Fort Bend ISD will close seven elementary schools ahead of the 2026-27 school year.

What's happening: The closures—located in the district’s northwest/central and southeast/central areas—were approved by the FBISD board in multiple 4-3 votes at a March 9 board meeting.

The changes are a part of the district’s three-year boundary planning process due to stabilized enrollment patterns, resulting in under- and overutilized campuses across the district, Community Impact reported.

The financials: The closures come as district officials in March predicted a $38.5 million budget shortfall for the 2026-27 school year—a 46.95% growth from the $26.2 million initial shortfall projection last summer. 

District officials said they expect to save $2 million from the closures in the first year and $5 million to $7 million annually in following years. 

Looking ahead: Following the primary school boundary review, FBISD is set to begin secondary concept development in March and April. Final recommendations are expected this fall.

Republican Daniel Wong has been named the interim county judge for Fort Bend County following the suspension of sitting judge KP George.

The big picture: The temporary suspension, which was ordered April 10 by Judge Jeth Jones in the 400th Judicial District Court, is part of a civil case that alleges George violated two residents’ First Amendment rights during Commissioners Court meetings last July and September, according to court documents.

The suspension remains valid through the completion of the civil case, which is scheduled for a jury trial Sept. 28.

Also of note: However, Wesley Wittig, Fort Bend County second assistant district attorney, said the suspension is not tied to the criminal case.

Looking ahead: Wong will become the acting judge after executing a $50,000 bond as required for elected officials and temporary appointees before assuming office, per court documents.

George’s term is set to expire following the November 2026 election, when Wong and the winner of the May 26 Democratic runoff between Dexter L. McCoy and Rachelle Carter will face off.

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from this week? Check out five trending stories in the Greater Houston area from April 6-10.

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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.