Early drafts of Houston ISD’s fiscal year 2026-27 budget feature $46.8 million in spending cuts as the district faces about $50 million in lost revenue due to roughly 4,000 expected student enrollment losses.

The projections: HISD’s draft FY 2026-27 budget estimates a roughly $33.5 million shortfall between funding and expenses in the district’s general fund budget. The draft general fund budget boasts about $2.019 billion for revenues and about $2.052 billion for expenditures.

Breaking it down: Other highlights of the FY 2026-27 draft budget include approximately:

• $98 million in cuts to expenses, but $51.3 million in increases to expenses
• $35 million in central office cuts
• $15 million in salary increases for central office employees
• $15 million saved due to school consolidations

Construction on a new Chipotle restaurant is slated to kick off at the end of this year in Bellaire.

The details: A project filed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation on April 24 shows that construction will start on the new building Oct. 19, 2026, and wrap up by early March 2027. Details are subject to change.

The 2,400 square foot restaurant will join nearby tenants such as Subway, H-E-B and the future new Trader Joe's.

What they offer: Chipotle is a fast casual restaurant that specializes in build-your-own bowls, tacos and burritos. The menu consists of protein sources such as chicken and steak, grains, beans and toppings. Chips and drips are also available along with soft drinks and beverages.

• 5130 Bellaire Blvd., Ste. 210, Bellaire

TSA PreCheck Touchless ID is now available at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, or IAH, and William P. Hobby Airport, giving eligible travelers another way to move through security, according to an April 23 news release from Houston Airports.

What you need to know: The system "enhances security screening by using facial comparison technology to verify identity faster and more efficiently," the news release notes.

Enrolled travelers with participating airlines can move through dedicated lanes at Hobby Airport and at IAH TSA Checkpoints Terminal A-North, Terminal C-North and Terminal E.

More details: Passengers must meet the following requirements to be eligible for TSA Precheck Touchless ID:

• Have TSA PreCheck

• Have an active airline profile with a participating airline

• Upload valid passport information to their airline profile

Eligible passengers will see a TSA PreCheck Touchless ID indicator on their mobile boarding pass.

René Galvan was appointed the new CEO and president of the Houston Association of Realtors in February, as previously reported. Galvan succeeded Bob Hale, who retired Jan. 31. In an interview with Community Impact, Galvan discussed his background, what HAR does and the real estate market in the Greater Houston area. 

More details: Some of the questions asked by Community Impact include: 

• Broadly speaking, what does the Houston Association of Realtors do, and how do Realtors and buyers interact with HAR?
• When it comes to the housing market in the Greater Houston area, what trends are you seeing?
• What factors, economic or otherwise, do you see affecting the Houston housing market?

Some Texas families began learning April 22 if they were accepted to the state’s education savings account program for the 2026-27 school year, officials said.

The big picture: Over 42,600 students will receive funding notices through April 24, the state comptroller’s office announced April 22. The first awardees include low- and middle-income students with disabilities and their eligible siblings.

Families accepted to the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program will receive state funds to send their children to private school or homeschool them.

The details: The first round of awardees is set to receive about $400 million of the $1 billion allocated for the program. Up to 100,000 students are expected to qualify for the program's first year.

The comptroller's office will run a lottery the week of April 27 to determine which low-income students will be accepted based on a prioritization system.

Stay tuned: Families that do not qualify for funding will also be notified through April 24. Additional students will receive funding awards in the coming weeks, a program spokesperson said.

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from this week? Check out five trending stories in the Greater Houston area from April 20-24.

•New DPS building coming soon to League City
•Lake Conroe Dam celebrates new state historical marker
•Neighborhood Fishin' program bringing catfish, rainbow trout to local lakes
•Picos sets official closing date as owner Arnaldo Richards continues to search for new location
•Registration opens for West U summer classes