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A number of new health care facilities are underway or recently opened in Sugar Land and Missouri City as the area matures.

Why it matters: The new developments and expansions come as the areas mature with the population beginning to age. In Sugar Land, the population over 65 has grown 119.31%—from 9,658 in 2014 to 21,181 in 2024—according to five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey.

Looking ahead: Several projects are set to be delivered later this year or in 2027, with the MD Anderson Sugar Land facility anticipated for 2029. Beyond expanding health care opportunities for residents, city officials said the new facilities can help provide surrounding development growth.

Missouri City will partner with the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County with the goal of accelerating the Hunters Glen Park Trail project.

What’s happening: At a June 1 meeting, the Missouri City City Council approved an interlocal agreement with METRO to reconstruct the Hunters Glen Park Trail project to include an all-weather, ADA-accessible paved trail for pedestrians, cyclists and persons using wheelchairs, after the city received a $1.1 million from the Transportation Policy Council.

The federal funds were given to the city on the condition that they could complete the grant agreement process before fiscal year 2025-26 ends Sept. 30. To speed up the grant agreement process, the city asked METRO to be the grant recipient so they can “pass through” the funds back to Missouri City using a subrecipient agreement, according to agenda documents.

Stay tuned: Missouri City officials said reconstruction will begin in the fourth quarter of 2026.

The Texas Education Agency released results June 10 from this year’s State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness end-of-course exams.

The overview: High school students who took the year-end exams this spring made gains in all subjects, TEA data shows. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said students’ academic progress was due to “focused instruction and high expectations” in the classroom.

What you need to know: Individual STAAR results are shared through the state assessment portal. Each Texas student receives a unique access code for their results. Families can find the code on the first page of their child’s report card or contact their school, according to the TEA.

Texas public school students in third through 12th grade take the exam each spring, and it is used to measure student progress and teacher performance.

What's next: The TEA is scheduled to release STAAR scores for third- through eighth-grade students June 16.