At the March 16 budget workshop meeting, Tomball ISD Chief Financial Officer Zack Boles projected the district's fiscal year 2026-27 general fund revenue to be around $255 million. Boles said the audited budget for TISD in FY 2025-26 was $238.3 million; this new budget is a $16.7 million increase.

The projections: Boles’ presentation addressed not only the increased revenue compared to the 2025-26 budget but also the various issues the district will need to address in the next fiscal year. The various goals the district hopes to address with this higher budget include staff recruitment and retention, making TISD a destination district, and providing well-maintained facilities for students.

At the Capitol: TISD has received some support from the state level to address the district's funding needs. In June, the Texas 89th Legislature passed an $8.5 billion funding bill—House Bill 2. HB 2's primary focus was to help increase teacher pay, special education funding, and allotment increases, as previously reported. Boles said HB 2 generated an overall funding increase of $11.8 million for the district.

FM 1488 Animal Medical Center will celebrate its 20-year anniversary in April, owner Jess Jeffrey confirmed.

The impact: The veterinary hospital opened in 2006 with one doctor and five staff members and has since grown into a four-doctor practice with more than 20 employees, Jeffrey said. In 2018, the practice expanded its facility to add another reception area, two exam rooms, a surgical suite, a dental suite and a secondary treatment area.

The locally owned facility offers veterinary care for cats and dogs, including wellness care, dentistry, rehabilitation, and medical and surgical services.

The practice has also supported local law enforcement K9 units and student training programs, and received community recognition from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office in 2020 and the Conroe Police Department in 2023, Jeffrey said.

• 7002 FM 1488, Magnolia

The city of Houston and the U.S. Navy announced the lineup of ships for the first-ever Fleet Week Houston.

The event: Fleet Week Houston will bring U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard vessels to the Port of Houston on April 15-22. During that week, the public will have the chance to meet and engage with service members, learn about the ships' roles in national defense and take ship tours.

Participating ships include:

• USS Kearsarge (LHD-3): an assault ship designed for multi-purpose operations, including troop transport and aircraft support
• USS Minneapolis-St. Paul (LCS-21): a littoral combat ship optimized for operations in near-shore environments with high speed and agility
• USS Cooperstown (LCS-23): a littoral combat ship sharing the same advanced capabilities for coastal missions
• USCGC Edgar Culbertson (WPC-1137): a fast response cutter equipped for a range of missions, including search and rescue, law enforcement and port security

More moderate prices have led to an influx of homes hitting the market, according to the Houston Association of Realtors' February 2026 housing market update. While there was a slight decrease in home sales, buyer activity has increased across the region.

The gist: According to HAR, property sales of all types compared to February last year have dwindled by 3.3%, with 7,024 properties sold. Despite this, the number of properties listed has risen by 14.3%, with 55,710 properties now available. 

According to HAR Chief Economist Ted C. Jones, the Houston housing market has been “bottoming out” for the past several years and is now returning to pre-pandemic levels.

As it stands right now, the median price declined 0.9% year over year in February to $322,078. Homes have also been spending more time on the market this February compared to last February—the average days spent on the market for a home went from 60 to 69 days, which is the highest it’s been since March 2013, when the average time was 74 days.

In honor of Women's History Month, which runs March 1-31, here are a few women-owned businesses located in the Greater Houston area.

​​Retail Therapy
After years of responding to emergencies as an EMT, Kimberly Smith found a different way to take care of people in 2006. Smith now serves the community through a consignment store she took over 20 years ago with used brand-name clothing in Cypress.

Beyond resale, the shop extends its mission by donating clothing to a local women's shelter, turning gently worn pieces into a source of identity and fresh starts for women in need.

• 10782 Grant Road, Houston

• 2757 Rayford Road, Spring