From a districtwide cell phone ban to new attendance boundaries, here are the most-read stories in 2025 regarding Conroe ISD as reported by Community Impact.

Conroe ISD approves districtwide ban on student cellphone use during school day
Conroe ISD’s board of trustees unanimously approved updated district cellphone policies at its regular meeting June 17. The approval means students’ personal communication devices, such as cellphones and smartwatches, must stay turned off and put away during the school day.

Conroe ISD moves forward with attendance boundary process for new elementary schools
The Conroe ISD board of trustees approved attendance zones for Eissler Elementary School and Mittie J. Campbell Elementary School, which opened in August, at the Jan. 23 meeting. Construction for both schools is funded through the $1.9 billion 2023 school bond approved by voters.

The Players Theatre Company, which puts on productions at the Owen Theatre in Conroe, has been designated a replica chapter of The Penguin Project and will put on a production of “Annie, Jr.” in the spring for actors with disabilities, per a Dec. 30 news release.

The Penguin Project is a program that provides children with disabilities ages 8-21 the opportunity to explore theater and acting through a modified version of Broadway shows.

More details: As part of the program, each actor will be paired with a peer mentor who provides support throughout rehearsals and the shows. The “Annie Jr.” performances will take place May 22-24 at The Owen Theatre, according to the release. 

What else: Rehearsals for “Annie Jr.” will begin in January on Thursday evenings, and registration is now open for actors and peer mentors, according to the release. There is no cost to participate.

Before you go: An informational meeting about the program and show will be held at 4:30 p.m. Jan. 8 at The Owen Theatre, 225 Metcalf St., Conroe.

FIFA World Cup 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most in-demand sporting events in the tournament's history, with over 150 million tickets requested during the Random Selection Draw ticketing phase to date. The figure represents the highest demand in FIFA World Cup history, according to a Dec. 29 news release.

Current situation: The final Random Selection Draw ticketing phase opened Dec. 11, a process that allows first-time fans to apply for single-match tickets based on who is playing whom, where and when for group stage matches.

As of Dec. 29, the draw has already garnered over 150 million ticket requests by fans from over 200 countries, bringing the FIFA World Cup 2026 oversubscribed over 30 times based on verified credit card numbers submitted with each ticket application, per the release.

Get involved: The Random Selection Draw will remain open until Jan. 13 at 10 a.m. Officials noted that the timing of a ticket request does not affect the chances of success.  

Airport passengers in the Greater Houston area who are also CLEAR members can utilize new biometric eGates aimed at expediting identity verification at both George Bush Intercontinental and Hobby airports.

Zooming out: While the security identity company CLEAR first announced the national airport partnership program rollout with the U.S. Transportation Security Administration on Aug. 19, Houston Airport officials announced in December that the biometric security gates were in use.

“With this new technology, travelers can verify their identity in under five seconds, bypassing the TSA podium and proceeding directly to physical screening,” a Dec. 9 news release states. 

The big picture: CLEAR officials said in August that the launch efforts will coincide with airports hosting international visitors flying to the U.S. for the FIFA World Cup in 2026.

What they're saying: “With more than 20 million international visitors expected to fly to the U.S. for the tournament — and domestic travel surging through U.S. host cities — checkpoint infrastructure will face unprecedented pressure,” the Aug. 19 news release states.

Missed any Community Impact articles from this week? Check out the top trending stories from Community Impact's coverage areas in Houston from Dec. 29-Jan. 2.

Lone Star College’s Academy for Lifelong Learning opens spring registration for adults 50-plus
Area residents ages 50 and older can explore everything from history and creative writing to hands-on hobbies through Lone Star College System’s Academy for Lifelong Learning, a low-cost program offering classes, activities and social connections across the system’s campuses, as stated in a Lone Star College Dec. 19 news release.

Read the story here.

333 Bar and Grill now open in Montgomery
The restaurant offers drinks and food to customers as well as live shows. The bar was the previous location of The Feed Store Grill and Bar, as previously reported by Community Impact.

Read the story here.