Houston ISD board managers will consider ending the district’s graphic design program at three high schools at the board’s Jan. 15 meeting.

The details: Board managers were originally scheduled to vote on ending the program at Heights, Kashmere and Northside high schools during the board’s Dec. 11 meeting before opting to table the vote until January. If the programs are ended at the high schools, HISD Chief Academic Officer Kristen Hole said the district would instead send students to the Barbara Jordan Career Center for career offerings.

A closer look: Hole said the effort to shutter the program at the three campuses is coming through an effort to provide students with more opportunities to gain high-wage employment after graduation.

What they’re saying: Christiana Thomas, a senior at Heights High School, said she worried that ending the graphic design program would result in more teachers losing their jobs with the district.

What’s next: HISD board managers will consider taking final action on the graphic design programs during the board’s Jan. 15 meeting.

The new apartment complex opened off of Westpark Drive on Dec. 11 and offers a range of floor plans from a studio layout to a two-bedroom.

Some details: Amenities listed on the website include a state-of-the-art fitness center, pool, laundry facility, picnic area with a grill, game room and high-speed internet. The site also includes access to public transportation, on-call maintenance and easy access to freeways and shopping.

Rent starts at $1,275 for a 477-square-foot studio. Two-bedroom apartments start at $1,525 per unit at 768 square feet.

• 2939 Westpark Drive, Houston

In the Greater Houston area in November, single-family rental leases grew 10.2% year over year, while lease prices remained statistically flat, with a 0.4% increase to $2,244, according to the Houston Association of Realtors’ November 2025 Rental Market Update report released Dec. 17.

More details: This November, there were 3,459 leased homes, compared to 3,139 last November, according to the report. Active listings also increased, with 11,933 single-family homes available.

What they're saying: “As the year moves into its final stretch Houston renters are receiving a welcome gift in the form of more options and stable prices,” HAR Chair Shae Cottar with LPT Realty said via news release. “As interest rates continue to ease, we may see more people feel confident about making the transition from renting to buying in the new year.”

Community Impact compiled important holiday travel-related information, including what to know about traffic and airport activity, gas price data, and driver safety tips ahead of the year-end travel season, which runs Dec. 20-Jan. 1.

The overview: Texans should give themselves extra time to reach their destinations the weekend before Christmas, with many travelers expected to hit the road Dec. 21-22. Congestion is also expected as some Texans return home Dec. 26, according to INRIX, a transportation data company.

Minimal traffic is expected Dec. 24-25 and Dec. 31-Jan. 1, although AAA warned in a Dec. 10 news release that unexpected delays could arise from severe weather or crashes.

For the first time, more than 8 million people nationwide are expected to take domestic flights during the year-end holidays.

More information: Texas drivers will likely pay less for gas this holiday season than in recent years, AAA fuel data shows. On average, one gallon of unleaded gas costs about $2.51 in Texas as of Dec. 18, down from $2.65 one year prior.