Gerardo Hernandez, an assistant store manager at the Home Depot near I-45 in League City, said the store was regularly targeted for theft, forcing staff to put a bar around the bins where the lawnmowers were kept.

The details: The cumbersome bar made it difficult for customers to shop freely. However, recently, staff were able to remove it after thefts dropped courtesy of a dedicated unit the League City Police Department launched in 2025 to tackle crime along that retail corridor. The department launched the business district unit in July to respond to the high volume of property crime reported from businesses along the highway.

Quote of note: “They’re doing a phenomenal job,” Hernandez said. “Just their physical presence in the parking lot has been a deterrent.”

Digging deeper: The unit, made up of a sergeant, detective and three officers, regularly patrols the area to respond quickly to calls, deter shoplifters, and build relationships with local stores.

Clear Creek ISD officials presented the district’s strategic staffing plan at the board of trustees’ April 13 meeting, outlining efforts for teacher recruitment and retention through certification pathways that develop educators from within the district.

The approach: The district’s strategy operates through two primary pathways within the staffing plan, according to district documents.

The first pathway is a child guidance and teacher education pipeline, developed with the Career and Technical Education, or CTE, department, that provides CCISD high school students with early exposure to education careers and a pathway to return to the district as teachers. 

The second pathway supports paraprofessionals currently working in the district who are pursuing teacher certification or bachelor’s degrees.

CCISD partners with Grand Canyon University to provide an online degree pathway, which was supported by $52,980 in scholarships and $110,925 in grants from the university for the 2025-26 school year, according to district documents.

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.