Frisco ISD launches new tuition-based pre-K program
Frisco ISD families have a new option when it comes to their child’s education before Kindergarten.
The gist: FISD announced its full-day, tuition-based pre-K program Sept. 15. Children at least 4 years of age on or before Sept. 1 are eligible for the program, district officials said. Tuition for the program is $678 per month or free for qualifying students.
Enrollment is now open for families with limited space available at select campuses.
The Walmart located at the corner of FM 423 and US 380 will be nearly 197,400 square feet, according a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation listing. The Walmart will be across FM 423 from H-E-B, which opened last August.
More notice required for public meetings under new Texas law
Cities, counties and school district boards across Texas are required to provide more notice for public meetings under a new state law aimed at increasing public participation in government affairs.
The details: Local government agencies must post meeting notices at least three business days in advance of the meeting, meaning weekends and holidays do not count toward the minimum posting period.
House Bill 1522, which became law Sept. 1, increases the notice requirement from 72 hours.
The law change is part of “an effort to promote government transparency and citizen participation,” Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, said during a May 13 legislative hearing.
The local impact: Some city and county governments across Community Impact’s coverage areas are changing their meeting schedules to comply with the new law, including:
Bastrop City Council
Conroe City Council
Fort Bend County Commissioners Court
Montgomery County Commissioners Court
The Woodlands Township
The new law does not dictate when local governments hold meetings, as long as they meet the three-day posting requirement.
8 new mobile STEM labs to visit 270 Texas school districts this school year
Education in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, may become more accessible for Texas public school students this school year.
What happened: Officials from national education nonprofit Learning Undefeated and the Texas Education Agency celebrated the opening of eight new mobile STEM labs at a Sept. 10 ribbon-cutting ceremony in Austin. The TEA-funded labs are expected to visit 270 school districts across the state in the 2025-26 school year.
Notable quote: “In an ever-changing world, access to STEM education remains critical to help prepare our students for career pathways and lifelong success,” said Alejando Delgado, TEA deputy commissioner of operations.
The overview: Learning Undefeated built eight new mobile STEM labs after receiving a $3.5 million grant from the TEA, according to Learning Defeated information. The organization opened its first mobile STEM lab in Texas in 2020.
The nine regionally-based labs will now visit elementary and middle school campuses across the state’s 20 educational service center regions. Kindergarten through eighth grade students may participate in a variety of STEM activities to learn engineering design.
