New timelines, project completions: Alvin ISD officials provide update on 2024 bond
New updates—including project timelines for the Walt Disney Elementary and Stevenson Primary replacement campus—were presented to Alvin ISD’s board of trustees at its Sept. 9 meeting.
The update: Relating to the bond, the district took on security vestibule projects and completed them at the following campuses:
RISE Academy
Alvin Junior High
Shirley Dill Brothers Elementary
Bel Nafegar Sanchez Elementary
Mary Burks Marek Elementary
Don Jeter Elementary
Hood-Case Elementary
Melba Passmore Elementary
These new vestibules will require visitors to enter a separate entryway, present a form of identification and state their reason for being at the school through a transaction window with a receptionist. Then they will be allowed to be buzzed into the front office or the school area, AISD’s Deputy Superintendent of Operations Rory Gesch said.
The timeline: Another upcoming project will be the replacement campus for Walt Disney Elementary and Stevenson Primary.
Gesch said the board will see the replacement campus design in November, with construction starting in July 2026 and opening in August 2028.
Pearland ISD’s board of trustees approved at its Sept. 9 meeting two new additional personnel positions to maintain classroom ratios and meet the needs of students in specialized programs.
The overview: One position will be for the Pearland Essential and Academic Readiness Skills program, or PEARS, which provides support for students who require direct, explicit instruction on an alternative curriculum, according to the district’s website.
The new PEARS position will be at Barbara Cockrell Elementary. In total, the school has two PEARS classes with 16 students—one of whom requires one-on-one attention, documents show.
What else: The other position approved is a new resource or inclusion teacher at Silverlake Elementary.
The teacher-to-student caseload is 1:28, with eight additional students in the process of initial evaluation. This addition of students will exceed the recommended ratio, according to district documents.
The cost: The two new positions will cost the district nearly $108,000 and will come from its general fund for fiscal year 2025-26, district documents note.
Annual survey finds there are more than 3,000 homeless people in the Houston region
The Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County's annual point-in-time survey shows homelessness in the Houston area remains steady, but there has been a jump in chronic homelessness compared to last year.
Latest update: The coalition found that there were 3,325 homeless individuals in the region the night of Jan. 27, 2025, 45 more compared to last year, according to the report. Harris County was reported to have 3,000 homeless individuals, while Montgomery and Fort Bend counties were reported to have 247 and 78, respectively.
Compared to the national level, which has been climbing annually, Houston’s homeless population remains steady, due in part to a “consistent response system” to addressing homelessness, Kelly Young, the coalition’s president and CEO, told Community Impact in an interview.
Despite the stability, the region has seen a 16% increase in unsheltered homeless individuals. Young said the rise in unsheltered homelessness compared to last year is because of reduced shelter capacity in 2024.
FOODIE FRIDAY Check out these new restaurants and bars opening across the Houston area.
Local Spot has opened its doors next to Adventure Island Pool in Cross Creek Ranch.
The new venture from Eat Local Concepts, which owns several Local Table locations in the Greater Houston area, aims to provide casual fare, classic bar bites and craft cocktails as well as menu favorites from Local Table, Community Impact reported.
🌮 Tacos El Sabor Callejero now serving Mexican cuisine in Kingwood (Read more)
🆕 Missouri City gets a taste of Hong Kong with no tipping required (Read more)
😋 Margarita Jones looks to open by end of September (Read more)
🍕 Bite Pizza Co. brings South Asian fusion to Sugar Land (Read more)
Designed to remind customers of a Parisian evening or a Bordeaux tasting room, Chateau Bellecru serves a curated selection of wines from vineyards across France, according to the business’s website.
The chateau sits near the intersection of I-10 and Studemont Street, hosting wine tastings and private celebrations, among other experiences.
The menu posted online states that a selection of red and white wines is updated weekly. The wine bar also offers rosé wines and nonalcoholic options as well as a selection of appetizers, including pastries and charcuterie boards.
