Lone Star College System will offer a new bachelor’s degree in early childhood education with an expected launch date of fall 2026 after the help of a $200,000 grant from Houston Endowment, according to an Aug. 13 news release.

The gist: The four-year degree will end in a teacher certification in elementary education, said Rebecca Saiz, LSCS executive director for the educator preparation program.

How we got here: There has been a significant rise in the number of uncertified teachers in Texas for the past five years, according to the Texas Education Agency. Saiz said LCSC hopes to help tackle the rising numbers in uncertified teachers with the new bachelor’s program.

Looking forward: The initial cohort will launch with 150 teacher candidates, pending approval by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board as well as the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, per the release.

Discovery School of Innovation will be opening a new campus for students in Pre-Kindergarten to eighth grade in August 2026, the school announced.

What to know: Discovery School of Innovation is a private school with a mission of cultivating curiosity, creativity and community, while preparing students to thrive, according to the school.

Notable quote: “This expansion marks an exciting new chapter for our school,” said Catherine Sagar, founder and director of Discovery School of Innovation. “We’ve seen incredible growth since our founding, and this campus will allow us to meet the needs of more families who share our vision that learning should be joyful, rigorous and personalized for each child.”

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Home affordability in the Houston region has remained steady, according to the October housing affordability report from the Houston Association of Realtors.

The big picture: HAR reports single-family home sales rose 3.2% year-over-year compared to October 2024.

The average home price has remained flat at $423,955, while the median price of $330,000 has declined for the seventh month in a row.

HAR states the trend indicates that the market is gradually shifting toward a more balanced level after years of rapid price growth.

On the heels of what proponents have called “historic” property tax relief, some Texas lawmakers are questioning whether the state can afford to continue increasing the tax exemptions passed in 2023 and 2025.

The big picture: Texas homeowners pay property taxes to various local entities, although lawmakers can limit how much entities increase taxes each year and provide state funding to expand tax exemptions.

Texas is spending $51 billion on property tax relief in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 alone and may be required to spend more to maintain existing tax exemptions in future bienniums, lawmakers said.

What they're saying: "We're kind of maxed out at what we can do for property tax reform, from a budget perspective," said Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, during a Nov. 20 event.

"$51 billion ongoing, it's a huge amount to continue to support. To think about doing anything more seems very fiscally irresponsible," Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, said.

The other side: Rep. Ellen Troxclair, R-Lakeway, said creating limits on local government spending would be critical to keeping Texas affordable.