Austin, TX
Texas judge blocks school ratings release amid ongoing lawsuit over STAAR test
AUSTIN, Texas — For the second year in a row, a judge blocked the Texas Education Agency from releasing school accountability ratings.
It came hours after a coalition of school districts filed a second lawsuit against the state over how standardized tests impact these ratings.
With COVID-19 delaying the complete release of school accountability ratings for three years before these lawsuits, we’re now going on five years without parents having a full picture of how schools are doing across the state. But opponents of these ratings say new rules for the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness or STARR test are unfairly impacting these ratings and believe the standardized tests and these ratings may need to be scrapped altogether.
Clay Robinson with the Texas State Teachers Association says scores from the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness or STARR test have dropped across the board since going online last year.
“We have been trying to get the legislature to abolish the STAAR test for years. We feel it’s a waste of millions of dollars, millions of tax dollars every year,” Robinson said. “We know it’s not gotten any better, and we also have doubts about the accuracy of the computerized testing of these writing samples.”
His organization isn’t named in a lawsuit filed against the state calling for the tests to be re-standardized, but he says the T.S.T.A. does support the move.
In response to the lawsuit, a Travis County judge issued a temporary injunction blocking the Texas Education Agency from releasing this year’s school A-F accountability ratings, of which the STAAR tests heavily impact.
“It’s sort of a heartbreaking story because so many students took this, in our opinion, invalid and unstandardized test and performed so poorly on it,” Nick Maddoz, an attorney representing the school districts, said. “which not only impacted their own self-esteem and their own academic abilities but also impacted their community school district as well.”
Though initially five districts, the support is growing, and he expects to have 50 districts from across the state join the lawsuit by the end of the month.
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“We’re asking for school districts to not be graded on an A through F scale until the STAAR test has been accurized and reformed, and we have a valid basis of comparison,” Maddox said.
Texas State Representative Brian Harrison sits on the House Public Education Committee. He says after a similar injunction last year, this move only hurts parents and students across the state.
“They may have reasons to want to put them in one school or another, and depriving them of data deprives them of some of the most important information they have when making those considerations,” Harrison said.
He says the matter is worse when you consider COVID-19 blocked the complete release of accountability scores during the previous three years.
“I don’t think what makes sense right now is just to say that, okay, well, as a result of these potential concerns, let’s just withhold all of the data and at this point, for multiple years,” Harrison said.
He says if there’s an issue, the legislature should handle it.
“There’s nothing more important that we grapple with as a state and how we educate the next generation of Texans, and we have a system that, while it’s working well for a few, it is unfortunately failing far too many,” Harrison said. “Watering down accountability is the last thing we need to be doing.”
But Maddox claims they’re only suing because the T.E.A. isn’t following the law to begin with.
“Those laws are in place in the state of Texas, and it’s our opinion that the Texas Education Agency and Commissioner Morath are not following those laws,” Maddox said.
We reached out to the T.E.A. for comment, but have not heard back.
A hearing to make the injunction permanent is set for August 26th.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A report released by the think tank Texas 2036 claims that ten state laws implemented between 2019 and 2025 led to “one of the nation’s most comprehensive strategies for connecting education to careers.”
The report is titled “The Next Generation of the Texas Miracle.” It can be read below.
Mary Lynn Pruneda, Texas 2036’s director of education and workforce policy, said in an announcement accompanying the report that the reforms have been steps in the right direction.
“Texas has a bright economic future ahead of it, but we have to make sure that Texas students are equipped to share in this prosperity,” she said. “Texas needs to double down on improving and investing in high-quality career pathways so that all Texas students can take part in the Texas Miracle. Thankfully, due to the Legislature’s great work over the past four sessions, we are on our way to that critical goal.”
The report gives several data points, such as a 532% increase in high schoolers earning “post-secondary credentials” since 2018, or that community colleges awarded 140,000 “credentials of value” in 2024.
It paints a rosy picture of the future Texas economy, but doesn’t source its data or explain how it reached these conclusions. It’s apparent that the think tank wants further laws related to Texas’ workforce and education.
“Texas 2036 is actively engaged in that process, pushing for data modernization and interoperability reforms that would allow the state to track whether credentials are meeting real employer needs in communities across the state,” said the think tank in its announcement.
Grace Atkins, policy advisor of postsecondary education for Texas 2036, called the think tank’s report “encouraging.”
“The early results are encouraging: more students are earning credentials that can help them move into good jobs, and that is real progress,” she said. “For students and families, these pathways can be the difference between getting by and getting ahead. The next step is making sure more Texans can earn credentials that lead to strong wages, real career options and greater economic mobility.”
AUSTIN, Texas — After Senator Charles Perry vowed to introduce another bill to ban THC in Texas next legislative session, an Austin cannabis shop owner is urging lawmakers to find a middle ground.
Estella Castro owns Austinite Cannabis Co., a family-owned shop that makes and sells cannabis and hemp products.
Austinite Cannabis Co. (Photo: CBS Austin/Audrey Wong)
Her business has faced a potential THC ban before. During the 2025 legislative session, Senate Bill 3 attempted to enact a broad ban on all cannabinoids except CBD and CBG.
Castro says she was most worried for her customers. “It was a big initial hit of like, what are we gonna do? How are we gonna pivot? How are we gonna keep the doors open for everybody to keep their jobs?” she said.
RELATED | Texas state senator plans to introduce new THC ban bill in upcoming session
That bill passed, but was later vetoed by Governor Greg Abbott. Similar legislation failed to pass during the subsequent special session.
However, the possibility of a total ban bill being introduced and passed next session could spell trouble for Austinite Cannabis.
During a hearing Tuesday, July 7, Senator Charles Perry vowed to present such a bill next session as public officials, medical experts, and others discussed THC’s medical uses, effects on minors, and regulation.
Castro says over half of the store’s revenue comes from products that contain THC.
“I would say it’s about a 60/40 split: 60% THC and 40 CBD… So feel like it is a huge number that affects my store in so many ways,” she said.
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She feels that a total ban on THC would negatively affect multiple parties.
“Banning it is just hurting the consumer,” she said. “Making the consumer go and find a street dealer… killing any dispensaries… it’s gonna hurt your small business owner.”
If another THC ban bill is written, it will be introduced during the next legislative session, which begins in January 2027.
In the meantime, Castro’s two stores will continue to operate as normal. She hopes lawmakers will think twice about instituting a complete ban on THC.
“I feel like we’re better than that, you know, we’re Texas,” she said. “We need to find some middle ground where it’s not a complete ban, and we can still be able to come together.”
AUSTIN (KXAN) – Trevor Goosby is a projected first-round pick in the upcoming 2027 NFL Draft. The Texas offensive lineman anchors the group up front for one of the best teams in the country and was named a preseason All-American by Walter Camp.
But his football career felt in jeopardy when he was in high school.
“That was kind of my biggest question,” said Goosby. “I was really nervous because would I be the same football player coming back?”
Goosby was born with a congenital heart defect and had open-heart surgery when he was just 16 years old. He wasn’t sure how this would change his everyday life, including his football career.
“Definitely a lot of nerves just because you’re getting your ribs cracked open essentially and getting your heart worked on…It was a scary moment. I remember driving up to the hospital super nervous.”
Goosby was able to recover and become a great football player. He said not only has he become a person in learning to fight through adversity, but it helped him as a player as well with improved endurance.
Now, the star Longhorn is giving back as much as possible.
Goosby hosted a camp in Austin to benefit the Children’s Heart Foundation. The organization works to fund research on congenital heart defects.
The offensive tackle is matching all donations up to $20,000 made to the Children’s Heart Foundation through the event and campaign.
“It means a lot to me just because of the heart condition I did have back when I was 16. That just kind of changed my life. I just want to bring awareness to that.”
The camp was at Hyde Park High School in Northwest Austin. Goosby spoke about what he hopes the young campers took away from the event.
“I think it’s just more than football. Football is a big part of what I do but it’s not who I am…I just want to show all these kids that I’m just another great guy and just someone they can look up to.”
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