Southlake's Carroll ISD is fighting with the Biden administration again — and the district's LGBTQ+ students are caught in the middle.

Why it matters: The affluent Tarrant County district has been at the center of school culture wars for years, clashing with Democratic administrations over policies around gender identity, race, books and Title IX.

State of play: Current and former Southlake parents say they're concerned the district could be creating a hostile environment for LBGTQ+ students, per a new Texas Monthly story.

• "Southlake has this martyr complex, and they want to be the one perceived as battling against this woke Department of Education," former Southlake parent Pam Francis, whose daughter is queer, told the magazine.
• One student said she has toned down her queerness while in school, avoiding public displays of affection with her girlfriend and obscuring details in class assignments to not give away her orientation.
• "It's just easier when you're not openly queer in this district," she told Texas Monthly.

The other side: District officials didn't respond to a request for comment.

Context: Carroll ISD teachers don't have to use students' preferred pronouns, and students must use bathrooms and locker rooms aligned with their gender assigned at birth.

• The district was the first in 30 years to leave the Texas Association of School Boards last year, saying it opposed the association's diversity and inclusion policies, per Texas Monthly.
• The Department of Education determined in May that the district violated students' civil rights in four cases tied to sexual orientation and race.
• Shortly after, the district sued the Department of Education over its plan to boost Title X protections for LGBTQ+ students.

Between the lines: A conservative Christian group representing the district pro bono in the Title IX lawsuit was also part of the case that overturned Roe v. Wade.

What's next: The Carroll ISD lawsuit against the Title IX changes could go to federal trial in the coming months, per Texas Monthly.

A growing number of Dallas-Fort Worth parents have been opting out of vaccines for religious or personal reasons.

Why it matters: While official data lags, public health experts tell Axios anecdotal reports suggest vaccination rates continue to fall, leaving the population more vulnerable to outbreaks.

Zoom in: About 3.5% of Texas kindergartners had vaccine exemptions in the 2022-23 school year, more than the national median of 3.3%, per the CDC.

• In Dallas County, 2.6% of kindergarteners in 2022-23 were exempted from vaccines for religious or personal beliefs, compared to 0.84% in 2013-14, per state health department data.
• In Tarrant County, exemptions increased from 1.5% in 2013-14 to 4.4% in 2022-23.

How it works: Texas grants exemptions if a vaccine isn't safe for the student, the student is in the military or the student's religious or personal beliefs oppose immunization.

• A parent or legal guardian can request an affidavit to ask for an exemption from required vaccines.

Threat level: Parents aren't just opting out of well-known childhood shots against measles, mumps and rubella known as MMR. They're also turning down vaccines against whooping cough, chicken pox, meningitis and the flu, Tom Lacy of Nemours Children's Health says.

• A 95% vaccination rate is needed to maintain herd immunity against a disease like measles, Lacy says.

Yes, but: It's not just hesitancy — "a perfect storm" of factors like physician shortages and pharmacy closures are putting a drag on vaccination rates, says FarmboxRx CEO Ashley Tyrner.

What's next: New COVID-19 vaccine boosters are being rolled out to local pharmacies.

If you're planning to visit Marfa, there's a new historical marker for you to check out.

• A former segregated school for Mexican American students in the West Texas town is now a national historic site.

Why it matters: The Blackwell School in Marfa is only the second national historic site in the country dedicated to modern Latino history and explores a chapter of our American story that many people don't know about, says Kyle Groetzinger of the National Parks Conservation Association.

Catch up quick: President Joe Biden signed the Blackwell School National Historic Site Act in 2022, but the government was waiting for a land transfer to formally take over two of the school's buildings.

• The transfer was completed this summer.

Flashback: The adobe building opened in 1909 and served Mexican American students who were barred from attending the town's white-only school.

• Former students later recalled the emotional abuse and discrimination they suffered at the Blackwell School.
• The school shut down in 1965, and many of its buildings were razed.

Memorabilia and panels

❌ Texas will no longer allow transgender individuals to change the sex listed on their birth certificate to match their gender identity. (KUT)

⚾️ Olympic Gold medalist Hezly Rivera will throw the first pitch when the Texas Rangers play the New York Yankees at Globe Life Field today. (WFAA)

🛞 Continental Tire plans to build an $87 million facility in southern Fort Worth. (DMN)

We recently spent several hours at a Middle Eastern tea and coffee shop, playing board games and sipping on tea that kept us awake well past bedtime.

The intrigue: Sayfani Coffee is one of the many Yemeni shops that have popped up in Dallas-Fort Worth.

• The shop has comfy furniture, lots of pistachio-flavored options and late hours for that post-dinner chai fix.

What to order: Adeni chai, served in a kettle to share.

Where: Sayfani Yemeni Coffee, locations in Coppell and Allen.

Cost: $10.99 for the medium pot.

Pro tip: Chai is tea, and anyone who says "chai tea" should get jail time.

Six word review: Perfect blend of sweet, spices, caffeine.

😋 Have a favorite tea or coffee shop we should try? Hit reply and let us know.