What to Know:

• United Independent School District will launch a virtual high school program, United ConnectEd, open to all Texas students in grades 9-12 beginning in 2026.
• The district is responding to declining enrollment and competition from private schools and vouchers by expanding Early College programs and promoting open enrollment.
• Online registration for the 2026-27 school year begins Feb. 2, with options for hybrid learning and extracurricular participation for local virtual students.

What to Know:

• Texas Tech University’s grant from the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund will help build a nanotechnology cleanroom facility in Lubbock.
• The project supports advanced semiconductor research and hands-on workforce training through the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering.
• The award is part of a broader effort under the Texas CHIPS Act to expand semiconductor research and technician training statewide.

What to Know:

• The Texas Broadband Development Office awarded the funds to expand rural broadband and flood-monitoring infrastructure.
• The project will improve ISP access to LCRA’s fiber network, upgrade flood-monitoring sites and extend fiber into underserved Central Texas communities.
• This grant follows Texas’ $1.27 billion BEAD plan approval and supports dual goals of digital equity and public safety.

What to Know:

• Myers spent nearly 14 years at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
• He announced the move in a LinkedIn post, where he expressed gratitude for mentors and emphasized a continued commitment to public service.
• Myers joins DIR during a leadership transition, with Amanda Crawford appointed insurance commissioner and Tony Sauerhoff now serving as interim CIO.

What to Know:

• TxDOT’s 2026-2027 budget includes $394 million for IT modernization, cybersecurity and connected infrastructure.
• Capital funding supports facility upgrades and embedded tech to improve operations and data collection.
• Recent AI strategy shifts TxDOT from pilot projects to agencywide deployments in automation and analytics.

Oracle’s DB@ partnerships refers to initiatives in which Oracle offers its flagship database products as managed services running directly within other major cloud providers' infrastructure — AWS, Azure, & Google.

This year marked the inception of BMC Helix as an independent company. And we’re not just growing. We’re building for the future, boldly and for the long term. That’s why being recognized as a leader in The Forrester Wave™: Enterprise Service Management, Q4 2025 report is more than recognition.

Whether launching a customer-facing app or a cloud-native platform or integrating emerging technologies, effective quality assurance (QA) ensures software performs flawlessly, consistently, securely and swiftly. With AI, this strategic pillar of modern enterprises is undergoing a transformation — evolving into intelligent QA that delivers greater speed, precision and adaptability in testing.