HTX-CYP: Impact 10/8/2025

Cy-Fair ISD math teachers will implement new instructional materials for grades K-8 and Algebra I courses next year, following authorization from the board of trustees Oct. 6.

The details: During its regular October meeting, the board unanimously approved Accelerate Learning’s STEMscopes textbook curriculum for the 2026-27 school year, which came highly recommended by elementary and secondary math teachers across the district. The textbooks will cost approximately $7 million and be funded through the district’s current Instructional Materials Allotment, according to district staff. The materials will be used for a four-year cycle.

Some context: The decision came down to STEMscopes or state-developed curriculum, Bluebonnet Learning. Teachers volunteered to review both options over the summer and score them on a rubric. According to an Oct. 2 presentation to the board, 75% of participating teachers recommended the STEMscopes curriculum, while 25% favored Bluebonnet Learning. 

Quote of note: “Every single unit or module of [STEMscopes] has a real-world connection,” Reed Elementary teacher Holly Hamlin told the board of trustees. 

St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital announced Elizabeth Ortega is taking over as president of the Spring location in an Oct. 6 news release.

The details: The announcement follows the departure of Mario Garner, who is transitioning to a new leadership role in Arizona under the CommonSpirit Health system, which also owns St. Luke's - The Vintage Hospital. Ortega previously served as vice president of the Gulf Coast Division of HCA Healthcare and as chief executive officer of The Women's Hospital of Texas, the release states. Ortega will formally take over as president starting Oct. 13, according to the release. 

In their words: “I am honored to join St. Luke’s Health–The Vintage Hospital and work alongside such a talented team of physicians, colleagues, and leaders,” Ortega said. “This hospital has an outstanding reputation for delivering compassionate, high-quality care, and I look forward to building on that legacy while advancing growth, innovation, and community partnerships that strengthen the health of the patients and families we serve.”

The Public Utility Commission of Texas on Oct. 2 authorized CenterPoint Energy to issue a customer rate increase—totaling approximately $1.2 billion—to cover repair and recovery costs from Hurricane Beryl and two other Greater Houston storms.

The overview: The restoration costs will add about $2 per month to the average customer’s electricity bill, with the rate change expected to take effect later this year or early next year, according to an Oct. 6 statement from CenterPoint Energy. The decision allows CenterPoint to spread the cost to residential customers across 15 years, saving more than $265 million in interest charges, per the statement. 

Looking back: According to previous Community Impact reporting, more than 2.2 million customers in the Greater Houston area lost power during Hurricane Beryl in July 2024, and over 4,400 Harris County homes were damaged. The Category 1 storm led to an estimated $32 billion in losses nationwide.

Odyssey, a New York-based tech company, has been selected to manage Texas’ $1 billion education savings account program, the state comptroller’s office announced Oct. 6.

The overview: Odyssey will work with the comptroller to launch the program, deemed “Texas Education Freedom Accounts,” ahead of the 2026-27 school year. Families can begin applying for the program early next year, and those accepted will receive thousands of dollars in state funds to send their children to private school or homeschool them.

Zooming in: Odyssey will develop and manage an online platform to administer Texas’ education savings account program. State law also tasks the company with:

• Collecting applications and determining which families are accepted to the program
• Approving vendors for education-related materials and services, such as textbooks, transportation and tutoring
• Reviewing inquiries and complaints about the program
• Advertising the program and communicating with interested families