New Caney ISD to require students scan ID tags for bus rides beginning Sept. 2
Beginning Sept. 2, New Caney ISD students must carry an ID tag, which includes tracking technology for parents, to ride district buses home after school.
What parents need to know: SMART tag IDs were issued to all NCISD students for the 2025-26 school year, which began Aug. 6, at no cost, according to a news release from the district. The tags are paired to an app that parents can download and allows users to:
See live updates on their child’s location
Provides confirmation for when a student has entered or exited a bus
Receive bus arrival notifications
The SMART tag ID system also prevents unauthorized riders from boarding NCISD buses.
What else? On July 21, NCISD’s board of trustees approved a new student code of conduct for the 2025-26 school year, which includes updated policies on the district’s smart tags.
Kroger in New Caney to debut new features Sept. 12
A grand reopening party is planned for Sept. 12 at the Kroger location in New Caney once renovations are complete.
A closer look: Enhancements at the New Caney grocery store will include new decor and upgrades in the floral, bakery, seafood and produce departments. Kroger’s remodel began May 26 and was originally estimated to be complete by Aug. 15.
H-GAC launches regional clean air survey, public meetings
The Houston-Galveston Area Council is inviting residents to help shape the future of clean air and climate action through a new survey and a series of public meetings beginning Aug. 27, according to an Aug. 22 news release.
The Regional Clean Air, Healthy Communities Survey will collect input on strategies to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions across transportation, energy, industry, waste and land use, per the release. Community feedback will guide the Regional Clean Air Action Plan, a roadmap for improving air quality and public health through 2050.
What you need to know: According to the release, the plan is funded by a $1 million U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant.
Residents can take the survey online through Oct. 31, and a series of public meetings will be held across the region.
Fort Bend County: 5:30-7 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 27 at Missouri City Branch Library, 1530 Texas Parkway, Missouri City
13-County Focus (Hybrid): 11 a.m.-noon, Tuesday, Sept. 16 at H-GAC, 3555 Timmons Lane, Houston, or join online
Texas House moves to require cities, counties to seek voter approval for tax hikes exceeding 1%
Texas House lawmakers voted Aug. 25 to tighten limits on local property tax growth, advancing a bill that would require cities and counties to seek voter approval before raising tax rates by more than 1%. Cities and counties can currently increase taxes by up to 3.5% annually before going to local voters.
What happened: House lawmakers substantially amended Senate Bill 10 before returning it to the Senate. State senators sought to tighten the voter approval rate to 2.5% and impose the changes only on cities and counties with more than 75,000 residents. House lawmakers voted to apply a 1% threshold to all cities and counties, regardless of size.
Cities and counties' public safety expenditures, such as salaries and equipment for police, firefighters and paramedics, would not be subject to the 1% limit.
