At its Sept. 15 regular board meeting, the Montgomery ISD board of trustees reviewed a campus improvement plan presented by Amy Busby, the assistant superintendent of student services.

Diving deeper: The plan is part of the district's Pathway to Premier initiative, which was launched in 2021 and updated in June 2024 to run until 2029. To reach its goals, the district is targeting academic achievement, school safety, finance and operations, human capital, and communication and customer service.

The district is implementing specific plans across its campuses:

• Creekside Elementary will use extra staff to identify students needing reading and math support.

• Kenan Elementary will add a 45-minute enrichment time for small-group support.

• Lincoln Elementary counselors will discuss bullying with students.

• Lake Creek High School is creating a coalition to analyze state standardized test data.

• Montgomery High School administrators are working to improve certain End-of-Course exam scores.

• Oak Hills Junior High will use small groups for targeted intervention and enrichment.

Two candidates will face off for the Texas Senate District 4 seat in the November general election.

In case you missed it: Brett Ligon and Ron Angeletti—Republican and Democratic candidates, respectively—will compete in the Nov. 3 election to represent District 4. The district covers portions of Montgomery, Chambers and Jefferson counties, according to the Texas Senate's website.

In May, Ligon and Angeletti vied for the Texas Senate District 4 seat, which was left vacant after former state Sen. Brandon Creighton chose to not run for re-election and gave up the remainder of his term to lead the Texas Tech University System, as previously reported by Community Impact. Ligon won that election and is serving the remainder of Creighton's term, which will end in January.

November's election will decide who will serve District 4 for the next four years.

What else? Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents.

Lone Star College System leaders are aiming to pay off $404 million in bond debt by approximately 2030 or 2031. To help achieve this, Kristy Vienne, the vice chancellor of administration and finance, proposed an interest and sinking tax rate of $0.0219 per $100 valuation for fiscal year 2026-27. This proposed rate would bring the outstanding bond debt balance to about $311 million.

Explained: The college system's proposed total tax rate for fiscal year 2026-27 is $0.1058 per $100 valuation, which is lower than the current rate of $0.106. While some taxpayers in the Harris Central Appraisal District are expected to see a drop in their annual property tax bill, others in the Montgomery Central Appraisal District and the San Jacinto County Appraisal District are expected to see higher bills due to increased median property values. Taxpayers could also see higher bills if:

• Their home or land value increases

• They lose a property tax exemption

• Their property value exceeds the 10% appraisal cap

Going forward: A public hearing on the proposed tax rate is scheduled for Oct. 1.

To strengthen consumer protections, the Texas Department of Insurance is asking state lawmakers to consider adjusting when new home and auto insurance rates are implemented.

What's happening: Texas currently operates under a "file-and-use" system, allowing insurance companies to begin using new rates immediately after they are filed, regardless of whether the TDI has reviewed them.

In a Sept. 14 letter detailing actions the department is taking to address Texas' high home insurance costs, Insurance Commissioner Amanda Crawford suggested that the legislature look into "adding a delay between a rate filing and its use in the market." Under the current system, if the TDI finds an issue with a new insurance rate, there is "limited" redress for affected policyholders if that rate is already in effect.

The background: Crawford's letter comes after Gov. Greg Abbott directed the TDI to take affordability-focused actions in an Aug. 24 letter.

Texans paid the nation's fourth-highest home insurance premiums at the end of 2025, according to previous Community Impact reporting.