With almost 35,000 students leaving Houston ISD from the 2016-17 school year to the 2024-25 school year, enrollment losses
have been a persistent problem, local stakeholders said.

The overview: Enrollment loss played a large part in why HISD leaders recommended the district’s board of managers close 12 schools in June, Superintendent Mike Miles said during the district’s Feb. 26 special meeting. The same day, HISD’s board of managers unanimously voted to close the schools—a choice district leaders said will save HISD between $14.6 million and $20 million.

Zooming in: Enrollment loss has been steady at HISD for years. However, a growing number of students have been leaving the district since Courtney Isaak Pichon, CEO of area education nonprofit Good Reason Houston, said the decline is not a problem unique to HISD as most large urban school districts are seeing a decline in enrollment.

The cost: Besides enrollment loss, Miles said one of the biggest factors in the district’s decision was the increasing cost of maintenance at most of the schools proposed for closure.

Established in 1951, Rebecca and Dean Richardson founded The Women’s Institute of Houston, a nonprofit organization for women who “couldn’t really go out.” 

“They were at home staying with the kids, and they didn't really have the opportunities to get out and do all these classes or socialize,” Communications Director Wendy Tull said. “So, a woman in River Oaks just decided that she'd had enough, and she started her own lecture luncheons and just invited some friends, and it grew from there.”

The framework: Over time, the institute grew to offer a diverse range of classes to both genders. Classes typically see about 20-25 attendees and can cover almost any topic, including literature, history, religion and philosophy.

Going forward: At the institute, the participants tend to be those who have recently retired or are looking to keep their brains sharp, Hill said. However, Hill and Tull are looking for ways to bring in a younger demographic as well.

• 2202 Avalon Place, Houston

Houston residents within District C boundaries will head to the polls May 16 to vote between two candidates to replace council member Abbie Kamin on the Houston City Council until January 2028.

What you need to know: The city of Houston held a special election April 4 to fill a vacancy in the office of council member, District C. However, no candidate received a majority of the vote at the special election, triggering a runoff.

Mayor John Whitmire announced April 10 that election day will be May 16, with early voting from April 29 to May 12.

Some context: Candidates Joseph Panzarella and Nick Hellyar advanced to the runoff after receiving 33.34% and 22.54% of the votes, respectively.

Panzarella is president of the Freedmen's Town Superneighborhood and works in renewable energy as a developer managing multimillion-dollar projects. Hellyar is a real estate broker, small-business owner and staffer at Houston City Hall.

St. Luke’s Health has awarded $1.01 million in philanthropic grants to 19 nonprofits in the Greater Houston area, according to an April 6 news release. The grants are intended to address health disparities and enhance the well-being of underserved populations, according to the news release.

What we know: The grants are a part of the CommonSpirit Health Community Health Improvement Grants program.
According to a news release, the program will:

• Improve community health

• Advance health equity

• Enhance local services through charitable contributions

The impact: Participating nonprofits applied to receive grant funding to cover issues found within St. Luke’s community health needs assessments.
Needs include:

• Improving access to care

• Behavioral health

• Chronic disease

• Food security

• Preventative practices

• Social determinants of health

What they're saying: The local initiative by St. Luke’s is a part of a larger effort by CommonSpirit Health, which has awarded $15 million to 329 organizations nationwide, according to the release.

Nearly eight months after a Democratic walkout over congressional redistricting, a GOP-led Texas House committee moved to charge 52 of their Democratic colleagues up to $8,354.25 each in fines.

What happened: After six hours behind closed doors, the House Administration Committee approved the fines in a brief public session April 10. The panel's six Republicans voted to impose the fines, while the five Democrats voted against them.

The background: Over 50 House Democrats left the state in early August to fight a plan to redraw Texas’ congressional boundaries. They remained out of Texas for two weeks, impeding the progress of legislation during two special legislative sessions, although the congressional map and more than a dozen other bills ultimately passed after the Democrats returned to Austin.

Something to note: The fines were reduced by $1,000 per person to reflect two days when the House was not in session, lawmakers said. Some Democrats were also charged lower amounts because they did not participate in the full two-week walkout or their absences were partially excused.