The Conroe ISD board of trustees reviewed possible changes to its policy on renting school facilities to the public at its Dec. 16 meeting, but did not make a decision.

How we got here: In 2024, a rental fee schedule was approved by trustees, which established pricing for district facility rentals at a rate that allowed the district to recover costs. That same year, an online rental system was created through which the public could reserve rentals.

Policy breakdown: One of the recommendations discussed Dec. 16 was to add a provision to allow teachers to conduct private for-profit tutoring using district facilities such as a school cafeteria.

No decision was made, and the board will discuss the policy again in January.

Sam Houston State University plans to partner with Tri-County Behavioral Healthcare and Huntsville Memorial Hospital to launch a new psychiatric residency program in 2026, according to a Dec. 15 news release.

What we know: The program plans to welcome its first four residents in July and plans to train 16 residents in total at full capacity. These residents will be given faculty training, educational oversight and academic resources, according to the news release. The residency is designed to meet the needs of East Texas.

Also of note: Tri-Country Behavioral Healthcare provides services to residents with mental illnesses and intellectual/developmental disabilities, and is sponsored by the commissioners courts of Liberty, Montgomery and Walker counties, according to its website.

In their own words: “This collaboration is a critical step in expanding mental health resources by training compassionate, competent psychiatrists who are equipped to meet the growing needs of the populations we serve,” Evan Roberson, executive director of Tri-County Behavioral Health, said via news release.

In the Greater Houston area in November, single-family rental leases grew 10.2% year over year, while lease prices remained statistically flat, with a 0.4% increase to $2,244, according to the Houston Association of Realtors’ November 2025 Rental Market Update report released Dec. 17.

More details: This November, there were 3,459 leased homes, compared to 3,139 last November, according to the report. Active listings also increased, with 11,933 single-family homes available.

What they're saying: “As the year moves into its final stretch Houston renters are receiving a welcome gift in the form of more options and stable prices,” HAR Chair Shae Cottar with LPT Realty said via news release. “As interest rates continue to ease, we may see more people feel confident about making the transition from renting to buying in the new year.”

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from this week? Check out five trending stories in the Greater Houston area from Dec. 15-19.

Did you know? Grand Parkway, or State Hwy. 99, is now moving into the southeastern region, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. 

The project will extend the highway 14 miles from FM 646 in League City to south of FM 2403 in Alvin, TxDOT documents show. The expansion project is slated to start construction in 2027.

In case you missed it: Two Spring ISD schools, Link Elementary School and Dueitt Middle School, will close next school year as the district faces falling enrollment and a $13 million fiscal year 2025-26 budget shortfall, according to a Dec. 10 SISD news release. 

Check this out: From a new burger spot to a new taco truck, read six dining updates across the Greater Houston area, including restaurants that recently opened or are celebrating anniversaries, as reported by Community Impact.

Community Impact compiled important holiday travel-related information, including what to know about traffic and airport activity, gas price data, and driver safety tips ahead of the year-end travel season, which runs Dec. 20-Jan. 1.

The overview: Texans should give themselves extra time to reach their destinations the weekend before Christmas, with many travelers expected to hit the road Dec. 21-22. Congestion is also expected as some Texans return home Dec. 26, according to INRIX, a transportation data company.

Minimal traffic is expected Dec. 24-25 and Dec. 31-Jan. 1, although AAA warned in a Dec. 10 news release that unexpected delays could arise from severe weather or crashes.

For the first time, more than 8 million people nationwide are expected to take domestic flights during the year-end holidays.

More information: Texas drivers will likely pay less for gas this holiday season than in recent years, AAA fuel data shows. On average, one gallon of unleaded gas costs about $2.51 in Texas as of Dec. 18, down from $2.65 one year prior.