Houston ISD has seen a growing decline in student enrollment since the state took over the district in June 2023, while experienced educators are leaving the district at higher rates, according to a Jan. 15 report released by the University of Houston’s Institute for Education Policy Research & Evaluation.

The details: While HISD’s enrollment has seen a steady decline since the 2016-17 school year, the decline accelerated in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years, according to the report.

A closer look: From the 2016-17 school year to the 2022-23 school year, the district lost 26,197 students, or about 12.1% of its total student population. During that time frame, the district lost an average of roughly 2% of its students annually. From the 2022-23 to the 2023-24 school year, the district lost 13,208 students, or about 7% of the total population. During that time frame, the district lost an average of 3.5% of its students annually.

What’s next: HISD officials said they will remain focused on factors they can control, including classroom instruction.

In early January, officials with the Houston Zoo announced the start of a multiyear series of habitat upgrades and concessions improvements for the establishment's Africa sanctuary.

What's happening: The improvements are designed to enhance animal well-being and elevate the guest experience, according to a Jan. 8 news release. The key projects include:

• Significant renovation of the zoo's white rhinoceros habitat
• New features for the Masai giraffe herd
• Additional enhancements to the Shani market

• Aldine ISD
• Alvin College
• Alvin ISD
• Clear Creek ISD
• College of the Mainland
• Conroe ISD
• Cy-Fair ISD
• Friendswood ISD
• Fort Bend ISD
• Harmony Public Schools
• Houston City College
• Houston ISD
• Humble ISD
• Katy ISD
• Klein ISD
• Lamar CISD
• Lone Star College
• Magnolia ISD
• Montgomery ISD
• New Caney ISD
• Pearland ISD
• San Jacinto College
• Splendora ISD
• Spring ISD
• Tomball ISD
• University of Houston
• Willis ISD

A Harris County district judge granted an emergency court order on Jan. 26 to extend early voting in the runoff election for Texas’ 18th Congressional District after severe winter weather forced the closure of polling places Jan. 25-26.

The order requires Harris County to open all early voting locations from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Jan. 28 and from noon-7 p.m. Jan. 29 to restore the voting hours lost when polls closed due to hazardous weather conditions.

What happened: Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth announced Jan. 24 that all early voting centers would be closed Jan. 25-26 due to inclement weather. Early voting was originally slated to run Jan. 21-27 with election day Jan. 31.

What they're saying: On Jan. 25, organizations including the Texas Civil Rights Project, Houston Justice and Pure Justice announced they had filed a lawsuit to expand early voting. Both Democratic candidates, Christian D. Menefee and Amanda Edwards, said they were in support of extending early voting.

On March 3, voters in the primary election will decide who will be the Republican candidate in Texas House District 137.

The details: Robert McKenzie and Helen Zhou have filed for the Republican primary. Democratic incumbent Gene Wu is running uncontested.

Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity.

A set of permanent regulations for thousands of Texas businesses selling consumable hemp products took effect Jan. 21, after the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission adopted them one day earlier.

The overview: The latest hemp rules do not bring significant changes to the roughly 60,000 businesses under TABC oversight. They replace similar emergency rules adopted Sept. 23, prohibiting Texas alcohol retailers from selling hemp-derived THC products to customers under 21 years old.

“The key you heard today… is the effect of THC on younger folks' development—much like alcohol, the same reasons we regulate alcohol for those 21 years old [and up],” TABC chair Robert Eckels said.

Zooming in: The TABC has limited jurisdiction over the consumable hemp industry and can only require age limits and ID checks, agency leaders said. State health officials are considering more comprehensive regulations on the industry.

“The Department of State Health Services’ rules are going to be much more robust,” TABC general counsel James Person said Jan. 20. “They actually cover the products themselves: the [THC] content, the testing and whatnot."