The Cy-Fair ISD board of trustees on Jan. 15 tabled its vote on a policy revision that would have limited those permitted to request reconsideration of instructional materials after they’ve been adopted by the district.

What happened: In a 4-3 vote, the board passed trustee Kendra Camarena’s motion to indefinitely table the decision. Trustees Justin Ray, Christine Kalmbach and Todd LeCompte voted against the delay.

More details: The policy in question dictates who can request reconsideration of CFISD’s instructional content, including library books and textbooks, after it's approved by the State Board of Education and adopted by the district.

A red-lined document shows the proposed revision would remove “any district resident” and “a student who is 18 years of age or older” from the policy’s language, narrowing the scope of public input on materials. Trustees specifically disagreed over whether to include "any district resident." 

What's next? The current language remains in effect unless a revision is adopted. It’s unclear as of press time whether trustees will revisit the proposed policy change in February. 

Local Chinese restaurant Mao Cai Hot Pot Express is now serving customers in Cypress, the business announced on social media Jan. 13.

What they offer: The new hot pot restaurant takes a fast-casual, build-your-own approach to authentic Sichuan cuisine, per its social media. Dishes served are inspired by Chengdu, China including individual hot pot bowls with broth, noodles and a variety of meats and vegetables. 

More details: Mao Cai Hot Pot Express soft opened to the community in late December and will host a grand opening Jan. 25, per the announcement. 

• 20510 West Road, Ste. 100, Cypress

Houston’s housing market returned to a more balanced pace in 2025, with single-family sales climbing and prices largely holding steady as inventory expanded, according to a year-end update from the Houston Association of Realtors. 

What this means: HAR reported total property sales in the region finished 2025 up 2.3% from 2024, while total dollar volume rose 4.5% to $42.9 billion. Single-family home sales increased 3.8% year over year, with 88,634 homes sold in 2025 compared to 85,373 in 2024. 

A key driver of the shift was more inventory, active listings climbed through the year and hit a record high of 39,490 in July, when the market reached a 5.5-month supply—the highest level since June 2012, per HAR. 

Keep in mind: As supply grew, prices moderated, according to the HAR report the median home price was essentially flat year over year at $334,990, while the average home price rose 0.9% to $426,558 in 2025.

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from this week? Check out five trending stories in the Greater Houston area from Jan. 12-16.

What you need to know: Le Labo is opening in January at Market Street in The Woodlands, officials confirmed. A mid-month opening date is anticipated at the shopping center. 

What else: The Menil Collection in Houston will temporarily close the on-campus bookstore for renovations. In a Jan. 14 news release, officials with the popular art museum announced the on-campus Menil Bookstore will undergo renovations starting in spring 2026. 

Five Republican candidates are running for a six-year term on the Texas Railroad Commission in the upcoming March 3 primary election.

The big picture: Katherine Culbert, Hawk Dunlap, Bo French, James "Jim" Matlock and Jim Wright are vying for the Republican nomination for a seat on the railroad commission. The winning Republican candidate will face Jon Rosenthal in November, and the winner of that election will begin serving on the commission in January 2027.

Rosenthal, a state representative and oilfield mechanical engineer, is running uncontested in the Democratic primary. Community Impact runs candidate Q&As for contested races only.

The context: The railroad commission regulates Texas’ oil and gas industry, according to its website, while the state's railroads are under the control of the Texas Department of Transportation and the federal government.