Magnolia ISD trustees voted to approve the employee compensation plan, which includes raises and stipends for employees, for the 2026-27 school year at their May 12 meeting.

A closer look: Assistant Superintendent of Operations Erich Morris said during his presentation that there will be a minimum 3% pay increase for teachers with zero to 10 years of experience, with that figure going as high as 6% for teachers with 26 years or more of experience. Bus drivers, food service workers and custodians will also be receiving a $2/hour raise.

Sorting out details: The district is providing a $500 one-time retention payment for employees who are on the payroll as of Sept. 15. Morris said a prior year fund balance associated with a one-time payment from a property value audit will pay for the incentive.

NewQuest is moving ahead on a piece of The Grand at 249, a $90 million retail development planned near the intersection of Hwy. 249 and the Grand Parkway in Tomball.

The Houston-based commercial real estate firm has started construction on 163,456 square feet of junior anchor space at the development, according to a May 11 news release from NewQuest. 

The new space will house several major retailers, including Dick’s Sporting Goods, Ross Dress for Less, Burlington, Dollar Tree, Cavender’s, Petco, Sephora, Bath & Body Works and Milano Nails.

The gist: The junior anchor space makes up a little more than one-third of the 450,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space planned for The Grand at 249, according to the release.

NewQuest expects to deliver the junior anchor spaces for tenant finish-out in March 2027, with openings tentatively planned for the second quarter of 2027, per the release.

Following a crowded primary election in March, two Republican candidates will be facing each other in a runoff on May 26 for the Republican nomination for Harris County judge.

Some context: Six candidates faced off in the March Republican primary election, with Orlando Sanchez and Warren A. Howell gaining the most votes out of the group to advance to a runoff.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo formally announced in September that she will not seek reelection for a third term as judge of Texas’ largest county.

What you need to know: Early voting for the runoff election runs from May 18-22, and residents can view a sample ballot by entering information through the Harris County Clerk's Office.

Two Houston City Council alums are set to face off for the Democratic nomination for Harris County judge in the May 26 runoff election.

Some context: Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker and former council member Letitia Plummer are vying for the Democratic nomination after three candidates sought the office during the March primary election.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo formally announced in September that she will not seek reelection for a third term as judge of Texas’ largest county.

What you need to know: Early voting for the runoff election runs from May 18-22, and residents can view a sample ballot by entering information through the Harris County Clerk's Office.

Roughly 76,000 fewer students were enrolled in Texas public schools this academic year than the year prior, according to May 11 report.

The overview: The 2025-26 school year marks the second recorded enrollment drop in recent history, according to Texas Education Agency data collected since the 1987-88 academic year. The first decline happened in the 2020-21 school year, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hispanic students accounted for 81% of the enrollment loss in the 2025-26 school year, the policy research group Texas 2036 found.

The local impact: School districts across Community Impact’s coverage areas are in the process of closing and consolidating campuses, citing enrollment declines and budget shortfalls. Statewide data shows that 130 campuses have been selected for closure in the past two years.

What they're saying: “This year, we are down students, and these [drops] are somewhat more accelerated than statewide demographic trends indicated,” TEA Commissioner Mike Morath told lawmakers May 11. “We cannot tell you the precise cause of this. We just know that it has occurred.”