Katy ISD trustees are considering an altered calendar for the 2027-28 school year following community feedback.

The favored calendar option, presented at the Jan. 12 KISD board work study meeting, would still start the school year the second Wednesday of August, but would push back the last day of school to the fourth Wednesday in May, due to the addition of a fall break from Oct. 8-12.

Zooming in: District staff administered an instructional calendar survey from Dec. 16-Jan. 6, gathering over 20,000 responses from parents, students and staff, Chief Communications Officer Andrea Grooms said.

Calendar Option C pulled in 56% of the vote, adding a holiday Feb. 21, for Presidents Day, and April 17, the day after Easter, in addition to the extended fall break. The calendar proposes that the school year run from Aug. 11 to May 24, 2027, and was the favored option by all voting groups.

What’s next: Trustees will gather more community feedback before finalizing and voting on the item at their Jan. 20 meeting.

Located in historic Old Katy, Ruizstudios Home Decor held a grand opening Dec. 6.

The overview: The newly opened store features antique, vintage and collectible items, as well as furniture, light fixtures and seasonal decor, per its website. The store posts new arrivals on social media for customers to view in advance.

• 5625 Second St., Katy

Blue Willow Bookshop opened in 1996 and is named after the china pattern, a popular design from the late 1700s that includes white and blue color waves. 

Read all about it: Located in West Houston, Blue Willow Bookshop will celebrate 30 years of business in 2026.

What they offer: The charming bookshop sells a variety of genres, including travel, true crime and thriller. The store also hosts seven different book clubs, such as the Tough Broads Out at Night Book Club and Blue Herring, a new mystery book club. 

• 14532 Memorial Drive, Houston

Some Texas film industry leaders say the state is on its way to becoming the third “media coast,” joining Los Angeles and New York as film production hubs. A recent increase in state funding is helping buoy that growth, said Chase Musslewhite, co-founder of Media for Texas, an Austin-based nonprofit that advocates for the advancement of the state’s film industry.

The details: Through 2035, $1.5 billion in state incentives will be available for movies, television shows, documentaries and related projects created in Texas.

To be eligible for the program funding under Senate Bill 22, at least 35% of a production’s cast and crew must live in Texas and at least 60% of the work must be done in-state, according to the Texas Film Commission. Grant reimbursements start at 5% and go up to 31%, depending on how much a production spends and other aspects of the project.

The local impact: After SB 22 became law Sept. 1, some local governments across Texas—including Austin, San Antonio and Houston—expanded or launched their own film incentive programs.