Friendswood ISD has delayed the start of the school year at Westwood Elementary after elevated mold levels were found in parts of the building, according to an Aug. 5 news release from the district.

The first day of school, originally scheduled for Aug. 18, and Kinder Camp have been postponed until further notice.

The district said it will provide another update Aug. 7, according to the release.

What you need to know: The district reported increased moisture and visible surface mold in parts of the building. In July, air and surface testing conducted by an environmental consultant found elevated mold levels but did not identify black mold.

The district is replacing the affected HVAC units, scheduling roof repairs and has hired an environmental restoration contractor to complete cleaning, mold remediation, additional testing and repairs before the campus reopens.

The city of Manvel has appointed Jaclyn George as its new assistant city manager, according to an Aug. 3 news release from the city.

Diving in deeper: George brings more than 20 years of experience in local government, legal services and public administration.

In her new role, she will oversee city operations and departments while focusing on building relationships with employees, elected officials, community partners and residents, according to the release.

At least 85,000 students will use Texas' new education savings accounts during the 2026-27 school year, an Aug. 3 report shows. Enrollment may grow as the school year kicks off and more families opt in to the program.

The overview: The Texas Education Freedom Accounts program gives families state funds to send their children to private schools or homeschool them, with priority going to students with disabilities and children from low-income households.

About 24% of students participating in the TEFA program have a disability, according to state data, and 80% of participants are from low-income families.

Zooming in: The largest numbers of students participating in the program live in Texas’ largest school districts, data shows. The report lists that 3,327 participants live in Houston ISD’s boundaries, followed by 2,645 participants from Dallas ISD, 2,271 participants from Northside ISD and 2,024 participants from Fort Bend ISD.

Previous state data showed that about 43% of students selected for the program had previously attended a Texas public school, although the Aug. 3 report did not include that information.