HTX-KTY: Impact 11/10/2025

Lamar Consolidated ISD’s Superintendent Roosevelt Nivens has been selected by the Texas Association of School Administrators as the Texas nominee for the 2026 National Superintendent of the Year, according to a Nov. 6 news release. The award is given annually by The School Superintendents Association, or AASA.

“It really speaks to the phenomenal work of our young people, teachers and staff,” he said at the Nov. 6 Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce State of the Schools event. “I just appreciate them allowing me to share the story of the district.”

The background: In September, Nivens was named the 2025 Texas Superintendent of the Year by TASA for the second time after receiving the award in 2019 while serving as the Community ISD superintendent in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Moving forward: A national panel of judges will review state nominees and choose four finalists before the AASA National Conference on Education, taking place Feb. 12-14, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee, where the winner will be revealed.

Renzi’s Pizza, a Neapolitan-style pizzeria, is set to open its doors in Katy in late 2025.

What they offer: The family-owned pizzeria is inspired by the culinary traditions of Southern Italy and will offer various wood-fired pizzas, according to its website.

• 3349 W. Grand Parkway N., Katy

Fort Bend ISD, Lamar Consolidated ISD and Stafford MSD superintendents came together at the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce’s State of the Schools event on Nov. 6 to highlight how collaboration and innovation are driving student success across the county, pointing to approaches to enrollment changes and teacher wellness.

“We may lead different districts, but we share the same mission—to serve kids and give them every opportunity to succeed,” LCISD Superintendent Roosevelt Nivens said. “At the end of the day, every student in Fort Bend County matters.”

The updates: Fort Bend ISD Superintendent  Marc Smith said the district has introduced two additional wellness days in the 2025-26 school year to encourage staff to take time for themselves.

Meanwhile, Nivens said LCISD has implemented Innovative Schools Days across all campuses, allowing teachers to plan every eight days and students to learn about things that prepare them for the “real world,” such as credit scores and tax rates.

Harris County commissioners opted not to draft regulations on roadside vendors and panhandlers in unincorporated areas of the county in a split vote Oct. 30.

The overview: In May, Texas lawmakers passed House Bill 2012, which allows counties to curb roadside and parking lot soliciting. The bill permits restrictions on people asking for money or selling food or merchandise, including animals, along roadways.

What happened: During Harris County commissioners’ Oct. 30 meeting, a motion to pursue drafting panhandling and roadside soliciting regulations failed, with Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis and Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones voting against the measure; Judge Lina Hidalgo was absent from the meeting. 

Remember this? If the motion would have passed, the county attorney would have worked with court offices to draft an ordinance including:

• Clear prohibitions on panhandling that affects traffic lanes, medians and other areas that pose safety risks
• A focus on improving traffic flow and quality of life by creating designated safety zones away from busy traffic
• Opportunities for individuals experiencing homelessness to be directed to resources

Missed any Community Impact articles from this week? Check out the top trending stories from Community Impact's coverage areas in Houston from Nov. 3-7.

1. Houston Airport System issues advisory about indefinite TSA delays

2. See unofficial voting results for LCISD’s $1.99B bond

3. Unofficial voting results show all three Magnolia ISD bond propositions fail

4. Conroe ISD's Grand Oaks zoning plan in the works as area continues to grow

5. Sugar Land to make code changes as 52-acre Lake Pointe redevelopment nears construction

More than 20 months after wildfires swept through the Texas Panhandle in early 2024, burning over 1.2 million acres of land, state lawmakers questioned if Texas has the tools needed to tackle another major fire.

The context: Texas is always a fire-prone state, according to the Western Fire Chiefs Association. The association’s website reports that annual wildfire risk is most severe from February-April, when dry grasses and high winds can cause fires to spread, and August-October, when high temperatures and droughts contribute to fires.

“Our purpose today is to figure out—what is our response going to look like next February and March?” Rep. Ken King, a Republican representing Canadian and other Panhandle communities, said during a Nov. 3 committee hearing. “Are we better prepared … or are we in the same position we were in 2024, when our response was lacking?”

The details: Officials said Texas owns just two firefighting aircraft, with others "essentially [subleased] through the federal government."

During peak wildfire season, this means Texas may have access to limited resources.