Senate on April 23.

To read the full bill, visit the Texas Legislature website. For more information on public school funding, visit Fund Schools First’s website.

Calls or emails of support for the bill should be sent in by Monday.

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He will begin his new role at the conclusion of the 2024-25 school year.

“I look forward to getting to know the Northwest Texan community and continuing to build on its engaging culture while also focusing on high-quality academics and CTE programs to prepares students for their next chapters in life,” said Dr. Porter. “With Northwest High School’s expansion and renovations slated for completion this summer, I know great opportunities lie ahead for our students, teachers and communities.”

Dr. Porter brings a decade of school and district experience, most recently having served as the principal at Brewer High School in White Settlement ISD for the last three years.

Before that, he worked as the district’s director of career and technical education. Dr. Porter worked at Crowley ISD prior to White Settlement as an assistant principal, principal and coordinator of district CTE programs.

The NISD press release said Dr. Porter has had proven success in the district’s he has served, increasing the state accountability score and testing ratings.

Dr. Porter served as a teacher before his time in administrations. He worked in Birdville ISD, Fort Worth ISD, Hutto ISD and Medina Valley ISD, bringing 17 total years of experience in public education.

Dr. Porter earned his doctorate in educational leadership from Tarleton State University, his master’s degree from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and his bachelor’s degree from Southwest Baptist University. He has also been awarded by the Texas Educators Association and the Texas Association of School Administrators.

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The district has an online nomination link set up on its website for name suggestions.

All name suggestions will be looked at by the NISD communications department before the Facility Naming Committee reviews them.

The district’s naming policy says the name must be in memory of a person who has served the district or community, in memory of a person that made a significant contribution to society or education, honor a local residential or geographical area or a district property donor or their family members.

Nominations will be accepted until May 19. The district’s Facility Naming Committee will review submissions and provide a recommendation to the school board in June.

The early childhood center, which was voted on and approved as part the 2023 bond, will be located in the southern portion of the district.

As the first of four early childhood centers approved in the 2023 bond election, the facility will supplement existing pre-kindergarten classes available at all NISD elementary schools, according to the district’s press release.

The centers will be designed with a focus on experience and play-based learning that will cater to a young child’s development process. The centers will also plan to offer daycare services for teachers and staff.

Families will be able to apply for enrollment for their pre-K children regardless of where they live in the district, but students will be selected through a randomized system.

If a child is not selected, they will continue to attend pre-K classes at their zoned campus or the next closest campus with capacity. More information about pre-K programs in NISD can be found on the district’s website.

The district said pre-K enrollment numbers surpassed 1,000 students in the 2024-25 school year. In the 2022-23 school year, enrollment was reported at 565 students.

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Proposition A passed by 65.73% and 2,467 votes. This proposition includes Elementary #6, Middle School #2, Middle School #4 design, Elementary School #5 Construction Escalation, Land Acquisition & Offsite costs, Capital Improvements, Buses & Technology Infrastructure.

This proposition allows the district to provide classroom capacity to accommodate the district’s rapid enrollment growth. The district is expected to reach nearly 12,000 students in 2035. Argyle ISD currently has 6,200 students in Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade.

Proposition B passed by 56.79% and 2,125 votes and includes a baseball/softball complex at Argyle High School in Canyon Falls. This will allow AHS teams to practice and play at their home campus when the district transitions to two high schools in the 2027-2028 school year.

“What an incredible message of support our community sent today,” Argyle ISD Superintendent Dr. Courtney Carpenter said. “We are so grateful to the Argyle ISD families, staff, community, partners and businesses who responded in this election by going to the polls, making their voice heard in protecting and preserving the tradition of academic and extracurricular excellence of this wonderful district. This bond proposal paves the way for the continued success as a destination district for decades to come.”

“Amazing day and future for all of Argyle ISD,” School Board President Sam Slaton said. “Our community has spoken, and that voice has loudly said it supports the students of this district! Words cannot justly describe the gratitude we as a district have, for not only its supporters but the countless hours of dedication from those who poured into making this a successful bond. We are excited that, through the passage of these bond propositions, the district can continue to focus on upholding our standard of excellence in our rapid growth environment. This community has spoken loudly in its support for these bond propositions, for our students’ wellbeing, and for the vision of where we will continue to soar!”

The bond proposal was constructed by the community-led Bond & Growth Planning Committee. The 30-member committee, which included parents, staff and community, met during the fall and studied demographics, facilities and finances in constructing a revised bond proposal from 2024.

The bond proposal will maintain the current tax rate for voters. The Argyle ISD School Board will canvass the votes at the Monday, May 19 regular School Board meeting.

Proposition A – $393,735,000

• Elementary School #5 (Construction Escalation)
• Elementary School #6
• Middle School #2
• Middle School #3 (planning & design only)
• Capital Improvements – Hilltop Elementary, Sixth Grade Center, Argyle Middle School
• Argyle High School Hallway Connector
• Land
• Buses
• Technology Infrastructure

Proposition B – $29,435,000

• Baseball/Softball Complex at Argyle High School (Canyon Falls)
• Turf playing fields
• Batting cages
• Fieldhouse for baseball/softball
• Concessions & Restrooms
• Grandstands w/capacity of 500 at both fields

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Senate Bill 2 establishes an Education Savings Account program allowing eligible students to direct funding toward their choice of preapproved educational providers and services such as private school tuition, instructional materials, and educational therapies. With $1 billion in funding for the 2026-2027 school year, the program will be the largest day-one launch in the country, according to the Governor’s Office.

Most participating families will receive an amount equal to 85% of what public schools get for each student through state and local funding — roughly somewhere between $10,300 and $10,900 per year for each child, according to a legislative budget analysis, which included financial projections for the next five years.

Children with disabilities are eligible for the same funding as other students, plus up to $30,000 in additional money, an amount based on what the state would spend on special education services for that student if they attended a public school. Homeschoolers can receive up to $2,000 per year.

“When I ran for re-election in 2022, I promised Texans that we will bring education freedom to every Texas family,” said Governor Abbott. “Today, Texas delivers on that promise. I am signing this law that will ensure Texas families, whose children can no longer be served by the public school assigned to them, have the choice to take their money and find the school that is right for them. This success could not have been accomplished without the hard work of Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Speaker Dustin Burrows, Chairman Brandon Creighton, Chairman Brad Buckley, and the tireless efforts of school choice advocates across Texas. Today is a historic day, where we come together at the Governor’s Mansion to proudly deliver school choice for Texans.”

BIG NEWS: Governor @GregAbbott_TX signed school choice legislation into law at the Governor’s Mansion!

Hundreds of Texas parents, students, educators, and school choice advocates from across the state joined to celebrate this historic moment.

More: https://t.co/XD2kSuQFUh pic.twitter.com/QLSJGj25FQ

— Governor Abbott Press Office (@GovAbbottPress) May 3, 2025

The program excludes students whose parents cannot prove their child is a U.S. citizen. Lawmakers are also considering a bill that would bar the kids of any statewide elected official from signing up for the program. Participating students won’t have to take the STAAR test.

If public demand for the voucher program exceeds the funding available, it will prioritize applicants based on students with disabilities and/or whom are low-income.

The voucher program also prioritizes students exiting public schools over kids already in private ones.

Private schools can choose whether they want to participate. The law requires participating schools to be accredited and to have operated for at least two years.

The legislation does not require participating schools to change their admissions processes, meaning they can still deny entry to any student they determine does not meet their standards. Private schools are also not required to follow state or federal laws regarding accommodations for students with disabilities.

Some of the information in this article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/03/texas-school-vouchers-greg-abbott-signs/.

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Election Day is May 3, and early voting will run through April 29. Click here for more information about voting in Denton County.

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Argyle ISD: A

Argyle ISD received a 91 grade out of a possible 100.

Within the district, Argyle High School, Argyle Middle School, Argyle Elementary and Argyle South Elementary all earned ‘A’ grades.

Hilltop Elementary earned a ‘B’ grade with a rating of 88.

Lewisville ISD: B

Lewisville ISD earned a rating of 80 out of 100.

Within the district, Flower Mound High School and Marcus High School earned ‘A’ grades while Hebron and The Colony earned ‘B’ grades. Lewisville High School earned a ‘D’ grade.

In December, the LISD board voted to close five elementary schools due to budgetary issues.

B.B Owen and Creekside earned a ‘C’ grade, Garden Ridge and Highland Village earned an ‘A’ and the STEM Academy at Polser earned a ‘B’ grade.

Degan Elementary, Lakeland Elementary, Mill Street Elementary and Southridge Elementary all earned ‘F’ grades.

For a full list of LISD schools and their ratings, click here.

Northwest ISD: B

Northwest ISD earned a rating of 82 out of 100.

Within the district, Byron Nelson High School and James M. Steele Early College High School both earned ‘A’ grades. Northwest High School and V.R. Eaton High School both earned ‘C’ grades.

Prairie View Elementary was the only school in the district to rate below a C, earning an ‘F.’

For a full list of NISD schools and their ratings, click here.

Denton ISD: C

Denton ISD earned a rating of 78 out of 100.

Within the district, Fred Moore and Guyer High School both earned an ‘A’ grade, Ray Braswell earned a ‘B’ grade and Denton High School and Denton Ryan High School both earned ‘C’ grades.

In Lantana, Blanton Elementary, Dorothy P Adkins Elementary, E.P. Rayzor Elementary and Harpool Middle School all earned ‘A’ grades.

Ginnings Elementary was the only school to earn an ‘F’ grade, but eight other schools in the district earned ‘D’ ratings.

For a full list of DISD schools and their ratings, click here.

The Texas Education Agency grades Texas public schools every year on what students are learning in each grade and whether or not they are ready for the next grade. It also shows how well a school prepares their students for success after high school in college, the workforce, or the military, according to its website.

The TEA website said the 2024 accountability reports cannot be shared publicly because of a different, ongoing lawsuit than the one that prevented the release of the 2023 ratings.

School performance ratings from the 2024-25 school year are scheduled to be issued in August.

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The plan allocates 92.5% of funding directly to campus support, including efforts to reduce class sizes, strengthen fine arts and special population programs, and expand instructional support services.

Notably, the plan includes 33 new classroom teaching positions across the district.

“We are thankful for our Board of Trustees’ thoughtful leadership and their willingness to listen to staff voices at every level. Their continued support reflects a deep commitment to preserving the traditions and values of Argyle ISD, while adapting to serve our students amidst rapid enrollment growth,” Superintendent Dr. Courtney Carpenter said in a social media post.

In addition to local action, the district emphasized the importance of ongoing legislative advocacy as the Texas Legislature considers updates to the state’s public school funding system. Officials are encouraging community members to contact the Senate Public Education Committee to hold a hearing on House Bill 2, which proposes critical updates to school finance, including increases to the basic allotment.

Currently, the Senate’s version of the bill lacks an increase to the per-student funding rate, a concern for fast-growing districts like Argyle.

The Board of Trustees is expected to discuss compensation package options for 2025–2026 at its regular meeting in June, following the conclusion of the 89th Texas Legislative Session.

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The candidates will participate in a meet and greet starting at 6 p.m. and the moderated candidate forum will run from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Candidates will be asked questions that were received from a survey sent out by the Council of PTAs and other questions recommended by the Texas PTA. Attendees will not be able to ask any additional questions on the day of the event.

The board spots that are up for grabs are Districts 2, 3 and at-large Place 7.

Districts 2 and 3 will be run unopposed, but Council of PTAs president Carrie Baker said it was important for constituents to be able to hear from them, anyway.

The forum will be moderated by Calvin Dorsey, the president of Dorsey Management Services, who was recommended by the League of Women Voters.

“I’ve had a couple of meetings with Mr. Dorsey, showing him the questions we’re working on and finalizing the script,” said Baker. “So, we feel like we’re ready at this point.”

She said this forum is important, especially with the state of public education in Texas.

“Public schools are pretty much under attack right now and school boards are our first lines of defense,” she said. “So we’re looking forward to creating an opportunity for people to be educated about who is running so they can make the best choice.”

In December, Lewisville ISD announced it would be closing five elementary schools, one in each high school’s feeder pattern.

Highland Village Elementary is one of the schools being closed. The community is hosting an event on May 3 to honor the legacy of the school.

Click here for more about the candidates running for LISD Place 7 and here for information on other upcoming local elections.

Lewisville ISD serves all or portions of the following cities: Lewisville (including Castle Hills), Flower Mound, Carrollton (and Hebron), Highland Village, The Colony, Plano, Frisco, Coppell, Copper Canyon, Double Oak, Argyle and Grapevine.

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