Houston ISD has seen a growing decline in student enrollment since the state took over the district in June 2023, while experienced educators are leaving the district at higher rates, according to a Jan. 15 report released by the University of Houston’s Institute for Education Policy Research & Evaluation.

The details: While HISD’s enrollment has seen a steady decline since the 2016-17 school year, the decline accelerated in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years, according to the report.

A closer look: From the 2016-17 school year to the 2022-23 school year, the district lost 26,197 students, or about 12.1% of its total student population. During that time frame, the district lost an average of roughly 2% of its students annually. From the 2022-23 to the 2023-24 school year, the district lost 13,208 students, or about 7% of the total population. During that time frame, the district lost an average of 3.5% of its students annually.

What’s next: HISD officials said they will remain focused on factors they can control, including classroom instruction.

OrangeTheory Fitness Highland Village closed its doors in December, a representative confirmed. 

What we know: The gym offered high intensity interval training group fitness classes, per the website, other locations in Houston remain open. 
According to its website, the first studio was established in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 2010. 

• 2400 Mid Lane, Houston 

• Aldine ISD
• Alvin College
• Alvin ISD
• Clear Creek ISD
• College of the Mainland
• Conroe ISD
• Cy-Fair ISD
• Friendswood ISD
• Fort Bend ISD
• Harmony Public Schools
• Houston City College
• Houston ISD
• Humble ISD
• Katy ISD
• Klein ISD
• Lamar CISD
• Lone Star College
• Magnolia ISD
• Montgomery ISD
• New Caney ISD
• Pearland ISD
• San Jacinto College
• Splendora ISD
• Spring ISD
• Tomball ISD
• University of Houston
• Willis ISD

A Harris County district judge granted an emergency court order on Jan. 26 to extend early voting in the runoff election for Texas’ 18th Congressional District after severe winter weather forced the closure of polling places Jan. 25-26.

The order requires Harris County to open all early voting locations from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Jan. 28 and from noon-7 p.m. Jan. 29 to restore the voting hours lost when polls closed due to hazardous weather conditions.

What happened: Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth announced Jan. 24 that all early voting centers would be closed Jan. 25-26 due to inclement weather. Early voting was originally slated to run Jan. 21-27 with election day Jan. 31.

What they're saying: On Jan. 25, organizations including the Texas Civil Rights Project, Houston Justice and Pure Justice announced they had filed a lawsuit to expand early voting. Both Democratic candidates, Christian D. Menefee and Amanda Edwards, said they were in support of extending early voting.

Eight candidates are vying for the Democratic nomination in the March primary election for Harris County district clerk following the announcement that Marilyn Burgess would not seek reelection to the position.

The details: Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity. Early voting runs Feb. 17-27. Election day is March 3.

What else?: To ensure that candidates are the ones defining their positions in Community Impact's voter guide, if candidates did not complete the questionnaire after multiple attempts to contact them, the website reads "candidate did not respond to questionnaire before press time." Candidates were informed of this policy.

A set of permanent regulations for thousands of Texas businesses selling consumable hemp products took effect Jan. 21, after the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission adopted them one day earlier.

The overview: The latest hemp rules do not bring significant changes to the roughly 60,000 businesses under TABC oversight. They replace similar emergency rules adopted Sept. 23, prohibiting Texas alcohol retailers from selling hemp-derived THC products to customers under 21 years old.

“The key you heard today… is the effect of THC on younger folks' development—much like alcohol, the same reasons we regulate alcohol for those 21 years old [and up],” TABC chair Robert Eckels said.

Zooming in: The TABC has limited jurisdiction over the consumable hemp industry and can only require age limits and ID checks, agency leaders said. State health officials are considering more comprehensive regulations on the industry.

“The Department of State Health Services’ rules are going to be much more robust,” TABC general counsel James Person said Jan. 20. “They actually cover the products themselves: the [THC] content, the testing and whatnot."