“This is not us”: Tight-knit Uvalde, rooted in Texas history, navigates incalculable grief
Residents of this town, which is nicknamed “the Crossroads of America,” grapple with the horror of losing 21 lives. Full Story
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![UVALDE, TX-MAY 25: Community members attend a vigil at the Uvalde County Fairplex on Wednesday, May 25, 2022 in Uvalde, TX. Twenty one people were killed after a gunman after a high school student opened fire inside Robb Elementary School on Tuesday where two teachers and 19 students were killed.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
Trump and Cruz propose “hardened” one-door schoolhouses. Experts say that’s not a credible solution.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and other Republicans argue that gunmen can be stopped by locking all but one door and posting guards at schools. School officials and safety experts say that’s not realistic. Full Story
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![UVALDE, TX-MAY 25: U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz speaks to members of the media outside Robb Elementary School on Wednesday, May 25, 2022 in Uvalde, TX. Twenty one people were killed after a gunman after a high school student opened fire inside Robb Elementary School on Tuesday where two teachers and 19 students were killed.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
21 lives lost: Uvalde victims were a cross-section of a small, mostly Latino town in South Texas
Loving children and beloved educators were killed at Robb Elementary School on May 24 in the deadliest school shooting in Texas history. Full Story
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![Photographs of the 21 victims of the Uvalde Elementary School shooting.]()
Credit: Texas Tribune Staff -
Uvalde shooting pushes Texas teachers to breaking point
Tuesday’s school shooting is a tragic end to a terrible year for Texas teachers who faced two COVID-19 surges, staffing shortages, school boards fights, book bans. Full Story
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![Students learn about Martin Luther King Jr. in Rosa Ramirez's second grade class at Linder Elementary School in Austin on Jan. 14, 2022.]()
Credit: Miranda Lipton for The Texas Tribune -
Watch: Grief shattered Uvalde; it has united it, too
Uvalde is grieving the loss of 19 students and two teachers after Tuesday’s devastating shooting at a local elementary school. In this video, residents say their town will never be the same, but they will help each other through the healing process. Full Story
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![Mourners in front of a memorial at Robb Elementary School on Thursday, May 26, 2022.]()
Credit: Lauren Witte/The Texas Tribune -
Authorities took an hour to stop Uvalde gunman, raising questions about law enforcement response
Officials clarified the timeline of the shooting Thursday after giving varying accounts. They refused to answer many questions about the tactics. Full Story
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![Victor Escalon, an official with the Texas Department of Public Safety, offered additional details Thursday about the law enforcement response to a mass shooting at a Uvalde elementary school.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
Texas already “hardened” schools. It didn’t save Uvalde.
After the Uvalde mass shooting, GOP leaders are again pushing to boost school security. But similar legislation after a 2018 school shooting has fallen short of its goals, and experts said there’s no evidence such tactics work. Full Story
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![Flowers lay on the sign for Robb Elementary School on Wednesday, May 25, 2022 in Uvalde. Twenty one people were killed after a gunman after a high school student opened fire inside Robb Elementary School on Tuesday where two teachers and 19 students were killed.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for the Texas Tribune -
Uvalde has prayed for victims elsewhere. Now, mourners here pray for one another.
Bleachers of the Uvalde County Fairplex were packed with young children, families and other community members Wednesday night in a mass vigil for the victims of Tuesday’s school shooting. Full Story
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![People gather to pray during the vigil at Uvalde County Fairplex on Wednesday, May 25, 2022.]()
Credit: Lauren Witte/The Texas Tribune -
Texas has some safety requirements for public schools — but leaves most of the particulars up to education officials
Texas requires schools to have emergency plans and conduct safety drills. But a lot of decisions about safety are left to school districts and charter schools. Full Story
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![At Steele Montessori Academy, a formerly closed campus, Azeri’aha and Penelope Acuña hold hands and play during recess on April 26, 2018.
Bexar County's school districts are among the most segregated in the state, with boundary lines historically drawn to consolidate resources. San Antonio ISD is working to create more socioeconomic and racial diversity through public school choice measures.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribune -
A day after school shooting, Uvalde’s tight-knit community prays, donates blood and grieves
Many in this small South Texas town of about 15,000 residents had ties to Robb Elementary, where a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers on Tuesday. A day later, residents sought to help and begin healing their community. Full Story
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![UVALDE, TX-MAY 25: Church members pray during Mass at Sacred Heart Church on Wednesday, May 25, 2022 in Uvalde, TX. Twenty one people were killed after a gunman after a high school student opened fire inside Robb Elementary School on Tuesday where two teachers and 19 students were killed.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
“What do we say?” Texas parents struggle with kids’ questions over Uvalde shooting
As the news of the Uvalde shooting spread through schoolyards and homerooms on Wednesday, experts advise openness when talking with kids. Full Story
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![Entrance to K-12 public school in Harrold, Texas. Harrold ISD began to arm teachers for safety in 2007.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Texas law enforcement provide some details about Uvalde school shooting, but many questions remain
The governor said the 18-year-old gunman shared each step of his rampage on Facebook, but the social media giant says they were private text messages — not public posts. Full Story
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![Police block off the road leading to the scene of a school shooting at Robb Elementary on May 24, 2022, in Uvalde.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
Texas school board association breaks from national group over letter requesting help from Biden administration
An independent investigation released last week showed the National School Board Association planned to ask the Biden administration for National Guard troops and the military to be sent to school board meetings. Full Story
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![Visitors attend a Keller ISD school board meeting in Keller on April 25, 2022.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Texas A&M board takes next step toward Fort Worth expansion
The board agreed to spend $85 million on a law and education building and another $85 million on a research and innovation center. Full Story
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![John Sharp, Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, speaks during a press conference in between an A&M Board of Regents meeting at the PalmWood event and conference center inside the Frost Tower in downtown Fort Worth, on Thursday, May 19, 2022.]()
Credit: Ben Torres for The Texas Tribune -
Texas will resume grading public schools based on students’ STAAR test results
For the first time since the pandemic, Texas schools will again be rated based on standardized tests. But for one year only, schools that receive a D or F will get a “not rated” label. Full Story
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![Students work at laptops on their desks at Chapa Middle School in Kyle on Aug. 24, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas librarians face harassment as they navigate book bans
As communities and school districts push for book bans, some Texas librarians are nearing their breaking point. Full Story
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![Suzette Baker was given a list of books to take off the shelves of Kingsland Library in Llano County. Baker refused, and she was fired.]()
Credit: Lauren Witte/The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: Grassroots conservatives in Texas are having a banner month
On this week’s episode, Matthew speaks with Karen and Brian about the energy among Texas conservatives around abortion and schools. Full Story
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![Protesters approach the Texas Capitol during the Texas Rally for Life on Jan. 22, 2022.]()
Credit: Lauren Witte/The Texas Tribune -
George P. Bush’s family name proves to be key obstacle in his race against Ken Paxton for attorney general
George P. Bush is running for attorney general as a Trump-supporting, hard-right social conservative. But voters associate his family name with the party’s moderate wing. That could hurt him in the Republican primary runoff. Full Story
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![President George W. Bush hugs his brother, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, while Jeb's son George P. Bush looks on, in Palm Beach, Florida on March 18, 2008.]()
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Conservatives’ school board victories could give Texas GOP momentum for November elections, 2023 legislative session
State Republicans say conservative wins in local school board elections on Saturday mean parents are taking a stand against “left-wing” ideologies. Full Story
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![Students line up outside the cafeteria for lunch at Linder Elementary School in Austin on Jan. 14, 2022.]()
Credit: Miranda Lipton for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott voices clear support for school voucher program
Abbott said he supports giving parents the option to attend private school “with state funding following the student.” Such measures have failed in the Legislature in the past. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a rally in Conroe on Jan. 29, 2022.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Go Nakamura