ATX-ETA: Impact 8/27/2026

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Top Story

How one Central Texas school district employs uncertified teachers

Austin ISD is working to certify 464 teachers currently assigned to core classrooms who don't hold a state teaching certification, according to district documents. Statewide, 12% of teachers were uncertified in the 2024-25 school year, up from 3.8% in 2019-20, according to Texas Education Agency data.

Diving in deeper: Like nearly all Texas districts, AISD operates under a District of Innovation plan, a designation that lets districts opt out of certain state rules.
One exemption lets AISD hire uncertified teachers in math, science, English language arts and social studies for grades 7-12, and early childhood through grade 6.

The latest update: House Bill 2 is phasing out that exemption on a set schedule, and AISD has been approved to delay full compliance until 2029-30.
Under its own delay application, the district has set a target of certifying an average of 85 to 90 core-subject teachers per year, and plans to shrink the share of uncertified new hires from 16% this year to zero by 2029-30.

Market Story

Q&A: Meet the candidates for ACC Board of Trustees, Place 1, ahead of Nov. 3 election

Voters will choose the ACC Board of Trustees, Place 1 representative on Nov. 3, with early voting running Oct. 19-30. Community Impact asked candidates in the race to answer a set of questions on their motivations, priorities, and vision for the college.

Read the full Q&A for details on each candidate's platform ahead of the general election.

Discover more.

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Election News

Q&A: Meet the candidates for ACC Board of Trustees, Place 3, ahead of Nov. 3 election

Voters will choose the ACC Board of Trustees, Place 3 representative on Nov. 3, with early voting running Oct. 19-30. Community Impact asked candidates in the race to answer a set of questions on their motivations, priorities, and vision for the college.

Read the full Q&A for details on each candidate's platform ahead of the general election.

Dive deeper.

Affecting All Texans

Texas Department of Insurance must work to reduce home insurance costs, Gov. Abbott says

The Texas Department of Insurance must take action to promote competition and “prohibit excessive or unfairly discriminatory rate setting" in the state's homeowners insurance market, Gov. Greg Abbott said Aug. 24.

The background: Texans are paying the fourth-highest home insurance premiums in the nation, Community Impact previously reported. State data shows that the average Texas home insurance premium nearly doubled from $1,791 in 2016 to $3,506 in 2025.

The details: Abbott asked the TDI to prohibit insurers from using the age of a home and homeowners' personal data when setting rates; create a task force targeting insurance fraud; study the impact of inflated insurance claims; and require insurers to consider a homeowner's participation in a roof fortification program when writing policies.

Another perspective: "Under Greg Abbott, Texas has been one of the most expensive states in the country to own and maintain a home," Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic candidate for Texas governor, said in a statement. "If Abbott really wanted to lower costs, he would have done it in the last 12 years."