On July 27, Tomball ISD hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the official opening of Tomball West High School. The $241 million project was funded through the passed 2021 bond project, and originally broke ground in 2022.

A new chapter: The new high school is 531,762 square feet and will host over 850 students for its inaugural class of ninth and 10th graders. The school will be adding a new grade level every year until it eventually becomes a ninth-12th grade facility in 2028-29. The district has seen a large increase in student population growth and is projected to still rise in the coming years. Tomball West High School is the third high school in Tomball ISD.

Mark Lewandowski, Tomball ISD board president, has said that the projected growth is a small part of what makes the new high school so important to the district.

“What makes Tomball remarkable is not simply how much we have grown—it is how we have grown,” Lewandowski said.

Solid Choice Flooring owner Sergio Fortanela confirmed the store's opening this July in Tomball.

Two-minute impact: Solid Choice Flooring is a wholesale warehouse that operates in the Greater Houston area. According to its website, Solid Choice offers waterproof vinyl flooring options, professional flooring installation, trim and moldings, flooring tools, moisture barrier systems and more. The company's services also apply to both commercial and residential flooring installations. 

Fortanela said he was originally attracted to opening in the Tomball area due to the fast-growing community and strong demand for flooring. 

“My goal is to create a local wholesale flooring warehouse where homeowners, contractors, builders, and property managers can find high-quality products, honest pricing, and reliable installation services all in one place,” Fortanela said.

• 12338 Spring Cypress Road, Ste. 110, Tomball

Check out several back-to-school events happening around Houston. 

McDonald's Back to School Bash
The McDonald's Back to School Bash in Katy will feature free backpack giveaways with school supplies, face painting, two bike raffles and balloon art.

• July 30, 6-8 p.m.

• Free

• 6110 N. Fry Road, Katy

Back 2 School Community Health Fair

Attendees can join Inspiring Minds Therapeutic Services for its Back 2 School Community Health Fair in which students can get their health checked before the school year kicks off, connect with local experts and grab freebies including free backpacks and school supplies.

• Aug. 1, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

• Free

• 10900 Hwy. 290, Houston

Mayor's Back 2 School & Health Fair

Presented by Shell, Mayor's Back 2 School & Health Fair is designed to help economically disadvantaged Houston area elementary school students and their families as they prepare to return to school. In addition to distributing 20,000 backpacks with school supplies, the event will feature on-site health screenings to include: dental screenings and sealants, vision screenings, mental health screenings and routine immunizations.

• Aug. 1, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.

• Free

• George R. Brown Convention Center, 1001 Avenida De Las Americas, Houston

Texas lawmakers are considering cutting a costly, decade-old tax break for the state’s booming data center industry.

The overview: Texas spends more than $1 billion annually on the sales tax exemption, and the comptroller’s office estimated in 2025 that due to the program, the state will lose about $3.2 billion in sales tax revenue over the next two years.

The Lone Star State is home to the nation’s fastest-growing data center market, and the Data Center Coalition, which advocates for the industry, has argued that the tax break program is key to maintaining that title. Senators and members of the public who spoke at a July 27 hearing disagreed.

Looking ahead: Amid a bipartisan push for more regulation of data centers, senators indicated that they intend to add more strings to the tax exemption program or eliminate it entirely.

"The question is whether or not we need to have a special session where all of us are focusing in on this," Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, said.

“We do,” Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, replied.