The Montgomery ISD board of trustees reviewed a district enrollment report and timeline for its re-boundary process. The district is reviewing enrollment growth to maximize the use of existing facilities.

The plan: Current priorities include addressing balance and overcapacity issues. Oak Hills Junior High is near capacity, and developments are impacting Keenan and Lincoln Elementary. Lonestar and Stewart Creek Elementary schools currently have space available.

Next steps: Chief of Staff Justin Marino provided a timeline for the boundary process:

• November 2026: An updated demographic report is presented, and an internal committee is formed.

• December 2026: The Long-Range Planning Committee reconvenes.

• January 2027: The community is surveyed to create guiding principles, goals and objectives.

• Spring 2027: Possible scenarios are created and community feedback is collected.

• Fall 2027: Recommendations are made to adopt new boundaries to go into effect in August 2028.

The Montgomery ISD Board of Trustees voted at a Nov. 2 special meeting to put its proposed virtual learning pilot program on hold. The district had been reviewing the pilot plan since Oct. 6 to run a virtual learning program for the upcoming spring 2027 semester.

Why now: The pilot program aimed to test virtual capabilities and bring back students who left the district for virtual options. However, board members expressed concerns regarding the spring 2027 launch date and whether surveys represented the community. District survey results showed:

• Out of 797 completed responses from a general survey, 45% were interested in a hybrid model and 78 families confirmed interest in full-time, at-home learning.
• Out of approximately 100 families who previously left the district, only six respondents showed interest for spring 2027 and five indicated interest for fall 2027.

Quote of note: "While a virtual learning option may provide meaningful opportunities for some students, we want to ensure we have thoughtfully evaluated the challenges and are prepared to deliver a program that supports strong student outcomes before moving forward," Superintendent Mark Ruffin said.

The Texas A&M University Space Institute will be celebrating its grand opening in mid-November, officials said.

What you need to know: The new facility serves as a hub for collaboration among researchers, industry leaders and government agencies working to solve challenges in space exploration while developing the workforce and technologies needed for future missions, officials said.

The cost: The project cost $200 million, which was paid for through the state’s Texas Space Commission, which was passed in the 88th Texas Legislature and allotted $350 million for space programs in Texas, including $200 million for the institute, according to documents from the university.

📍17475 Saturn Lane, Houston