Magnolia ISD is moving forward with a new transportation management system to increase bus rider safety and improve bus driver productivity.

What’s happening: At its May 12 meeting, the Magnolia ISD board of trustees heard from Chief Support Services Officer Joe Dives about SMART tag and how it will enhance the overall bus-riding experience for the entire district.

Quote of note: “It benefits the students, it benefits the parents, it benefits the bus drivers, it benefits the campuses, it benefits the department of transportation itself and it benefits the district. So it's all encompassed. It's a very robust program,” Dives said.

Next steps: Dives said SMART tag’s equipment will be installed on buses in late June and early July, with the expectation that it is going to be fully operational by the first day of the 2026-27 school year. This includes special education buses and GPS on the district’s fleet vehicles.

Golf simulation lounge Birdie Central officially opened its doors to the public on May 28 according to co-owner and founder Minh Tran.

The details: As previously reported by Community Impact, the 24/7 indoor clubhouse will feature Uneekor XO2 golf simulators and private practice bays for golfers of all skill levels. 

Co-owned by Michael Coco, Birdie Central will offer memberships for regular visitors as well as social play opportunities and a dedicated event space for the community, Tran said.

Harris County Flood Control District Executive Director Tina Petersen announced her formal resignation minutes after Harris County commissioners approved a new plan in partnership with the Harris County Flood Control District and the Texas General Land Office to complete $322 million in disaster recovery and flood mitigation projects by February 2027.

The breakdown: HCFCD Assistant Director of Operations Scott Elmer said the new plan with the GLO involved getting all 11 disaster recovery projects through the current project status by the February 2027 deadline, and then rolling over the remaining phases of the projects into the flood mitigation project deadline in March 2028.

What's next: While commissioners agreed to move forward with the project plans in partnership with the GLO, they will first need to find a replacement for Petersen after her resignation. 

According to the Office of County Administration, commissioners will consider next steps for the position at the June 25 meeting while the OCA manages the department in the interim.

On June 4, a $25 million funding increase was approved for Lone Star College System’s textbook program in order to continue the services through fiscal year 2026-27.

In a nutshell: The maximum amount to be spent to fund LSCS’ textbook program’s was raised to $79.24 million total, according to June 4 meeting documents. The maximum amount was last increased by $34.24 million to about $54.24 million in December 2024 to cover the program through FY 2025-26.

In case you missed it: However, the new textbook program allotment total includes services that have been evolving at the college system since 2023, according to a June 4 presentation from Kristy Vienne, LSCS’ vice chancellor for finance and administration. The current iteration of the program, dubbed the STAR Bundle, officially launched in the fall of 2025 and:

• Automatically provides students with their required textbooks and class materials by the first day of class
• Costs $24 per credit hour enrolled, no matter the actual textbook costs

As thousands of airline passengers begin to touch down in Houston for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the George Bush Intercontinental Airport and the William P. Hobby Airport have revealed their newest amenities to meet high-volume needs, including a fully operational Terminal E at IAH and upgraded restrooms, officials said in a news release.

Two-minute impact: The Houston Airport System projects an estimated 4.5 million travelers from around the globe will land in Houston either as their destination or their connecting flight to another host city between June 12 and July 6, according to a news release.

This influx of passengers traveling through the city’s airways has prompted HAS officials to prepare accordingly with upgraded facilities and concessions, multilingual customer service and newly implemented fan activations in both of its airports.

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from this week? Check out five trending stories in the Greater Houston area from June 8-12.

1. Vegetarian restaurant Simply South to open in Katy
2. EVO Entertainment is coming to Fulshear next year
3. New and upcoming stores in The Woodlands Mall
4. Doctors on inaugural year of Houston Methodist Willowbrook’s new OB-GYN residency
5. Katy ISD will use two stadiums for future graduations

The Texas Education Agency released results June 10 from this year’s State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness end-of-course exams.

The overview: High school students who took the year-end exams this spring made gains in all subjects, TEA data shows. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said students’ academic progress was due to “focused instruction and high expectations” in the classroom.

What you need to know: Individual STAAR results are shared through the state assessment portal. Each Texas student receives a unique access code for their results. Families can find the code on the first page of their child’s report card or contact their school, according to the TEA.

Texas public school students in third through 12th grade take the exam each spring, and it is used to measure student progress and teacher performance.

What's next: The TEA is scheduled to release STAAR scores for third- through eighth-grade students June 16.