All 26 Cy-Fair ISD schools located in Harris County Precinct 4 are now accessible through sidewalks developed through Commissioner Lesley Briones’ Sidewalks 4 Precinct 4 initiative.
The gist: Precinct 4 held a celebration at McFee Elementary on Aug. 13 to celebrate the completion of 25 miles of new sidewalks ready for the 2026-27 school year in CFISD. Per a news release, the new additions are aimed to create safe pathways to schools, parks and neighborhood hubs.
The Sidewalks 4 Precinct 4 initiative was developed out of a data-driven sidewalk gap analysis and has completed 80 miles since its March 2024 launch aimed at prioritizing closing gaps within one mile of:

• Schools

• Parks

• Bus stops

• Healthcare providers

The need: Briones said she is particularly excited about the five miles of sidewalk added near Greenhouse Road, touching five schools, as they were “desperately” needed. According to a Precinct 4 news release, the Cypress area has seen 79 pedestrian crashes with 10 of them deadly since 2021.

Harris County commissioners are expected to discuss the budget and tax rate options for the upcoming fiscal year at an Aug. 17 special meeting, as the county faces a potential $178 million shortfall.

In a nutshell: The county’s Office of Management and Budget will present its proposed budgets and tax rates for the court to discuss and potentially take action on.

Diving in deeper: If commissioners decide to increase the tax rate more than 3.5%, according to the state comptroller website, voters will see the proposed rates on their November ballots. 

Before you go: Harris County Commissioners Court meetings are held at 9 a.m. in Downtown Houston. The administration building is located at 1001 Preston St., Houston. 

Local beauty studio Jael Beauty began serving the Cypress area in May 2026, and moved into its brick-and-mortar studio July 30, owner and licensed cosmetologist Clarissa De Los Santos confirmed.

What's in the name: Jael Beauty offers makeup services for bridal needs and other events while also offering waxing and facial services, De Los Santos said. Per the Jael Beauty Instagram, services are by appointment and can be booked through the website.
"I started Jael Beauty because I've always loved the beauty industry, and wanted to create something of my own where clients can feel comfortable, confident and taken care of," De Los Santos said.

• 12251 Queenston Blvd. Ste. 28, Houston

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage this week? Check out these trending stories across the northern portion of the Greater Houston area from Aug. 7-14

1. Sam Houston State University announces new name for College of Osteopathic Medicine in Conroe

2. Bristol Myers Squibb selects Generation Park for new $2.3B manufacturing campus

3. Magnolia traffic detour began Aug. 10 ahead of the school year

4. Studio 3113 Modern Needlework opens store for crafters in The Woodlands

5. Facing $178M shortfall, Harris County approves raises, funding for independent ICE investigation

6. Tim Horton's to open along Barker Cypress Road in August

7. Houston Airport System unveils renovated IAH Executive Club

Ahead of the 2026-27 school year, public school leaders in Community Impact’s coverage areas shuttered at least nine individual schools to respond to repeated state accountability issues and stave off state intervention. A new Texas Education Agency rule may make it harder for districts to do so in the future.

The details: Beginning Aug. 16, if a district closes a D- or F-rated campus and transfers the largest share of students from the closed campus to a school with a C, D or F rating, the closed campus’ rating will be assigned to the new campus. 

Districts will only avoid transferring a shuttered school’s rating history if they relocate a plurality of students to an A- or B-rated campus.

Stay tuned: The TEA is scheduled to release A-F ratings for the 2025-26 school year on Aug. 14. If a school receives five failing ratings in a row, the TEA is required under state law to close that campus or replace the district’s board of trustees with a state-appointed board of managers.