Sharyland ISD’s health insurance fund is in a $3 million deficit following a series of high claims from the last two to three months. Administration said SISD’s insurance advisor Valley Risk Consulting didn’t warn the district before the loss grew to its current level, leaving staff and the board of trustees blindsided. Trustee Maritza Venecia,…

PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO DISCUSS VANGUARD ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL’S STATE FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY RATING Vanguard Academy Charter School will hold a public hearing at 5:30PM, October 27, 2026 in the Early College High School Lecture Hall, Beethoven Secondary campus, 2215 S. Veterans Blvd., Edinburg, TX 78539 The purpose of this hearing is to…

The American Association of University Professors‑American Federation of Teachers at UTRGV issued a statement saying academic freedom and shared governance are vital to the university’s mission and that Texas Senate Bill 37 endangers those principles. The union, representing 77 faculty members and led by President Professor Fuat Firat, warned the bill expands oversight of curricula and degree programs and called for dialogue with UTRGV administration after core‑curriculum review guidelines were released.

Special services teacher Francisco Contreras Jr. faces charges of sexual assault and improper relationship with a student after confessing to a multi-month relationship, according to Starr County records.

Special education teacher Francisco Contreras Jr. faces charges of sexual assault and improper relationship with a student after confessing to a multi-month relationship, according to Starr County records.

The Edinburg School District’s School Health Advisory Council met on Wednesday to approve a wellness policy that bans the sale and consumption of high‑energy drinks and other caffeinated foods on district property. Director of Health Services Diana Davila explained that staff will confiscate or discard such items and then call parents to provide information, emphasizing education rather than in‑school suspension. The measure aims to prevent illness among middle‑and high‑school students.

Chef Celia Galindo at Gourmet Central by Cel in Brownsville taught a new recipe to the Port Isabel ISD culinary arts team after the World Food Championships in Indianapolis asked team captain Gulmaro Alvarez to compete individually. The team, which won first place at the Texas Food Championships on Oct. 5 in Corpus Christi, is now preparing for the Indianapolis competition and hopes to finish in the top three.

McAllen High School senior Addison Humphreys manages an autoimmune diagnosis while excelling in rodeo, founding Books 2 Borders to donate thousands of books to Reynosa, and preparing for a pre-med track at Rice University.

La Joya ISD received over $350,000 from the Texas Workforce Commission to build a new HVAC training lab in partnership with South Texas College.

Regina Susana Hernandez, a junior at Roma High School, became the first Roma ISD student chosen for the fully funded STARS at MIT Fly‑In Program, one of 23 selected nationwide from over 8,000 applicants. The three‑day program in Boston included campus tours and engineering workshops, and after returning to Roma she is organizing a group to assist other local students in applying.

Governor Greg Abbott announced that the Texas Workforce Commission will award more than $20 million in 84 Jobs and Education for Texans grants to public junior, state and technical colleges, school districts and open‑enrollment charter schools across Texas. The funds will purchase equipment to start or improve career‑technical education, enabling over 7,400 students to be trained, including local programs for nurses, automotive technicians and HVAC mechanics.

The Sharyland High School gymnasium is finally getting a new chiller system after the district postponed the project for years due to insufficient funding. ​ The Sharyland ISD Board of Trustees approved the replacement chiller at an estimated cost of $400,000, which authorizes administration to obtain pricing and proceed with the purchase. ​ Administration originally…

The Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District Board of Trustees voted 4-3 last week to end a board member’s ban from attending meetings in-person that’s lasted over a year. Trustee Cynthia Gutierrez has been prohibited from attending school board meetings in-person since June of 2025, when her fellow board members censured her and banned her…

MERCEDES, Texas (ValleyCentral) — CBS Rio Grande Valley is honoring teachers across the Valley who are committed to academic excellence with the Golden Apple Award. To kick off the series this school year, our Marco Ramirez visited Mercedes High School to surprise a teacher preparing her students for the real world. Monica Escamilla has been [...]

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The McAllen Independent School District released a statement Sunday night about a video that went viral on social media involving students. The statement says the "district takes allegations of student misconduct seriously and is addressing the matter through the appropriate administrative procedures." The district asks the community to respect the privacy [...]

The Sharyland High School gymnasium is finally getting a new chiller system after the district postponed the project for years due to insufficient funding. The Sharyland ISD Board of Trustees approved the replacement chiller at an estimated cost of $400,000, which authorizes administration to obtain pricing and proceed with the purchase. Administration originally planned to…

This article originally ran in the Sept. 11, 2026 issue of the Progress Times. The Sharyland ISD dress code is once again a topic of discussion following a school board meeting where students asked the trustees to approve shorts at the secondary level. SISD’s dress code states that students from seventh to 12th grade cannot…

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — "Bandtober" is in full effect. If you’re not familiar, October is peak marching band competition season. This month, marching band students, directors and band parents will eat, sleep and breathe all things marching band every weekend for the entire month. On Saturday, Oct. 10, two competitions are scheduled in the Rio [...]

RGV LEAD and the Rio Grande Valley Builders Association signed a memorandum to launch the Architecture and Construction Supply Chain Initiative, which will connect students with the Valley's construction industry in the 2026‑27 academic year. The program includes site visits, internships and will begin in October, extending through May of the following year. The fact that most interests residents is the October start.

The school board approved by a 4-3 vote a three-year contract for new superintendent Angela Domínguez, with an annual salary of $335,000, while the debate focused on the serious $15 million budget deficit and other financial problems facing the district.