In the 2026-27 school year, more Houston ISD schools could gain freedom to customize curriculum, scheduling, budgeting, staffing and more under a new management framework that Superintendent Mike Miles presented to the district’s board of managers April 9.

The gist: HISD has used a New Education System, or NES model, at 130 low-performing campuses since officials appointed by the Texas Education Agency took over the district in 2023. While teachers at NES campuses are required to adhere to a district-approved curriculum and instructional model, they have access to additional resources, including regular coaching, teacher apprentices and support staff, Miles said in August.

What's happening: During the board of managers’ April 9 regular meeting, Miles presented a new five-level framework for managing schools in the district, based on how well a campus performs with the TEA’s A-F accountability ratings. The new framework would allow schools to have more control over campus operations, depending on their scores.

Houston TranStar leverages the resources of multiple agencies to provide transportation and emergency management services to the Greater Houston area.

About the company: The entity is made up of partnerships from the city of Houston, Harris County, the Metropolitan Authority of Harris County and the Texas Department of Transportation, according to the TranStar website.

The brand opened in 1996 and its services include:

• Mitigating congestion on area roadways

• Assisting neighboring jurisdictions with traffic management

• Coordinating large-scale emergency management response

The company's goal is to improve safety and reliability, enhance emergency planning and increase public awareness.

The event: Houston TranStar and city officials convened April 15 to launch its 30th anniversary campaign, "30 Years Strong: Driving the Future of Regional Safety and Mobility," to celebrate 30 years in the community.

Houston officials approved additional funding for a mentorship program for people involved in the justice system.

The contract for the Credible Messenger Services mentorship program, in partnership with the Collective Action for Youth, has increased over time to more than $2.6 million.

What this means: The original contract was awarded in 2023 at $475,000 and increased to $2.4 million in 2024. At the April 15 City Council meeting, city officials voted to further increase the cost of the contract to $2.6 million.

Council member Tarsha Jackson said more than 125 people have gone through the program. Jackson, who brought the program to council, said they are rooted in the communities and positioned "to reach, mentor and guide young people."

“This program is not just an investment,” she said. “It is a service, and investment in people, relationships and long-term change.”

How it works: Credible Messengers are mentors who connect with youth and young adults who share similar experiences, typically those who have been impacted by the justice system. 

Harris County leaders are gearing up for a sweeping effort to expand affordable access to child care and early learning—a burdensome expense for many families.

The overview: Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia and Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones launched the initiative to tackle local concerns about education options for children under age 5. In January, their offices created the Harris County Coalition on Early Childhood Education and Care, which officials said will help shape local policy and direct state-level reform of subsidized early childhood education during Texas’ 90th legislative session.

The need: Harris County has approximately 166,000 children under age 5 who qualify for subsidized prekindergarten, according to data from county officials. However, federal funding for subsidized care only goes so far.

At least 30,000 eligible children in Harris County are on a waitlist for subsidized care, the data shows, meaning some families must wait over a year for scholarships. 

Another detail: Gov. Greg Abbott announced a Task Force on Early Childhood Education in January, indicating aligned policy goals between Harris County and the state.

Texas retailers can resume selling smokable hemp products after a Travis County judge temporarily blocked some of the state’s sweeping new regulations on the hemp industry.

The background: On March 31, the state health department enacted rules changing how THC content is measured in consumable hemp, which industry experts said effectively outlawed most smokable hemp products.

The Texas Hemp Business Council, a federal hemp industry group, and several local hemp companies sued the state April 8, arguing that the state health department does not have the authority to reclassify legal THC levels. State officials have defended the rules, saying they are in line with a September executive order by Gov. Greg Abbott, who at the time called for stricter oversight of the multibillion-dollar hemp industry.

The latest: Travis County District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble sided with the hemp industry in an April 10 ruling, directing the state not to enforce the new THC testing requirement and a restriction on the transportation of hemp products between states. An additional hearing is scheduled for April 23.