There was a decline in home sales in the Tomball and Magnolia area year over year in May, according to market data provided by local real estate firm The Renee Leslie Group.

What you need to know: With home sales declining in three of the five Tomball- and Magnolia-area ZIP codes, total home sales year over year in May decreased 7.9%. In four of the five Tomball- and Magnolia-area ZIP codes, the median home price increased. 77362 saw the largest percentage increase of 16.74%—going from $305,980 to $357,200.

One more thing: The average time on the market decreased year over year in May in three of the five ZIP codes in the Tomball and Magnolia area. The largest percentage decrease was in 77377 at 30.53%—homes went from spending an average of 95 days on the market last May to 66 days on the market this May.

On June 27, a series of public meetings will be held regarding the Montgomery County Mobility Plan, according to its website.

The gist: Montgomery County and the Houston-Galveston Area Council are developing the countywide transportation plan, which is estimated to take around 18 months, per its website. The final plan will include a workbook for each precinct that will include recommendations and funding insights.

Get involved: There will be six pop-up events June 27 for residents to attend—three in the morning and three in the afternoon.

• 10-11:30 a.m.
  • C.K. Ray Recreation Center, 1203 Candy Cane Lane, Conroe
  • Kevin Brady Library and Community Center, 2250 Buckthorne Place, The Woodlands
  • AV Bull Sallas Park, 21675 McCleskey Road, New Caney
• 2-3:30 p.m.
  • Charles B. Stewart Library, 202 Bessie Price Owen Drive, Montgomery
  • The Woodlands Mall, 1201 Lake Woodlands Drive, Ste. 700, The Woodlands
  • RB Tullis Library, 21569 Hwy. 59, New Caney

The May Housing Market Update from the Houston Association of Realtors reports pending single-family home sales in the Greater Houston area are at their highest point since May 2022.

However, there has been a slight decline in closings and total sales since last May, data shows.

By the numbers: Single-family home sales fell by 3.2%, with 8,631 homes sold in May compared to the 8,915 sold last May. Meanwhile, home prices grew 0.4%, bringing the median price to $340,000.

Texas education officials gave preliminary approval June 23 to the state’s first mandatory reading list, which includes nearly 200 literary works that public school students would begin reading as soon as 2030.

The overview: The proposed list incorporates about a dozen stories from the Bible, including the tale of David and Goliath in second grade and direct biblical excerpts beginning in fourth grade. In total, students would be required to read more than two dozen texts in early elementary grades and about 10 literary works per year from sixth grade through high school.

What's happening: Members of the Republican-led State Board of Education voted 9-5 to cut several titles from the reading list June 23, following nearly eight hours of public testimony a day earlier.

More than half of those who testified June 22 asked the board to shorten the list, include more diverse authors and remove religious references. Others praised the SBOE for creating a list that they said would teach students about “American exceptionalism” and prioritize classical literature.