The current growth rate of Tomball ISD—about 1.8%—is the lowest in 12 years, Mark White, the district’s assistant superintendent of accountability, said during trustees’ Nov. 10 workshop meeting. 

White said even with that rate, the district is still adding about 1,000 students per year.

Quote of note: “Growth is still happening. Tomball’s still growing. But growth is not even when we look at the parts of our school district, the different campuses and the different grade levels,” White said.

More details: White said a housing slump is contributing to the low growth rate. According to an analysis by Redfin, a real estate brokerage, national housing turnover is at its lowest rate in decades, with just 28 out of every 1,000 homes changing hands in 2025. In Houston, according to the analysis, there were 23.3 sales per 1,000 homes in 2025, a 13% decrease compared to the 26.7 sales per 1,000 homes in 2024.   

The filing period to run for the 2026 primary elections is open through Dec. 8, according to the Texas Secretary of State.

The details: The period for candidates to file an intention to run for office opened Nov. 8, according to the Texas Secretary of State.

Montgomery County voters will see several local candidates on their ballot, as well as candidates running for state office.

One more thing: The last day to register to vote for the March 2026 primary is Feb. 2.

Suburban areas including New Caney East, Porter and West University  are leading the way in home sales growth, according to the Houston Association of Realtors’ latest Hottest Communities report for the third quarter of 2025. 

The top-ranked communities are seeing the largest increase in sales due to affordability and new construction continuing to attract buyers, according to an Oct. 27 news release. Eight of the top 10 communities reported average home prices below Houston’s overall average of $421,655.

The impact: Waller claimed the top spot for the third consecutive quarter with a 94.6% increase in home sales compared to last year. The area recorded 179 sales—more than 80% of which were new construction—with an average price of $335,255, down 13% year over year, according to the release.

The Crosby area followed with a 91.3% increase in sales, while West of the Brazos ranked third with an 86.8% jump. Hockley also made the list, seeing a 76.2% rise in transactions, per the release.

Every day for the past 25 years, at least one person has died in crashes on Texas roads. Texas officials and the families of some fatal crash victims commemorated the grim anniversary with a candlelight ceremony at the Texas Capitol on Nov. 7.

The impact: Jamie White said her 2-year-old daughter, Allie, was hit and killed by a distracted driver at Round Rock’s Old Settlers Park in September 2019.

“It only takes [a few] seconds… to kill somebody,” White said Nov. 7. “Can you imagine doing this, taking somebody's child from them, and living the rest of your life knowing that you caused that?”

Following Allie’s death, her parents launched Allie’s Way, a nonprofit aimed at ending distracted driving.

More details: TxDOT data shows that speed and impaired driving are involved in the majority of deadly crashes on Texas roads.

“These are not random events,” Texas Highway Patrol Chief Bryan Rippee said Nov. 7. “These are the results of making the wrong choices on our Texas highways."