A new state law now requires Prosper ISD and Celina ISD to report educator misconduct within 48 hours. Statewide, that mandate tripled complaints to nearly 20,000 in fiscal year 2026.
The Texas Education Agency's Educator Misconduct Reporting Dashboard logged 19,766 complaints in the fiscal year ending Aug. 31, 2026, up from 6,456 the year before, Texas Scorecard first reported. The state's Do Not Hire Registry reached an all-time high of 1,070 placements, including 624 permanent and 455 temporary entries.
Prosper ISD serves more than 33,000 students across 32 campuses. Celina ISD serves 6,354 students across eight campuses and is classified by TEA as fast-growing. Both districts must comply with the law's reporting, screening and parent-notification requirements.
The surge is largely a result of Senate Bill 571, a bipartisan measure authored by state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, and signed into law in 2025. It took effect for the 2025-26 school year.
What the law changed
Under SB 571, superintendents must report misconduct allegations to TEA within 48 hours of learning about them. A superintendent who intentionally conceals an employee's criminal record or misconduct commits a felony, according to the Texas Association of School Boards.
The law broadened reportable misconduct to include boundary violations and inappropriate communications with students. It extended requirements to all school employees and contractors, not just certified teachers. Districts must now notify parents when an employee is accused of certain misconduct involving their child.
The shift showed up in the data. In fiscal year 2025, reports from the Department of Family and Protective Services and general complaints outnumbered superintendent-filed reports. In fiscal year 2026, most complaints came directly from superintendents.
Open investigations
TEA's Educator Investigations Division had 13,688 open cases as of Aug. 31, 2026, up from 5,045 a year earlier.
In-school violence accounted for more than half, with 7,288 cases under review. Sexual misconduct allegations drove 3,040 investigations, including 2,094 cases of alleged improper sexual conduct with students. TEA was also investigating 272 cases of administrators who allegedly failed to report misconduct.
Bettencourt told Texas Scorecard on Sept. 16 that parents "should not have to wonder whether someone with a history of serious sexual misconduct is being quietly moved into another classroom … or campus job."
Levi Fuller, TEA's first Inspector General for Educator Misconduct, has held the newly created position since February. Fuller has said he aims to remove school employees who harm children.
Local context
The dashboard does not break down complaints by district, so local totals are unavailable. Statewide, an average of 16 misconduct reports were filed per district.
No public statement from either Prosper ISD or Celina ISD addresses the fiscal year 2026 data.
Prosper ISD dealt with a related issue in May when its Board of Trustees said a 2022 lawsuit alleging abuse by a former bus driver had been dismissed. The board stated the district contacted law enforcement and child protective authorities immediately after learning of the allegations.
Parents can search the Do Not Hire Registry and review disciplinary action reports through TEA's Student Protection Resource Center online. The dashboard, mandated by SB 571, tracks complaints from submission through investigation and sanction.
