OSEP Staff Back to Work … For Now
Special educators, parents and other key stakeholders had raised concerns that the reduction in force would weaken federal monitoring, delay guidance and limit oversight of state compliance. About 87 percent of the department’s workforce had been furloughed during the shutdown, which slowed work on IDEA grants, dispute resolution and national data collections.
While the reopening restores agency operations, it does not settle the future of federal staffing or McMahon’s efforts to reduce the department’s role in education policy. We now wait to see how quickly the agency can resume full oversight of IDEA requirements and guidance to states, and whether any additional structural changes will follow once the next funding deadline arrives.
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Election Results Could Impact Public Education
Both amendments that increase tax exemptions for homeowners will reduce tax revenue for school districts, but both also come with built-in measures to require the state to fill the gap. This places increased responsibility on state lawmakers to fund schools. In tight budget years or in a worsened state economy, it could also mean that local school districts are less shielded from funding changes as they are more subject to the state of the Texas economy.
Across the state, voters also weighed in on school bond measures and school board trustees. In Cy-Fair ISD, voters elected three new trustees, all who ran against opponents backed by Abbott. For multiple districts across the state, including Belton, Socorro and Brownsville ISDs, voters rejected school bond packages. Some argue this is due to messaging that legislators passed record school funding during the legislative session, causing voters to feel that schools were already well-funded.
The next election, other than potential special election runoffs, is the primary election on March 3. Candidates began officially filing to run in the primary on Nov. 8, and the candidate filing period ends Dec. 8.
The primary election will include several big-ticket offices, such as governor, lieutenant governor, Texas attorney general, Texas comptroller (administers the education savings account program), U.S. Senator John Cornyn’s seat, all U.S. and Texas House seats and half of Texas Senate seats. A full list of what seats are on the ballot can be found here.
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Three Rulemaking Proposals Open for Comment
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Video surveillance of special education classrooms: The proposed changes would align the cameras rule with an updated definition under HB 2 of a special education classroom or other special education setting, as the concept of instructional arrangement will no longer apply starting with the 2026-2027 school year. The comment period is Oct. 31 - Dec. 1, 2025.
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Graduation requirements, age ranges for student eligibility, Regional Day School Programs for the Deaf (RDSPD), and Noneducational Community Based Support Services Grants: The proposed rules would align the rules with HB 2 clarifications and changes, such as the move to an entitlement funding allocation for RDSPD and changing the noneducational community based support services grant to be a parent-directed grant. Virtual public hearings on the rules will be held Nov. 18 and 21, and the comment period is Nov. 7 - Dec. 8, 2025.
Proposed rules are available on the Proposed Commissioner of Education Rules webpage, which includes a link for submitting comments, as well as some opportunities for public hearings.
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TCASE Seeks Clarity on Screening Rules
In its comments, TCASE:
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Asked for clarity on the interaction of required screenings with new parental consent rights under Senate Bill (SB) 12;
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Asked for clarity regarding more frequent biological calibration checks for equipment; and
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Agreed with proposed changes in the rules that would allow for delayed re-screenings when a child fails due to cold, congestion or fluid buildup in the ears.
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Abbott Proposes End to School Property Tax
This signals a potential major policy shift since public education funding in Texas relies heavily on local property taxes, eliminating that revenue stream would require replacing it with state funds or significantly changing how schools are financed.
The measure will likely prompt legislative action and local budgeting changes, meaning district budgets, staffing decisions and capital-project plans could all be impacted depending on how and when the change would be implemented. Right now, the proposal is short on detail.
More information regarding the plan can be found here. The full press release can be found here.
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Texas Vacancies Need State Strategy, Report Says
The report highlights three major findings. First, leaving the profession is only part of the issue. Many special education teachers move to general education roles rather than leaving teaching altogether. That trend matters because dual-certified teachers who exit special education early contribute to shortages.
Second, the context of each state matters. Some states see higher turnover in high-poverty or urban schools, while others show patterns in rural areas. Texas is different because turnover is high across the board.
Third, policy responses must be customized. The report says Texas and Virginia might need universal workforce interventions, while other states could target specific settings.
For Texas, where special education enrollment continues to rise and budgets are tight, the findings underscore the need for statewide strategies to stabilize the workforce.
The SPARC Center is a five-year special education research and development center funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) and managed by AIR.
The center created a fact sheet that presents key findings aimed at state education leaders and policymakers.