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Katy ISD faces $15.7M seatbelt installation costs for school buses

Katy ISD will see a $15.7 million cost to install three-point seatbelts to all school buses that do not have them, Executive Director of Transportation Paul Landis said at a May 11 board of trustees meeting.

The report—which the district will share with the Texas Education Agency—comes after lawmakers approved Texas Senate Bill 546 in 2025, which requires school districts to assess how many of their buses have three-point seatbelts and the cost to install them.

The details: Landis reported every bus bought since 2018 has three-point seatbelts, although 552—or 65.7%—of the 840 buses Katy ISD operates or contracts are not outfitted with them. Of the noncompliant buses, 227 have lap belts only while 325 have no seat belts at all.


The estimated cost to refit conventional passenger buses is $40,673, while the cost for special education buses is $15,907, per agenda documents.

Looking ahead: The bill outlines school districts have until Sept. 1, 2029, to introduce three-point seatbelts to each bus.

 
CI Business
Harvey’s Deli closes its doors in Katy after 5 years of business

Harvey’s Deli owners Ted and Tierra Tyman announced the immediate closure of the business in a May 13 social media post, citing "the struggling economy and the extreme overhead of running a small business."

What we know: Known for selling East Coast-style deli sandwiches, Harvey’s Deli opened five years ago on the Katy Freeway.

"While we are confident that God will provide for us in our next endeavor, we will mourn getting to see you on a regular basis and love on you through our food," Ted and Tierra Tyman said in the post. "Getting to serve you and build relationship with you has been the joy of the experience and we will miss it greatly."

Also of note: The statement also said the couple hopes to serve the community food again in a different setting in the future.

  • 27252 Katy Freeway, Ste. 400, Katy
 
Metro News
Houston highlights security, transit preparations for 2026 FIFA World Cup

As Houston prepares to see the first of seven matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Chris Canetti, president of the Houston Host Committee, said the city is ready for the influx of visitors expected during the tournament beginning June 14.

Quote of note: “Our greatest asset in Houston is our people,” Michael Heckman, president and CEO of Houston First Corporation, said. “And when visitors come here ... you're not just a visitor, you're one of us. And what a great message from people from all over the world that come here, that see all the languages that are spoken here, our diversity that we welcome people, not just from the United States, but from all over the world.”

The overview: On May 11, the FIFA World Cup 2026 Houston Host Committee gave updates from entities such as the Houston Host Committee, the airports, the Metropolitan Authority of Harris County, Downtown Houston, NRG representatives and FIFA Fan Festival representatives.

 

Your Weekend To-Do List

Check out these weekend events across the metro area.

Houston Greek Fest

Water Safety Festival

May 14-16, times vary
Houston

May 16, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Sugar Land

Learn more.

Learn more.

 

Bloom and Grow Market

Bikes and Bats

May 16, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Pearland

May 16, 7-9 p.m.
Houston

Learn more.

Learn more.

 
To submit your own event, click here.

CI Texas
Texas public schools lose 76K students in 1 year; enrollment declines expected to continue

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.”

 

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