After a two-year process, which a City Council member described as “painstakingly tough,” Pearland City Council approved a 150-foot pilot project on Knapp Road at its April 13 meeting.

The impact: If successful, the paving method used on Knapp Road could be applied to other streets in Pearland, where both officials and residents have long eyed improvements to the city’s roads. 

The details: Mike Getz, owner and CEO of Century Road Solutions, said he signed a memorandum of understanding with the city in 2025 to pave the portion of Knapp Road using a patented installation called “mechanical concrete” that fills cylinders created from recycled tires with aggregate like crushed rock or reclaimed concrete.

What else: Getz said his company has used the technology on over 150 projects over 15 years, including in extreme weather environments like Alaska's, without a single failure.

Friendswood ISD board of trustees approved a resolution at its April 13 meeting, stating that the district does not have the financial capacity to retrofit or replace school buses without three-point seat belts by September 2029 to meet state requirements.

The overview: As of April 1, the district reports 41 noncompliant buses in its current fleet, including seven wheelchair buses and 34 standard 71-77 passenger buses, according to district documents. A full replacement of all 41 noncompliant buses would cost approximately $6.6 million, with delivery timelines ranging from 12 to 18 months per bus, according to district documents.

Over the past five years, 3,016 more students enrolled in Alvin ISD, representing an 11.6% increase since 2019. While enrollment continues to grow, the rate of increase has slowed. Under the 10-year projection, AISD’s enrollment is expected to increase by nearly 6,800 students by 2035-36, representing a 22.5% increase.

The details: At the board of trustees’ April 14 meeting, Population and Survey Analysts, or PASA, presented a comprehensive review of Alvin ISD student enrollment trends, based on a three-to-four-month research into demographic patterns, housing development and student population factors affecting district growth, PASA President Stacey Tepera said at the meeting.

The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents unanimously voted April 13 to approve Susan Ballabina as the sole finalist to become the next president of Texas A&M University, officials announced in a Texas A&M news release.

What's happening: Ballabina currently serves as executive vice chancellor for the university system, overseeing systemwide operations and strategic initiatives, according to the release. She brings more than 30 years of experience within the A&M system and has previously held leadership roles, including chief of staff to the university president and deputy vice chancellor for Texas A&M AgriLife.

University System Chancellor Glenn Hegar said both Ballabina's experience and familiarity with the university position her well to lead Texas A&M as it approaches its 150th anniversary. He referred to Ballabina as a "proven leader."

What's next: Before Ballabina can officially take office, she is subject to a state-required 21-day waiting period.

The State Board of Education gave preliminary approval April 10 to roughly 200 literary works that all Texas public school students would be required to read beginning in 2030.

What happened: The SBOE trimmed about 100 titles from a list proposed by the Texas Education Agency, which board members and educators criticized as too long to be taught. The Republican-led board signed off on a revised list in a 9-5 party-line vote April 10.

The details: The draft list ranges from nursery rhymes and short stories in early grades to classical and 20th-century literature in high school. The list also includes about a dozen excerpts from the Bible. While students learn about world religions today, Texans testified that if the reading list is approved, it would be the first time in recent history that state leaders mandate religious readings in the classroom.  

Next steps: Board members are scheduled to take a final vote on the reading list in June. If approved, the list will be used in classrooms in the 2030-31 school year.