On March 24, the Northside ISD board of trustees selected three new publishers for the district’s elementary and high schools math curriculum.

In a nutshell: The board chose Bluebonnet for elementary school math as well as for Algebra I, geometry and Algebra II; McGraw Hill for precalculus; and Cosenza and Associates for algebraic reasoning. The decision came after a multistep review process that combined standards from the state’s new House Bill 1605 and the district’s own local criteria.

According to the presentation, six publishers were designated as high-quality instructional materials, or HQIM, for elementary math. NISD then applied additional filters.

District staff recommended Bluebonnet for Algebra I, Algebra II and geometry to align with the elementary selection as well as for its coherent course sequence and embedded supports. The board also voted to adopt McGraw Hill for precalculus and Cosenza and Associates for algebraic reasoning because they were the only publishers who qualified through the state’s HQIM process.

Providence by the Green, a mixed-use development in Stone Oak, is nearing completion.

The big picture: The 15,800-square-foot multiuse facility will include retail, dining and event spaces. Owner Debra Morris said it will feature a community lounge and a rotating pop-up room that will highlight artisans throughout the community. The building combines an angular, minimalist design with expansive glass walls overlooking Canyon Springs Golf Course.

Morris said that the facility has one event space ready, and they are beginning to book and run community events. The new event space is estimated to be fully up and running by summer 2026. Additionally, there are four tenant spaces available for rent.

The second floor is in the bidding process and is estimated to be ready by the end of summer 2026. The third-floor event space is still in the design phase, Morris said.

Three medical cannabis businesses have been conditionally approved to participate in the Texas Compassionate Use Program, state officials announced April 1.

The big picture: The companies received conditional licenses from the Texas Department of Public Safety in an effort to expand access to medical cannabis products. Under the compassionate use program, physicians can prescribe medical-grade, low-THC products to eligible patients in partnership with licensed dispensaries.

Zooming in: Two of the three businesses given conditional licenses April 1 are affiliated with existing medical cannabis dispensaries that work in several other states. The new licensees are:

• GTI Texas, LLC (doing business as RISE Dispensaries) in West Texas
• Cresco Labs Texas, LLC in East Texas
• Texas Medica Collective, LLC in Northeast Texas