The candidate filing period for the May 2 elections has closed, and there are several contested races taking place in both the Katy and Fulshear areas.

On the ballot: The May ballot includes multiple positions, including:

• Katy ISD board of trustees: Positions 3, 4 and 5
• Katy City Council: At Large, Ward A and Ward B
• Fulshear City Council: Districts 2, 3 and 5

School of Rock Fulshear, a performance-based music education center, is set to open its doors and kick up the jams in Fulshear.

What to expect: The 3,400-square-foot location offers both private lessons and group rehearsals, officials announced in a Feb. 13 news release.

Other features include:

• 12 rooms for lessons and rehearsals
• A student lounge
• A recording studio
• Practice space for people of all skill levels

• 6511 Skyline Drive, Ste. 100, Fulshear

Effective March 9, former U.S. Rep. Erica Lee Carter will serve as the new Harris County administrator after commissioners unanimously approved her appointment Feb. 12.

In a nutshell: Lee Carter will lead the Office of County Administration, or OCA, which oversees the day-to-day operations of the county and coordinates across its departments. She will be the first African American woman to hold the position, which was created in 2021.

Did you know? Lee Carter served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2024-2025 in a special election to Texas’ 18th Congressional District after her mother, late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, died in 2024. 

She has also overseen policy initiatives within Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis’ office for several years with a focus on economic opportunity, voting access and budget management, per a news release from the OCA.

Quote of note: “It is my commitment to work each day to make progress towards your 2050 vision and ensure the county is safe and fair, thriving, resilient, connected, healthy and secure,” Lee Carter said Feb. 12. 

An airline at George Bush Intercontinental Airport will premiere two new nonstop routes to Mexico beginning June 1.

What’s new: Volaris—which opened at IAH in 2015—will launch flight routes from Houston to Querétaro, Mexico, and Puebla, Mexico. Flights will be offered three times per week, and tickets became available for purchase Feb. 3.

Notable quote: “Houston is a key market for the airline, and these connections to Querétaro and Puebla strengthen a network designed to serve the needs of our binational communities,” Volaris Executive Vice President Holger Blankenstein said.

Some context: Volaris also offers flights from Houston to:

• Guadalajara, Mexico
• Mexico City, Mexico
• Morelia, Mexico
• San Luis Potosí, Mexico
• San Salvador, El Salvador

Thousands of students who apply for Texas’ education savings accounts will likely not be accepted into the first year of the program, application data from the state comptroller’s office shows.

What's happening: Over 101,000 students had applied for Texas Education Freedom Accounts as of Feb. 15. Applications close at 11:59 p.m. March 17.

Program funding is capped at $1 billion for the 2026-27 school year, meaning between 90,000 and 100,000 students will likely be accepted. With demand expected to outpace available funding, applications will be prioritized through a need- and income-based lottery system.

Zooming in: Over 70% of program applicants were from low- or middle-income households, according to data from the comptroller’s office. Under Senate Bill 2, the 2025 law that created the program:

• “Low-income” is defined as families with annual household incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty line, or about $66,000 for a family of four.
• “Middle-income” is defined as families with incomes at or below 500% of the federal poverty line, or about $165,000 for a family of four.