At its April 21 regular board meeting, the Conroe ISD board of trustees addressed the district bus fleet’s seat belt status due to Senate Bill 546, which requires district buses to be equipped with three-point seat belts. Currently, more than half of CISD buses do not meet the new safety requirements, and officials said the district does not have the funds available to replace them.

The gist: Assistant Superintendent of Operations Chris McCord delivered the breakdown of the district's current bus fleet, which is made up of 599 buses. Currently, 53%, or 320, of CISD’s buses do not meet the new three-point seat belt safety requirements. 

More details: McCord said he and his team were able to break down the costs to either buy or retrofit the 320 buses that don't have three-point seat belts.

• Retrofitting 320 buses with three-point seat belts: $10.2 million
• Buying 320 new buses with three-point seat belts: $54.09 million
• Retrofitting new buses from 2013, while also replacing 2012 or older buses: $40.8 million

On April 16, the San Jacinto River Authority dedicated a new state historical marker for Lake Conroe Dam. The new marker highlights the journey of the Lake Conroe Dam from its conception in 1968 to construction in 1973.

The full story: The official historical marker description describes the foundation of the Lake Conroe Dam. It was created by the San Jacinto River Authority, which was formed to help combat droughts and construct water supply reservoirs. In 1968, the organization agreed with the Texas Water Development Board and the city of Houston to build the Lake Conroe Dam.

Construction was completed in January 1973, and the dam was filled in October 1973. Covering over 21,000 acres of land, the Lake Conroe Dam has become a regional spot for kayaking, fishing and other recreational activities, per the historical marker.

At their respective meetings April 23, Conroe City Council and Montgomery County Commissioners Court approved an interlocal agreement with each other tied to the next stretch of the David Memorial Drive extension.

The agreement clears the way for the county to take the lead on building the final roughly 1,500 feet of roadway from the Conroe city limits to Hwy. 242.

The details: The agreement states the project is intended to improve mobility, help traffic move more smoothly and ease congestion in the area.

What they’re saying: During the Conroe City Council meeting, City Administrator Gary Scott said the arrangement was a way to move the long-discussed project forward while reducing the city’s financial responsibility.

How we got here: The David Memorial Drive extension has been in the works for years. Community Impact previously reported that the project began in September 2023 under an interlocal agreement between Shenandoah and Montgomery County, with the first phase later reaching the Conroe city limits.

Texans are expected to save millions in sales taxes on emergency supplies—everything from tarps to generators—during an annual tax holiday April 25-27.

How it works: The sales tax holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. April 24 and lasts until midnight April 27.

Texans are expected to save about $2.4 million in state and local taxes, according to the comptroller’s office. Last year, Texans saved about $2.3 million, agency spokesperson Kevin Lyons said.

According to the comptroller’s office, items qualify for the tax exemption if they are priced at:

• Less than $75 for items including household batteries, fuel containers, flashlights, smoke detectors, tarps and first aid kits

• Less than $300 for hurricane shutters and emergency ladders

• Less than $3,000 for portable generators

Some Texas families began learning April 22 if they were accepted to the state’s education savings account program for the 2026-27 school year, officials said.

The big picture: Over 42,600 students will receive funding notices through April 24, the state comptroller’s office announced April 22. The first awardees include low- and middle-income students with disabilities and their eligible siblings.

Families accepted to the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program will receive state funds to send their children to private school or homeschool them.

The details: The first round of awardees is set to receive about $400 million of the $1 billion allocated for the program. Up to 100,000 students are expected to qualify for the program's first year.

The comptroller's office will run a lottery the week of April 27 to determine which low-income students will be accepted based on a prioritization system.

Stay tuned: Families that do not qualify for funding will also be notified through April 24. Additional students will receive funding awards in the coming weeks, a program spokesperson said.