The ATPE Governmental Relations team recaps the past week’s education news, legislative and election updates, and regulatory developments. ATPE members: Share your thoughts and ask our lobby team questions in The Rotunda on the ATPE Online Community. 

• How the government shutdown impacts public education in Texas
• Three constitutional amendments that impact public education on the November 2025 ballot
• Early voting for the Nov. 4 election begins Monday, Oct. 20
• From The Texas Tribune: Texas selects company that will help develop its school voucher program
• TEA launches new hotline to support students experiencing homelessness
• Free College Application Week to take place Oct. 13-19
• Stay in the know and take action with ATPE’s member advocacy tools

SHUTDOWN: The recent government shutdown has had wide-ranging effects across the country and forced hundreds of thousands of federal employees to stop working, including many at the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). As a result, nonessential operations within the agency have been suspended, and schools are beginning to feel the ripple effects.  

The immediate impacts will vary by district, but the longer the shutdown continues, the more serious the consequences become. Schools depending on federal cashflow to support special education, low-income students, or nutrition programs could soon face budget strain if payments are delayed. Furloughed federal staff will also create a backlog of pending reviews and grant decisions that could take months to resolve after the government reopens.  

Read more in this blog post by ATPE Lobbyist Heather Sheffield. 

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS: Texas voters will consider two property tax measures and a parental rights proposal in the Nov. 4 constitutional amendment election. 

The first proposal, Proposition 13 (SJR 2) - increased school tax exemption for homeowners, would increase the general homestead exemption for a homeowner’s primary residence from $100,000 to $140,000. The second, Proposition 11 (SJR 85) - school tax exemption for the elderly or disabled homeowners, would authorize the Legislature to raise the additional exemption for elderly and disabled homeowners from $10,000 up to $60,000. Both are designed to provide property tax relief by reducing the portion of a home’s value subject to school district taxation. 

The third amendment on the ballot, Proposition 15 (SJR 34) - codifying parental rights, would add language to the Texas Constitution affirming that parents are the primary decision-makers for their children.  

ATPE Lobbyist Heather Sheffield breaks down the ballot language on these proposed constitutional amendments in this blog post. 

EARLY VOTING: Early voting for the Nov. 4 election begins in 10 days. A special election will be held to fill the 18th Congressional District seat in the U.S. House as well as the Texas Senate District 9 seat. Texans will also vote on 17 proposed state constitutional amendments and various local offices and ballot measures, including some school board races and propositions. Here are some important dates to keep in mind leading up to Election Day: 

• Monday, Oct. 20–Friday, Oct. 31: Early voting 
• Friday, Oct. 24: Last day to apply for ballot by mail 
• Tuesday, Nov. 4: Election Day 

ODYSSEY: Finance and technology company Odyssey has been selected by the state to help design the application process, manage payments, and review complaints for Texas’ education savings account (ESA) voucher program. 

The company was founded to help administer ESAs and has helped maintain similar programs in other states. According to The Texas Tribune, Odyssey was sued in 2023 during its bid to administer Iowa’s voucher program, and an audit of Idaho’s program identified up to $180,000 in ineligible taxpayer-funded purchases. 

Read more in this article republished from The Texas Tribune. 

TEA: On Oct. 9, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) continued its steady weekly release of To the Administrator Addressed (TAA) correspondence, including guidance on Texas Education for Homeless Children and Youth (TEHCY) Support. TEA has launched a hotline and web-based intake form to facilitate support for students experiencing homelessness. 

You can view this and other TAA letters on TEA’s website.    

FREE COLLEGE APPLICATION WEEK: Free College Application Week, which was created by Senate Bill 2231 during the 89th Legislature, requires all public colleges and universities in Texas to waive admission application fees for Texas residents who apply through ApplyTexas to undergraduate programs between Oct. 13–19, 2025. Learn more on the Texas Education Agency (TEA) website. 

MEMBER ADVOCACY: Even when the Legislature’s not in session, we urge you to stay informed and engaged. Here are a few advocacy resources to check out: 

• Advocacy Central: Get in touch with your elected officials about the legislation impacting your profession.  
• Judy: Chat with ATPE’s new AI assistant for Texas educators, ready to help you with all things ATPE and all things #txed.   
• ATPE Member Advocate Program (ATPE-MAP): Enroll in ATPE-MAP to earn state-level and local-level advocacy microcredentials, as well as earn continuing professional education (CPE) credit. ATPE-MAP is included in your member benefits, so be sure to check it out today.    
• ATPE Professional Learning (PL) Portal: Three sessions from the 2025 ATPE Summit are available in the ATPE PL Portal: an HB 2 compensation overview, the ATPE lobby team’s advocacy update and the closing keynote by Jonathan Alsheimer. Log in to watch the recordings and earn 1.5 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) credit. (Jonathan Alsheimer’s appearance arranged through Gotham Artists.) 
• The Rotunda: Don’t forget, members, that you can interact with your ATPE lobby team throughout the week when you log in to the ATPE Online Community.