In light of expected increased health insurance costs for Houston ISD employees in the 2026-27 school year, a 4% pay raise for teachers will be proposed, district leaders said during HISD’s May 20 budget workshop.

Current situation: HISD leaders are projecting higher insurance costs due to national trends such as higher pharmacy costs and more out-of-network provider costs, said Chief of Staff Monica Zdrojewski during the HISD board of manager’s May 20 budget workshop.

Quote of note: “Collectively, these factors are creating structural pressure on our health insurance fund that must be addressed proactively. ... I do want to emphasize the fact that these are systemic health care market pressures that employers are experiencing nationally,” Zdrojewski said. “It's not isolated to HISD.”

The approach: Superintendent Mike Miles said district leaders will be proposing a 4% pay raise for teachers to help offset the added insurance costs. Zdrojewski said an hourly minimum pay for employees of $17 per hour will also be proposed.

Vince Cao, owner and founder of Pour Decisions Craft, is bringing his West Coast brand to Houston this summer.

The setup: Pour Decisions Craft has three locations across California, including its flagship store in San Jose. Now, the matcha, coffee and craft beer shop will break into the Southern market with its first location slated for the Houston Heights.

Pour Decisions Craft is a combination shop that sells coffee, matcha and craft beer all day long. Its main menu boasts signature Vietnamese and Ethiopian coffee and hand-whisked organic Japanese matcha. Some examples of specialty drink items include:

• Peanut butter latte

• Ube cream coffee

• Strawberry lychee jasmine tea

• Pandan matcha

Non-caffeinated drinks are also available, including blended Ube coconut and strawberry lychee lemonade.

Respecting the craft: Pour Decisions in Houston will also offer a variety of craft beers from local microbreweries.

"The biggest thing about us is that we are not a bar," Cao said. "No one gets drunk; we don't encourage heavy drinking. We are very family-friendly, kid-friendly and dog-friendly."

• 55 W. 19th St., Houston

Houston will receive close to $20 million in federal funding to help with security when it hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup in June.

Long story short: Houston City Council unanimously approved three agreements for security in June and July that will go directly toward security for FIFA.

One agreement approved $16.6 million for security during the three-week period of the World Cup. Another includes a $2 million reimbursement for funding the city spent on security for Fan Fest, and the third was a $1.2 million agreement between the city and Harris County to monitor for unmanned aircraft systems—or drones— through the duration of FIFA.

Fan Fest will be an event in East Downtown where people can go watch the games in public for free, according to previous reporting.

With hurricane season beginning June 1 and running through Nov. 30, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials are predicting the first below-average Atlantic hurricane season since 2015.

What you need to know: The latest NOAA forecasts are expecting residents along the Atlantic Ocean and the surrounding areas to see a less active hurricane season than normal, with a 55% chance of a below-normal season, NOAA Administrator Neil Jacobs said at a May 21 news conference.

According to predictions, the NOAA is forecasting a range of eight to 14 named storms in the Atlantic Ocean with winds of 39 mph or higher, including:

• Three to six hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or higher
• One to three major hurricanes with winds of 111 mph or higher

Texas officials released a draft of their next state water plan in April, projecting that state and local governments will need to spend $174 billion in the next 50 years to prevent a water crisis.

The details: The three-member Texas Water Development Board voted April 16 to publish an initial draft of the 2027 State Water Plan, laying out what is needed to prepare for a future “drought of record,” when water demands are highest and supplies are lowest.

The $174 billion price tag is more than twice the cost projected in Texas’ 2022 state water plan, which was $80 billion.

The context: As Texas’ population continues to grow, water restrictions and shortages are becoming more common in areas throughout the state. At the same time, major companies are moving to Texas and communities are contemplating large data center projects, with some residents expressing concerns about high water use in the already drought-prone state.

The proposed plan includes 3,000 proposed water management projects and 6,700 strategies to increase Texas' water supplies through 2080.

Catch up on Community Impact’s coverage this week with five trending Greater Houston stories from May 18-22.

1. Fort Bend County greenlights TxDOT primacy for Grand Parkway expansion

2. 8 businesses now open in Sugar Land, Missouri City

3. League City Walmart hosts grand opening following renovations

4. Conroe council reopens public comment, rolls back street closure fees after community pushback

5. Crawfish Cookoff, Sip & Shop: Check out 10 Houston-area events this weekend, May 22-24