Friendswood ISD is proposing an $81.5 million bond package split into four propositions, marking its second attempt to address aging facility replacements, limited student program capacity, and safety, security and technology updates across the district.

If approved, the district’s tax rate is projected to increase by $0.0349 per $100 valuation of property value. For a home valued at $500,000, this would be $125.64 annually.

The overview: The $81.5 million bond on the May 2 ballot includes four propositions, allowing voters to approve or reject them individually.

“FISD has had one bond in the last 18 years,” FISD’s Superintendent Thad Roher said. “As the critical infrastructure continues to age, the manner in which essential projects are funded becomes a significant challenge.”

Pearland ISD’s board of trustees are scheduled to consider an amendment to the district’s District of Innovation, or DOI, plan, at its April 14 meeting that would give the district more flexibility in how library materials are selected and reviewed.

The details: The district aims to respond more efficiently to instructional needs and make greater use of librarian expertise, while shifting the board’s role from approving individual titles to setting selection policies and criteria, according to district documents.

What’s next: The board of trustees will meet at 5 p.m. April 14 at the Virgil Gant Education Support Center, located at 1928 N. Main St., Pearland.

The Harris County-Houston Sports Authority announced April 8 that the home of the Houston Rockets will receive $180 million in upgrades through fall 2027.

Mapping it out: During a presentation to the HCHSA board of directors, Gretchen Sheirr, president of business operations with the Rockets, announced significant interior and exterior changes coming to the Toyota Center, which opened in 2003.

“When you look at what has happened in those 23 years, and you think about what will happen in the next 23 years, we’re really excited about it,” Sheirr said.

Those upgrades include:

• 3,100 square feet extended main entrance with a glass facade
• New atrium upon entering the main entrance, with space for gathering
• Members lounge over the new entrance
• Expanded team store with an additional set of doors
• Standing room and general admission space for events
• Heightened suites that will raise ceilings about 18 inches for more space

Texas education officials are currently overhauling the state’s social studies curriculum standards, with policymakers, teachers, parents and historians clashing over how students should be taught about the history of Texas, the U.S. and the world.

The overview: The State Board of Education reviews standards for all curriculum areas every 15-20 years, dictating what Texas' 5.5 million public school students should learn at each grade level.

As written, the plan would reduce how much time students spend learning about world history and cultures in favor of more Texas-focused subjects. Critics of the proposal have pushed to include a more diverse set of perspectives to ensure all students feel represented in the curriculum, while those who support it said students’ education should be centered around American exceptionalism, state history and Christianity.

Next steps: The SBOE, which has the final say on the curriculum changes, was taking an initial vote on the plan as of press time and is scheduled to adopt the final standards in June. The new requirements would be rolled out to classrooms in 2030.