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A number of school bond projects are underway in Conroe ISD and Tomball ISD in The Woodlands area. Here are a few with updates as of late summer.

Grand Oaks Junior High School
Project: The new junior high school campus will be an addition to the Grand Oaks ninth-grade campus set to open in January 2027. Funded by the 2023 bond, the new campus is expected to help relieve overcrowding in the district.
Update: Building construction is progressing on schedule and furniture is being ordered for deliveries near the end of the calendar year.

Grand Oaks Ninth-Grade Campus
Project: The new ninth-grade campus will be an addition to the Grand Oaks Junior High campus set to open in August 2027. Funded by the 2023 bond, the new campus is expected to help relieve overcrowding in the district.
Update: Building construction is progressing on schedule. Furniture ordering is in progress for deliveries near the end of the calendar year with the 9th grade furnishings.

Known as a neighborhood eatery, Black Walnut was established in The Woodlands in April 2002. Today the eatery has six locations in communities including Conroe, Cinco Ranch, Memorial, Vintage Park and Rice Village.

Some context: The Woodlands location was founded on Research Forest Drive and relocated across the street in 2014, per previous Community Impact reporting. In July, the location closed for renovations and reopened on July 29 after revamping the space.

Quote of note: “More than anything, we want to say, 'Thank you.’ The Woodlands gave Black Walnut its start in 2002, and the support we’ve received from this community over the past two decades has made everything that followed possible,” Eric Lysaker, president of the Woodlands Hospitality Group, Black Walnut’s operating group, said. “The renovated restaurant represents our commitment to continuing that relationship for many years to come.”

On the menu: The eateries menu features cuisine from comfort food to salads and seasonal chef features. Black Walnut also offers a full bar as well as hand-crafted cocktails.

After four days of budget discussion, The Woodlands Township voted 6-1 on a maintenance and operations tax rate of $0.1594 per 100 valuation for fiscal year 2027. Along with the interest and sinking rate of $0.01, the total proposed tax rate of $0.1694 is lower than the township’s current $0.1714 per $100 valuation, and higher than the no-new-revenue rate of $0.1654 per $100 valuation.. The budget includes a 3% salary increase for all eligible employees, according to discussion at the meeting.

What happened: The board voted 7-0 to decrease the mounted patrol budget in the customer engagement department of $1.5 million. Director Shelley Sekula-Gibbs suggested allowing the contract between the township and Alpha & Omega Mounted Patrol to expire to provide $1.5 million to the township’s base budget. The board did not vote on the contract.

Also of note: A public hearing to adopt the FY 2027 budget and approve the tax rate will be held on Sept. 3. The Friday budget workshop meeting was cancelled according to the township’s website.

Alongside its seventh consecutive overall “A” rating from the Texas Education Agency, Tomball ISD reported an increase in individual “A” ratings across its campuses this past school year.

The breakdown: TISD has managed to maintain its seven-year-long streak of overall “A” ratings from the TEA for the A-F accountability ratings. The purpose of the ratings is to grade individual campuses and their districts as a whole based on three main criteria:

• Student achievement

• Academic growth

• Closing the gaps

TISD as a whole managed to improve its previous score in student achievement and academic growth this year, but fell behind in the “closing the gaps” category. 

Quote of note: TISD’s Superintendent Martha Salazar-Zamora said the latest “A” rating from the TEA represents the “hard work and dedication the district has taken on to support its students.”
“Earning an ‘A’ rating for the seventh consecutive time is a direct reflection of the dedication, resilience and strategic vision shared across our entire community,” Salazar-Zamora said. 

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage this week? Check out these trending stories across the northern portion of the Greater Houston area from Aug. 14-21.

1. Apple officially opens new manufacturing facility in north Houston

2. Sprouts to anchor Grand Imperial Marketplace center and 5 more businesses announced

3. Conroe approves data center regulations as officials cite interest in city

4. Montgomery County FY 2026-27 budget grows to $552.7M after workshops

5. Willis residents push for FM 1097 relief amid current congestion, future growth

6. Conroe ISD STAAR results consistently surpass state, but show decreases within district in some subjects

7. Conroe City Council keeps Flock cameras, firefighter collective bargaining off November ballot