Prosper council tables zoning change for 374-acre housing development off Parvin Road
Plans for the 373.5-acre Prosper Oaks housing project remain on hold after Prosper Town Council voted to table a request for a zoning change. The decision comes after the Prosper Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended denying the zoning change, citing concerns about density and lot sizes.
What you need to know: Developer Toll Brothers is seeking to rezone the land from an agricultural designation to a planned development and to amend Prosper’s future land use plan to increase the western tract’s designation from medium-density to high-density residential. The proposal was first presented June 17 and was tabled twice by commissioners before their Aug. 5 denial.
What’s next? The proposed development will go before Town Council on Sept. 16.
Collin College board maintains tax rate for FY 2025-26
Collin County residents will be paying the same property tax rate to Collin College for fiscal year 2025-26.
The gist: The college’s board of trustees unanimously approved a tax rate of $0.08122 per $100 valuation during an Aug. 26 board meeting. This is the fourth year in a row the college has operated at this tax rate, according to Collin County tax records.
North Texas psychiatrist shares insights into adolescent mental health, wellness
As students return to school, North Texas Salience Health psychiatrist Dr. Shanila Shagufta said it's important for parents to look for signs of mental health challenges in children and teens.
The context: One in five adolescents experience mental health challenges—emotional, mental, or behavioral—in any given year, Shagufta said, a figure confirmed by the U.S. Center for Disease Control. Salience Health, which offers mental health treatments, has locations in Frisco, Allen, Dallas, McKinney and Plano, according to its website. A new location is planned to open in Southlake at the end of August.
Put in perspective: There are two primary diagnoses seen in adolescents—anxiety and depression—Shagufta said. A significant contributing factor to this mental health crisis is that many social interactions now occur on virtual platforms and some young people struggle to develop social skills in that setting, Shagufta said.
Amid Democratic criticism, Texas lawmakers vote to overhaul STAAR and launch new tests in 2027
Both chambers of the Texas Legislature have voted to overhaul the state’s standardized testing system, putting public school students one step closer to taking new exams in the 2027-28 school year.
The details: House Bill 8 would eliminate the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness and replace it with three shorter tests, which students would take at the beginning, middle and end of each school year.
Bill author Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado, said HB 8 would “reduce test anxiety, provide teachers with immediate feedback and create a pathway for trust in our system again." The majority of House Democrats and a few Republicans disagreed, arguing Aug. 26 that the bill would increase the amount of time students spend on exams and essentially create “another STAAR test” developed by the Texas Education Agency.
Next steps: After state senators passed HB 8 with a 21-7 vote Aug. 27, the bill returned to the House for consideration of a Senate amendment. If House lawmakers sign off on the changes, HB 8 will be sent to the governor.
