Rhonda Mason has been named the sole finalist for superintendent of schools for Alvin ISD following a 5-2 vote by the board of trustees at its April 21 special meeting.

Mason previously served as assistant superintendent of schools at Fort Bend ISD in 2023 and currently as area superintendent at Lamar CISD in 2025.

In their own words: The search process included a review of 42 candidates for the position, trustee Brian Roberson said at the meeting.

“I’m proud of the selection I made because this individual has over 25 years of experience. This person has served in the classroom, led campuses ... overseen A-rated campuses,” Roberson said at the meeting. “I’m fully confident that this individual will do an outstanding job in the district. I welcome Dr. Rhonda Mason to be our lone finalist.”

What’s next: State law requires a 21-day waiting period before the board may consider finalizing a superintendent contract. The board will consider the contract on May 13.

Manvel has been awarded nearly $28,000 for a grant through the Houston-Galveston Area Council to fund a hazardous waste collection event, following council approval of the grant at its April 20 meeting.

The event will coincide with the city’s fall community clean-up event, though the date has not been set, Manvel’s Emergency Management Coordinator Jamie Praslicka said at the meeting.

What you need to know: While a full list of accepted materials has not yet been finalized, lithium batteries will not be accepted, but some electronics, including computers and monitors, will be eligible for disposal, Praslicka said at the meeting.

Pearland voters will get to decide whether or not to vote on Proposition B, a potential adoption of the firefighters’ civil service law for the Pearland Fire Department, in the May 2 election.

What you need to know: Proposition B is about implementing a civil service system, or Texas Governance Code 143, for the Pearland Fire Department, similar to what is already in place for the Pearland Police Department since 1982, Jason Pecknold, Pearland Professional Firefighters Association’s public information officer, said in an email April 20.

“It is designed to provide clear, consistent standards for hiring, promotions and discipline,” he said.

Also of note: This proposition does not create any new taxes or increase the city’s budget, Pecknold said. It instead formalizes processes to help ensure fairness, transparency and accountability within the department, Pecknold said.

“Essentially, it is a framework for human resources,” he said. “It creates a system where, regardless of who is in charge, the process remains the same.”

Houston City Council member Abbie Kamin will serve as Harris County attorney effective June 15 after Commissioners Court approved her appointment April 16 in a 3-2 vote.

What happened: Kamin replaces County Attorney Jonathan Fombonne, who said he will serve in the position until she takes over in June. Commissioners Court named Fombonne as the county attorney Jan. 8 after now-U.S. Rep. Christian Menefee, D-Houston, resigned from the role to run for Congress, Community Impact previously reported.

Kamin must still earn voter approval in the Nov. 3 election, where she faces Republican candidate Jacqueline Lucci Smith, the sole Republican to enter the race to serve for the rest of Menefee's county attorney term, which expires in 2028.

What they're saying: Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said she expects Kamin to garner the votes Nov. 3, but it "doesn't feel right" to appoint her to the role prematurely. Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey also said the process lacked transparency and that he could not support her appointment.

Thousands of students who live in the Greater Houston area public school boundaries are attending another district or a charter school during the 2025-26 school year, with Houston, Alief and Fort Bend ISDs seeing the highest numbers, according to Texas Education Agency data released March 5.

The overview: Community Impact reviewed TEA data from the 2025-26 school year to determine the number of students departing public school districts and where they were transferring. 

By the numbers: The data from 28 Greater Houston school districts shows the ones with the highest transfer numbers were:

• Houston ISD with 60,430 net transfers out

• Alief ISD with 10,629 net transfers out

• Fort Bend ISD with 9,197 net transfers out

• Cypress-Fairbanks ISD with 7,075 net transfers out

• Aldine ISD with 6,620 net transfers out

Also of note: The data also shows some school districts saw a net increase in enrollment from transfers in 2025-26, including Deer Park, Friendswood, Galena Park and Montgomery ISDs.