Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles gave board members an overview of the results of the district’s fall 2025 staff survey during the board’s Nov. 13 meeting.

The details: Miles said the survey had a response rate of about 87%, noting it was sent out to 256 principals, 506 assistant principals and 8,495 teachers throughout the district. Overall, Miles said about 98% of principals and 82% of assistant principals believed the district was headed in the right direction.

A closer look: While Miles touted the positive responses from principals and assistant principals regarding the overall direction of the district, he said only 44% of teachers felt the district was headed in the right direction. For that same question, Miles said 35% of teachers had a neutral response and 21% said they believed the district was not headed in the right direction.

Also of note: Miles added roughly 77% of teachers also believe school leaders effectively communicate important information and 68% said they believed they receive adequate communication about district priorities and changes.

In mid-2024, PNC Bank officials announced plans to open 15 new locations across the Greater Houston area through 2028. The specific addresses for three of those planned openings were recently shared in August, with eyes set for Montgomery, east Houston and Montrose.

Latest update: The Montrose output is slated for 1002 Westheimer Road, a spot that was previously occupied by a Shake Shack that closed in late 2024.

According to a filing by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, PNC Bank is spending approximately $1.1 million to renovate the former restaurant, a process that includes installing new signage, a drive-thru ATM and an after-hours deposit box.

Renovation of the 3,222 square-foot building is slated to last through March 1, with a potential opening date in mid to late 2026.

• 1002 Westheimer Road, Houston

Jermaine Thomas will serve as judge for Harris County’s newly created fifth civil court at law starting in December after Harris County commissioners unanimously appointed Thomas at the Nov. 13 court meeting.

Quote of note: “This appointment is not just a personal milestone,” Thomas said. “It represents an opportunity to expand access to justice and strengthen the foundation of fairness that Harris County courts are built upon.”

Judges within Harris County civil courthouses see cases regarding civil matters, including eviction appeals, property disputes, personal injury suits, contract cases and small business claims, according to the court’s website.

Put in perspective: In March, Harris County commissioners requested that Texas lawmakers create five additional civil district courts by 2027 to address the county's longstanding court backlog, joining Brazoria and Fort Bend counties in similar requests as continued population and business growth occurred in the region. The last time a civil district court was created in Harris County was in the early '80s, said Lauren Reeder, Harris County District Court judge for the 234th civil court. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration on Nov. 17 lifted a flight reduction emergency order for 40 airports, including George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport.

What's happening: The FAA safety team indicated a steady decline in staff-trigger events in air traffic control facilities, such as delays and cancellations, and recommended that normal operations resume across the national airspace system, according to a Nov. 17 news release from the administration. 

According to previous Community Impact reporting, "high impact airports" such as IAH and HOU were ordered early November to cut flights by 10% in response to air traffic controller shortages due to the federal government shutdown, which ended Nov. 12. Federal employees, including air traffic controllers and some pilots, were not paid during this time.

One more detail: The FAA reported eight staffing triggers—an alert of insufficient staffing at an air control facility—Nov. 15 and only one on Nov. 16 compared to a record-high of 81 on Nov. 8, according to the release. 

Texans began receiving full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits Nov. 14, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission announced. The renewed SNAP payments came after two weeks of delays due to the 43-day federal government shutdown, which ended Nov. 12.

The overview: SNAP is a federally funded program that provides low-income individuals and families with monthly stipends to spend on groceries. The food assistance program ran out of funding Nov. 1, one month after the government shut down amid disagreements over federal health insurance subsidies.

The details: Over 3.5 million Texans receive SNAP benefits each month, according to Feeding Texas, the statewide network of food banks. Payments are issued on a rolling basis throughout each month.

“For SNAP clients who receive benefits on or after the 14th of the month, full benefits will be issued on their normal issuance date,” the HHSC website states. “SNAP clients who already received partial benefits will receive the rest of their monthly amount on or after Nov. 14.”