Montgomery County groundwater officials announced on Oct. 29 that the county is not an attractive location for new data center development. Leaders from the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District (LSGCD) explained that existing regulations protecting against the overuse of water make it unlikely for developers to target the area. The county relies mostly on groundwater for its water needs.

Key details from the LSGCD officials include:

• The district has spacing rules governing new wells that would make it difficult for data centers to win approval.
• Data centers would need cooling systems that do not tax the water system to be feasible.
• Strong regulations make the county less attractive to data centers that would cause large production damage or impacts.
• The county is investing in science to estimate how groundwater pumping will affect land subsidence by 2080.
• The county cannot rely exclusively on groundwater and uses Lake Conroe to fill the gap.

The gist: The Montgomery ISD board of trustees will vote on implementing a virtual learning pilot program at a special meeting on Nov. 2 at 6:30 p.m. at the MISD Career and Technical Education center, The DEN. The program, planned for the upcoming 2027 spring semester, aims to test virtual capabilities and bring back former virtual students who left the district. The program is for zoned MISD students, who will be included in class rankings.

Also on the agenda: Along with the scheduled vote of the virtual program, the board will discuss plans for zoning and boundary locations across the school district.

Educators, public officials and graduates from across the state gathered in Austin on Oct. 27 to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Western Governors University in Texas. The online university offers certificates, bachelor's and master's degrees, which students can complete at their own pace.

About the organization: WGU was founded in 1997 by a bipartisan group of 19 governors in Western states to provide a more affordable and flexible option for higher education. In 2011, then-Gov. Rick Perry signed an executive order making Texas an official WGU affiliate.

Since 2011, WGU in Texas has reached the following milestones:

• 38,691 total graduates

• 45,545 degrees earned

• 24,087 students currently enrolled

Quote of note: "It was definitely one of those options that was super flexible, so that kind of fit my current schedule, especially since I work full-time," 2026 WGU graduate Jacob Gomez said. "It was super convenient for me."

Looking to catch up with coverage from Community Impact? Check out these eight stories from across the North Houston area, Oct. 23-30:

• Klein Collins High School to begin $29M project in 2027

• GALLERY: IAH celebrates opening of Terminal B featuring 'football field-sized' United Club

• Jimmy Butler's cafe BIGFACE is setting up shop in Cypress

• Montgomery County commissioners vote to proceed with mounted patrol services

• QuikTrip files plans for new location on FM 1960

• Montgomery County Precinct 4 to open new park

• Local record store Sound Revolution celebrates 50 years

• More than 100,000 people cast ballots in first week of early voting in Montgomery County