Lake Houston - Humble - Kingwood Edition | August 2025

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Lake Houston Humble

Kingwood Edition VOLUME 10, ISSUE 4 AUG. 29SEPT. 29, 2025

2025 Education Edition

Humble ISD bans cellphones in line with state mandate From left, Kingwood High School seniors Sybelle Go, Donovan Baker and Hania Schmonsees use their cellphones outside before the school day begins. A new Texas law prohibits students from using personal communication devices, including cellphones, during the school day. (Raphael Fernandez/Community Impact)

INSIDE

Also in this issue

Impacts: Check out the Lake Houston area’s new indoor golf practice facility (Page 6)

Government: Learn more about Humble’s proposed scal year 202526 budget (Page 8)

Comprehensive Care IN KINGWOOD

Convenient, easy-to-access location for primary and specialty care At our comprehensive care center location in Kings Harbor, we offer a full spectrum of care, including: • Primary care physicians for you and your family, providing personal care and service • Specialists with innovative treatments and customized programs for all conditions, including orthopedics and sports medicine, cardiology, and neurology • Collaborative teams of experts using the newest technologies and latest research

242

HOUSTON METHODIST COMPREHENSIVE CARE CENTER IN KINGS HARBOR

1960

4501 Magnolia Cove Dr., Building 6 Kingwood, TX 77345

Visit houstonmethodist.org/ccc/kings-harbor or call 936.270.4901 to schedule an appointment with one of our providers.

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LAKE HOUSTON HUMBLE KINGWOOD EDITION

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LAKE HOUSTON HUMBLE KINGWOOD EDITION

1485

1314

Impacts

99 TOLL

VALLEY RANCH PKWY.

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monitors or simulators used to hone golf skills. Hinojosa said kids and teams can take lessons at the facility, which will serve as a family-friendly environment for all ages. The owner said golf balls will be available to use at the facility, and the business may eventually oer club rentals. • Opening in September • 1417 Northpark Drive, Humble • www.the-practice-lab.com 3 BioLife Plasma Services The plasma donation center’s new location in Humble will host an open house Aug. 30. The plasma donation process takes one to two hours and donors are compensated for their time. Donors must be over 18 years old, weight at least 110 pounds and be in good overall health. • Opening Aug. 30 • 9785 FM 1960 Bypass Road W., Humble • www.biolifeplasma.com 4 Fuzzy’s Taco Shop Franchisee Nazarian Global Enterprises is currently hiring for a new location of this taco shop in Kingwood. The eatery oers tacos, enchilada plates, nachos, salads, burritos and more. • Opening TBD • 4360 Kingwood Drive, Kingwood • www.fuzzystacoshop.com 5 Golden Chick To be located inside a Walmart, the eatery will oer chicken tenders and fried chicken, chicken sandwiches,

LAKE HOUSTON WILDERNESS PARK

FORDRD.

WOODLAND HILLS DR.

494

N O R T H P A R

10A

SORTERS MCCLELLAN RD.

Kingwood

TOWNSEN BLVD.

LAKE HOUSTON

UPPER LAKE DR.

1960

F IRSTST.

W. LAKE HOUSTON PKWY.

HUMBLE PLACE DR.

Humble

TIMBER FOREST DR.

WILL CLAYTON PKWY.

10B

N. TERMINAL RD.

Atascocita

GREENSRD.

MADERA RUN PKWY.

salads, sides and more. • Opening in early 2026 • 6626 FM 1960 Road E., Humble • www.goldenchick.com

MAP NOT TO SCALE

• Soft opened Aug. 6 • 20669 W. Lake Houston Parkway, Humble • www.charlieswatchbar.com

Now open

What’s next

1 Charlie’s Watch Bar The sports bar is owned by husband-and-wife duo Patricia and Carlos Carrillo and provides a space for customers to enjoy snacks and drinks while watching games. The locale oers a full bar with cocktails, wine and beer as well as food items such as wings, burgers and atbread pizzas.

6 Keke’s Breakfast Cafe Construction is set to wrap up in November on a new location in Kingwood, according to a May 14 ling with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Keke’s oers breakfast and lunch foods such as waes, omelets, French toast and sandwiches.

Coming soon

2 The Practice Lab Owned by Katherine Hinojosa, this indoor golf practice facility will include four practice bays with launch

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AC Check & Clean 281-358-0955 $ 99 $ 10 OFF Let Us “Buy Back” Your Old A/C for $ 995 Per AC Unit - Residential Only. Cannot be combined with any other offers. Exp. 8/31/25 FINANCING AVAILABLE! | FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED 281-358-0955 $ 99 $ 10 OFF Let Us “Buy Back” Your Old A/C for $ 995 FINANCING AVAILABLE! | FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED in FINANCING AVAILABLE! | FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED TACL # 9596C 81) 358-0955 24 Loop 494, Kingwood, TX 77339 mily Owned and Operated 281-358-0955 $ 99 $ 10 OFF Let Us “Buy Back” 281-358-0955 $ 99 $ 10 OFF Let Us “Buy Back” Your Old A/C for $ 995 in $200 OFF Air Scrubber Reduces orders and airborne contaminants including viruses, $ 10 OFF Let Us “Buy Back” Your Old A/C for $ 995 TACL # 9596C $89 Air Conditioning System Tune-Up Mention Impact to redeem | Exp. 5/25/2024 S YOUR AIR CONDITIONER READY FOR THE HOUSTON HEAT? IS YOUR AIR CONDITIONER READY FOR THE HOUSTON HEAT? TACL # 9596C $89 Air Conditioning System Tune-Up Mention Impact to redeem | Exp. 5/25/2024 Mention Impact to redeem | Exp. 5/25/2024 $89 Air Conditioning System Tune-Up Mention Impact to redeem | Exp. 5/25/2024 $200 OFF Air Scrubber Reduces orders and airborne contaminants including viruses, Reduces orders and airborne contaminants including viruses, germs, dust, pet dander, and other allergens. Mention Impact to redeem | Exp. 5/25/2024 $200 OFF Air Scrubber Reduces orders and airborne contaminants including viruses, germs, dust, pet dander, and other allergens. Mention Impact to redeem | Exp. 5/25/2024 germs, dust, pet dander, and other allergens. Mention Impact to redeem | Exp. 5/25/2024 281) 358-0955 281) 358-0955 2424 Loop 494, Kingwood, TX 77339 amily Owned and Operated 424 Loop 494, Kingwood, TX 77339 in $89 Air Conditioning System Tune-Up Mention Impact to redeem | Exp. 5/25/2024 TACL # 9596C $200 OFF Air Scrubber Reduces orders and airborne contaminants including viruses, (281) 358-0955 22424 Loop 494, Kingwood, TX 77339 Family Owned and Operated in TACL # 9596C IS YOUR AIR CONDITIONER READY FOR THE HOUSTON HEAT? $89 Air Conditioning System Tune-Up Mention Impact to redeem | Exp. 5/25/2024 germs, dust, pet dander, and other allergens. Mention Impact to redeem | Exp. 5/25/2024 Maintenance (281) 358-0955 22424 Loop 494, Kingwood, TX 77339 Family Owned and Operated in TACL # 9596C 281-358-0955 IS YOUR AIR CONDITIONER READY FOR THE HOUSTON HEAT? germs, dust, pet dander, and other allergens. Mention Impact to redeem | Exp. 5/25/2024 Maintenance (281) 358-0955 22424 Loop 494, Kingwood, TX 77339 Family Owned and Operated IS YOUR AIR CONDITIONER READY FOR THE HOUSTON HEAT? $200 OFF Air Scrubber Reduces orders and airborne contaminants including viruses, germs, dust, pet dander, and other allergens. Mention Impact to redeem | Exp. 5/25/2024 Maintenance in 9 ng System Up Exp. 5/25/2024 $200 OFF Air Scrubber Reduces orders and airborne contaminants including viruses, germs, dust, pet dander, and other allergens. Mention Impact to redeem | Exp. 5/25/2024 Maintenance 6 Your Old A/C for Need $ 50 Refer a friend, Need $ 50 Need $ 50 FINANCING AVAILABLE! | FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED FINANCING AVAILABLE! | FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED

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Friend must be a new customer and must sign up for a Maintenance Plan or purchase a full system to qualify. Limit one gift card per customer, per year.

Not valid with any other offers. Residential only. Expires 8/31/25.

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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

BY COMMUNITY IMPACT STAFF

11 Lone Star College-Kingwood The college’s new re training pavilion was dedicated Aug. 5 to honor late local reghter Gary Lee Staley. The Gary Lee Staley Fire Pavilion is located next to LSC- Kingwood’s Fire Science Burn Building, which will open for student training in the upcoming spring semester. • 20000 Kingwood Drive, Kingwood • www.lonestar.edu/kingwood 12 George Bush Intercontinental Airport Two new dining options—Chick-l-A and Einstein Bagels—recently opened in Terminal E, airport o§cials announced July 30. Additional eateries set to open in IAH’s new International Central Processor by early 2026 include Chili’s, Chili’s To Go and Starbucks. Velvet Taco is also expected to open in Terminal D by next year. • 2800 N. Terminal Road, Houston • www.fly2houston.com/iah 13 Carol’s Lighting The lighting company hit 45 years of operation in Humble on Aug. 14. The business, which specializes in lighting, fans and select furniture, opened in August 1980 and is owned by Don and Carol Gressett. • 1710 Humble Place Drive, Humble • www.carolslighting.com 14 Amedeo’s Italian Restaurant The Kingwood restaurant celebrated its 40th anniversary July 16. Owned by Tony Raa, who also owns Raa’s Waterfront Grill in Kingwood, Amedeo’s Italian Restaurant oers authentic Italian dishes, including southwest rigatoni chicken, homemade lasagna, veal marsala and chicken piccata. • 22704 Loop 494, Kingwood • www.amedeos.net 15 HCA Houston Healthcare Kingwood The hospital is now oering a new, minimally invasive procedure to evaluate and diagnose lung nodules, o§cials announced via a July 28 news release. The procedure allows physicians to identify and biopsy lung nodules through a guided bronchoscopy technique that uses real-time imaging and advanced navigation tools to target small or hard-to-reach areas in the lungs with precision.

• 716 Kingwood Drive, Kingwood • www.kekes.com

Now open

7 Shipley Do-Nuts Construction is expected to wrap up in September on a new location in Humble, according to a June 20 TDLR ling. The doughnut shop oers over 60 varieties of doughnuts and kolaches, with avors such as plain glazed, cherry iced, apple lled and more. • 17155 Hwy. 59, Ste. D, Humble • www.shipleydonuts.com 8 Quick Quack Car Wash Construction is set to begin in May 2026 and wrap up in October on a new car wash location in Humble, according to a July 8 TDLR ling. The company oers car washes with technology, such as a three-step paint sealant process and ceramic duck coating. • Located near Woodlands Hills Drive and Greens Road, Humble (exact address TBD) • www.dontdrivedirty.com 9 Valvoline Construction is expected to begin in December and wrap up in May on a new location in Humble, according to a July 28 TDLR ling. The company oers a variety of stay-in-your-car vehicle maintenance services such as oil changes, battery replacements and transmission services. • Located near 16060 Woodland Hills Drive, Humble

Frios Gourmet Pops Locally owned and operated by franchisees Je and Kelci Hebert, the mobile business oers fruity and creamy handcrafted pops as well as Protein Pops—with up to 17 grams of protein—and Puppy Pops, which are made specically for dogs. The business can also be booked for private events. • Opened in June • Services available in the Kingwood, Humble, Atascocita and Summerwood areas • www.friospops.com/locations/lakehouston

(exact address TBD) • www.valvoline.com

• 22999 Hwy. 59 N., Kingwood • www.hcahoustonhealthcare.com/locations/kingwood

In the news

Closings

10 Kroger Renovations have wrapped up at two Lake Houston-area Kroger grocery stores, Shayna Barrett, corporate aairs manager for The Kroger Co., conrmed via email Aug. 8. At the Kingwood location, work began in late February and wrapped up in June. At the Humble location, work

16 Pet Supplies Plus O§cials announced the store’s permanent closure via Instagram June 9. The locally owned pet store opened in 2022 and featured a pet boutique, a self-serve dog wash and a pet clinic alongside oering grooming and

began in February and wrapped up in April. • A 3410 Northpark Drive, Kingwood; B 3820 Atascocita Road, Humble • www.kroger.com

training services. • Closed June 9 • 4520 Kingwood Drive, Kingwood • www.petsuppliesplus.com

LAKE HOUSTON HUMBLE KINGWOOD EDITION

Government

BY EMILY LINCKE

Humble’s proposed budget prioritizes infrastructure, department needs

Planned improvements Under Humble’s proposed scal year 2025-26 budget, about $43.9 million in capital outlay was included across various funds.

Street drainage/improvement projects: $16.8M

On Aug. 12, Humble City Council reviewed the preliminary scal year 2025-26 budget, which features about $22.6 million in general fund infra- structure projects, and $15.7 million in water and wastewater projects. Budget explained Humble’s proposed FY 2025-26 budget is a balanced budget, and it includes $125.7 million in beginning balance for revenues and about $95.7 million in budgeted expenditures, City Manager Jason Stuebe said Aug. 12. Expenditures increased 18.5% from the FY 2024-25 budget, largely due to major infrastructure projects, he added. “This year’s budget is no doubt ambitious,” Stuebe said. “While we are spending down reserves that have been built over the years, we are putting tax dollars to work for our residents and businesses

by reinvesting in the community, modernizing our operations to better serve our citizens.” City Council took no action on the preliminary budget Aug. 12 and typically votes on the budget and tax rate in September. The breakdown Humble’s estimated tax rate for FY 2025-26 is $0.259683 per $100 evaluation, Stuebe said. This is a slight fall from the city’s FY 2024-25 rate, which is $0.261476 per $100 valuation. The tax rate will not be nalized until the city receives its nal certied appraisal values from the Harris Central Appraisal District, Stuebe said. The budget also includes a 3% “step increase” for city employee pay, Stuebe said. Payroll for the city’s 282 employees covers 44% of the maintenance and operations budget portion, he added.

Water and wastewater improvements: $15.7M

Other: $7.9M

Humble Civic Center roof repairs: $1.5M Humble Fire Rescue: $1M • New ambulance • Uniforms • Radios • Equipment

Total $43.9M

Humble Police Department: $965,471 • 15 leased patrol vehicles

• Four new vehicles • Other equipment

SOURCE: CITY OF HUMBLECOMMUNITY IMPACT

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

BY MELISSA ENAJE

Precinct 3 residents voice priorities for Harris County budget Votes from community members in attendance also showcased cuts to spending geared toward the county’s justice initiatives, including: • The county legal department • Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity • Indigent defense • Management and nances Going forward Harris County Budget Director Daniel Ramos highlighted several county initiatives in public safety and justice that would cost the county more than $18 million within the proposed budget. Proposed budget amount Public safety initiatives

During a July 17 budget town hall, community members from Harris County Precinct 3 oered feedback on tax dollar spending priorities as preparations for the county’s scal year 2025-26 budget adoption continue into September. Preliminary budget expenses are estimated to be at least $2.95 billion, and Harris County commis- sioners are looking at potential countywide cuts to address a $130 million budget shortfall in the upcoming scal year. The results Votes from community members in attendance during the Precinct 3 budget town hall showcased spending priorities geared toward county initia- tives and organizations, including: • Law enforcement raises • The Harris Center for Mental Health • The Children’s Assessment Center • Roads, bridges, community centers and parks

$2.5M: Cybersecurity projects $3.1M: Harris County’s Violent Persons Warrants Task Force $5.7M: Harris County Flood Control maintenance capabilities $8.5M: Three new criminal district courts to alleviate county court backlog

Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey worked through a budget activity to gauge spending priori- ties with more than 100 community members who attended the budget town hall. Precinct 3 ocials said the purpose of the meeting was to provide clarications on details within the county’s proposed budget for FY 2025-26. Harris County plans to hold budget hearings for more than 70 individual departments from Sept. 2-5, before budget adoption in late September.

SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTYCOMMUNITY IMPACT

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LAKE HOUSTON HUMBLE KINGWOOD EDITION

Transportation

BY MELISSA ENAJE

Precinct 3 requests sidewalk input

The impact

A scoring rubric framework will be used to rank approved projects that are based on weighted criteria including high-pedestrian factors, safety concerns, enhancements, feasibility and partnerships.

Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey issued an open call request in July for stakeholders interested in developing new sidewalks to enhance pedestrian safety and connectivity. The request includes collaboration opportunities with municipal utility districts, public utility districts, water districts and cities as well as school districts in Precinct 3. Applications are due Sept. 5, and approved sidewalk projects will be funded by both the county and participating partners, o cials said. Precinct 3 o cials said their goal is to complete construction of all awarded projects by the fourth quarter of 2026. More information can be given by the Precinct 3 tra c team, accessible by its email at pct3engtra c@pct3.hctx.net.

Upcoming sidewalks In the Lake Houston area, Precinct 3 already has sidewalk plans under design along portions of: 1 West Lake Houston Parkway 2 Will Clayton Parkway

“This will provide our engineers with known high-pedestrian locations to evaluate and ensure sidewalks lead to safe roadway intersection crossings.”

1960

W. LAKE HOUSTON PKWY.

WILL CLAYTON PKWY.

TOM RAMSEY, HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT 3 COMMISSIONER

SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT 3 COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE COMMUNITY IMPACT

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8/15/25 3:05 PM COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

19810 - RLF - Community Impact POA half pg.indd 1

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Transportation

BY EMILY LINCKE

FORDRD.

OLD SORTERS RD.

• Cost: $241,750 (engineering/design services) • Funding source: city of Humble

Upcoming projects

494

N O R T H P A R

1 South Houston Avenue widening and reconstruction

Ongoing projects

SORTERS MCCLELLAN RD.

WOODLAND HILLS DR.

Project: South Houston Avenue will be widened between Will Clayton Parkway and Atascocita Road, turning the existing two-lane asphalt roadway into a three-lane concrete roadway with curb and gutter. A new trac signal system, drainage improvements—such as adding underground storm sewers—are also included in the project. Update: Engineering work is 55% complete, according to Humble City Council July 24 meeting documents. • Timeline: January 2026-January 2028 • Cost: $1.13 million (engineering/design services) • Funding source: city of Humble 2 Meek and Manning roads paving, drainage improvements Project: Existing asphalt streets—including Meek and Manning roads—will be repaved under this project between North Houston Avenue and Townsen Boulevard. Construction will include installing new roadside drainage culverts, new water lines and re hydrants along Meek Road. Update: Engineering work is 60% complete, according to Humble meeting documents. • Timeline: August 2025-January 2026

1960 Motorists should expect increased trac in the area due to temporary lane closures throughout the project, as previously reported by Community Impact . Work crews 3 Kingwood Drive improvements Project: The Houston Public Works Department is working on upgrades to Kingwood Drive including repairing the curbs and the replacement of pavement markings at the intersection of Kingwood and Woodland Hills drives.

Kingwood

TOWNSEN BLVD.

HOUSTON AVE.

MEEKRD.

GREENSRD. Update: The project was initially slated to run May 29- June 6, but the starting date shifted to late July as the contractor needed to complete a separate project rst, said Erin Jones, HPW’s public information ocer, via an Aug. 11 email. • Timeline: late July-TBD • Cost: $28,000 • Funding source: Houston District E Ofice ALDINE BENDER RD. will be on-site from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday until the project is complete. Weekend working hours will vary. The project is being funded using Houston District E service funds, which are allocated annually to each district to pay for services that aren’t already provided by the city of Houston.

F I RSTST.

1960

FIRST ST.

Humble

WILL CLAYTON PKWY.

LAKE HOUSTON PKWY.

Atascocita

MAP NOT TO SCALE N

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Education

BY WESLEY GARDNER

Education Edition

2025

Readers, welcome to your annual CI Education Edition! This guide features a variety of education updates from your local public school district, Humble ISD. In this special edition, you can see HISD’s latest A-F accountability ratings, learn more about how the district’s 2022 bond program is progressing, and get insight on how articial intelligence is impacting the classroom. Additionally, our cover story this month dives into how district ocials are complying with recently passed state legislation, including House Bill 1481, which bans student use of cellphones and other personal communication devices during the school day. All of the stories featured in this year’s guide were written by our local team of journalists. Additionally, all of the advertisements are from nearby businesses who support our mission to provide free, useful news—show them your gratitude by supporting them. To keep up with education news throughout the month, visit communityimpact.com/ newsletter to sign up for our free daily newsletter.

What's inside

See how Humble ISD schools were rated by the state in 202425 (Page 14)

Kim Sommers General Manager ksommers@ communityimpact.com

Check out the latest updates on the district’s 2022 bond projects (Page 16)

Learn more about legislative changes to public education funding (Page 19)

For relevant news and daily updates, subscribe to our free email newsletter!

Trustees approve new design for Foster Elementary rebuild

On July 15, Humble ISD trustees approved a new design and maximum cost of roughly $2.17 million to construct underground detention at the Foster Elementary School rebuild, following community concerns over the project’s original design. The details The roughly $44 million, 122,000-square-foot campus—which will be located in close proximity to the old campus—is part of a $775 million bond package approved by voters in May 2022. Position 2 Trustee Robert Scarfo said the updated design was made after taking into consid- eration community feedback. “We looked at the survey results and pushed our Construction and Facilities Planning Department to come up with a workable solution,” he said. Some context In May, district ocials held a public input meeting on the project following concerns that

the new campus would not include as much green space as the old campus. Under the previous design, the rebuild would have included several large detention ponds, which HISD ocials said were necessary to com- ply with building regulations implemented after the original campus was built in 1971. Jason Seybert, HISD associate superintendent of support services, said the new design will include underground detention space, which freed up room for two large, open green spaces and 124 total parking spots at the campus. What’s next Seybert said the district is waiting on permit approval from Houston. Once the permit is approved and materials arrive, construction on the detention space will take 8-12 weeks. “I can’t promise it will still open in the fall of 2026, but that’s what we’re shooting for depending on how long it takes to get the permit,” he said.

Foster Elementary rebuild Following public backlash to the original design, Humble ISD trustees approved a new campus design that includes additional open green space.

Foster Elementary School

Open green space

LAKE HOUSTON HUMBLE KINGWOOD EDITION

Education

BY WESLEY GARDNER CONTRIBUTIONS BY EMILY LINCKE

Humble ISD shows overall gains in state’s AF accountability ratings

Some context

Elementary and middle schools ratings are largely based on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, while high school ratings are based on STAAR and how well students are prepared for success after graduation. State law requires that annual AF ratings be issued by Aug. 15 of each year; however, the 2023-24 ratings were blocked for nearly one year after 33 school districts sued the TEA last August, arguing that the agency made it “mathematically impossible” for some schools to earn a high score. Texas’ 15th Court of Appeals ruled in July that the 2023-24 ratings could be released, and the TEA later announced they would be issued alongside the 2024-25 ratings. “Millions of dollars and thousands of hours of work by teachers, administrators and experts have been invested in creating the AF ratings system; courts can decide only whether it is legal, not whether it is wise or fair,” Chief Justice Scott Brister wrote in the ruling.

Humble ISD maintained a C rating for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years in the Texas Education Agency’s accountability ratings, which were released statewide Aug. 15 after a legal battle that began nearly two years prior. Texas schools are rated on an A-F scale based on three categories: student achievement, school progress and closing the gaps. HISD received 75 out of 100 points for 2023-24 and 77 out of 100 points for 2024-25. “We’ve seen gains across multiple campuses, which is a direct result of the dedication of our teachers, students, principals and families,” HISD Superintendent Roger Brown said. “We are committed to ensuring this upward trend continues. This year’s accountability ratings conrm that while challenges remain, we are moving in the right direction.”

Humble ISD AF scores by campus

2023-24

2024-25

D F

Rating

SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCYCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Put in perspective

Statewide district performance

2024-25

2023-24

campuses maintained or improved their A-F ratings between the two school years. Of the 1,208 school districts across Texas, data shows 24% received a higher rating, 64% kept the same rating and 12% received a lower rating. “Year over year, our schools have gotten better across the state for our kids,” Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath told reporters Aug. 14.

TEA data shows 29 HISD campuses—including 19 elementary schools, eight middle schools and two high schools—earned higher rating scores in 2024- 25 compared to 2023-24. Brown added HISD schools earned 32 distinctions in 2025, up from 11 distinctions in 2023. Across the state, most school districts and

A: 23% B: 33% C: 24% D: 10% F: 4% Not rated: 6%

A: 18% B: 31% C: 25% D: 14% F: 8% Not rated: 6%

NOTE: PERCENTAGES MAY NOT ADD UP TO 100% DUE TO ROUNDING. SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCYCOMMUNITY IMPACT

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Education

BY DIEGO COLLAZO

University of Houston Professor Meng Li talks AI use in schools Since its release in 2022, generative articial intelligence tools like ChatGPT have given stu- dents access to technology that can complete tasks and assignments with a simple prompt, blurring the lines of academic integrity and sparking discussions on AI’s place in the classroom. Community Impact spoke with Meng Li, founder and director of the Bauer Human-Centered AI Institute at the University of Houston, to discuss the role of AI in academia. Have you seen students using AI tools in the classroom, and has it become a problem? Of course, within the classroom and also out- side the classroom. Students are young; they’re quick. They adopted AI tools, so of course that’s happening. It really depends on the context. I think the reality is we cannot ignore AI. Students are using it, so we cannot let them not use AI. I think when ChatGPT rst came out, schools restricted students from using it, but it’s not happening anymore. People are more welcoming of AI for students. I think the bigger question is how to best use AI in the classroom, or how to help our students learn based on these AI tools. What might the early stages of integrating AI into education look like? We need to dene what AI tools are appropriate, how to structure learning around them and how to adopt them in meaningful ways. It will take time. We’re still at the beginning of this transformation.

We need experimentation, feedback and collabora- tion between educators and technologists to make AI work eectively in education. How might AI aect how students think, create and problem-solve in the long run? A lot of people worry that students will become too dependent on AI—that it will replace critical thinking or creativity—but I don’t think it has to be that way. If we use AI the right way, it can actually help students think better. AI can give fast feedback, generate ideas or show dierent ways to approach a problem, but students still have to decide what to use and how. That decision-making process, that’s where the learning happens. Does the rapid advancement of AI worry you? Well, I think of replacement—task replacement, job replacement. We already know that’s hap- pening, and some people are not happy. For our society, it will have a big impact, but I think we don’t really need to worry too much. The reason is, we are smart. We have seen this, probably not with AI, but we’ve seen other technology like the internet, computers. I think we are ne. We don’t really need to worry too much. What role do schools and educators play when it comes to AI? I think a lot of university schools are developing AI policies. Train the professors, educators, teachers to learn how to use AI in their classroom or at least understand it. I think that’s important, and schools should do it. It is a very tough task because this AI scene is developing quite fast, but the discrepancy between the knowledge of students and the teach- ers is a big worry. As I said, students quickly learn those AI tools, so how do we, the teachers, know what AI looks like in practice? I think that’s very relevant. People probably ignore that.

By the numbers According to a January 2025 study from the Digital Education Council: • 86% of students use AI to help in school. • 54% use it weekly. • Nearly 25% use it daily. According to a February 2025 Higher Education Policy Institute study: • 92% of undergraduate students used AI in school, a 66% jump from 2024. According to a 2024 report from Ellucian, a higher education AI consultant rm: • 93% of higher education staff said they plan to implement more AI usage for work purposes in the coming years.

SOURCES: DIGITAL EDUCATION COUNCIL, HIGHER EDUCATION POLICY INSTITUTE, ELLUCIAN COMMUNITY IMPACT

This interview was edited for space, see the full interview at communityimpact.com .

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LAKE HOUSTON HUMBLE KINGWOOD EDITION

Education

FORD RD.

BY WESLEY GARDNER

at Humble High School began in July. • Timeline: Projected completion by the end 2026 Districtwide daylighting improvements A districtwide eort to improve natural lighting to provide more daylight at each HISD campus is currently in the design stage of the third of ve phases. • Timeline: Projected completion by early 2027 (third phase), projected completion by mid-2029 (entire project)

Here’s an update on some projects included in Humble ISD’s $775 bond approved by voters in May 2022. This list is not comprehensive.

Ongoing projects

N O R T H P A R

Completed projects

494

2 Summerwood Elementary addition Campus additions include six new classrooms in the southern wing of the building—which opened in August—and eight new classrooms in the northern wing set to open in October. • Timeline: Projected completion in October 3 Mosaic Building District o cials broke ground on a facility designed to support young adults with disabilities as they transition out of high school in October 2024. The 56,600-square-foot facility will feature classrooms, a student recreation room and three mock apartments where students can learn daily living skills like laundry, meal preparation and bed-making. • Timeline: Projected completion in late 2025 Outdoor tness and playgrounds O cials have opened 19 new playgrounds at the district’s elementary schools, with ve more under construction, four on order and four under design. Additionally, ve middle schools have completed outdoor tness centers and ninja courses, two middle schools have completed outdoor tness centers and three high schools have completed ninja courses. Construction on a reserve o cers’ training corps course

WOODLAND HILLS DR.

Kingwood

Upcoming projects

SORTERS MCCLELLAN RD.

1 Humble High School The southeastern wing of the campus will be rebuilt and career and technical education classrooms will be upgraded. O cials noted this project can’t begin until the Ross Sterling Middle School rebuild is completed. • Timeline: Projected completion by the end of 2029 Ross Sterling Middle School rebuild The campus will be rebuilt with the capacity for 1,250 students and relocated to Rustic Timbers Drive. The project is almost through design, per district o cials. • Timeline: Projected completion by the end of 2027 Dance room additions, CTE upgrades Riverwood, Creekwood, Atascocita, Humble and Timberwood middle schools will get new dance rooms and practice gyms, and ne arts and CTE upgrades. • Timeline: Projected completion by the end of 2027

TOWNSEN BLVD.

UPPER LAKE DR.

Completed projects

F I RST ST.

4 Summer Creek High School A new wing and additional parking was added to help accommodate campus growth. The new construction includes the addition of 35 general classrooms, ve CTE classrooms, collaboration areas, restrooms, storage, mechanical and administrative o ces. Satellite dining commons and lunch serving lines are now available • Timeline: Opened in fall 2024 Turf additions Turf was added to baseball and softball elds at Atascocita, Kingwood, Kingwood Park and Summer Creek high schools. • Timeline: Completed in early 2024

1960

Humble

TIMBER FOREST DR.

WILL CLAYTON PKWY.

Atascocita

MADERA RUN PKWY.

5 Lake Houston Middle School The district’s 11th middle school is a roughly 213,000-square-foot, three-story facility designed to house around 1,100 students. The campus features three stories with one grade housed on each level. Additionally, o cials noted each oor of the building

features an outdoor learning area. The campus will relieve student capacity for Autumn Ridge, West Lake

LAKE HOUSTON

and Woodcreek middle schools. • Timeline: Opened in fall 2025

W. LAKE HOUSTON PKWY.

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Education

BY HANNAH NORTON

Texas schools to see $8.4B funding boost

Zooming in

said in May, noting that lawmakers previously gave educators one-time “bonuses.” HB 2 also includes a $55 increase to the base amount of per-student funding schools receive from the state. Districts can use these funds, known as the basic allotment, for a variety of needs, including purchasing classroom materials, renovating facilities and paying teachers or sta. Some school leaders requested a roughly $1,300 basic allotment increase to help schools keep up with inationary costs. “When we’ve raised the basic allotment only, … we haven’t seen those dollars always driven to the classroom,” Creighton said July 21. “We made sure with our new allotments that we achieve targeted strategies towards what will increase student out- comes and academics, and what will also reward and protect our teachers.”

Sen. Brandon Creighton, RConroe, who spon- sored HB 2 in the Senate, told Community Impact July 21 that lawmakers changed “the budget architecture for how public schools are funded going forward.” HB 2 provides permanent raises for teachers with at least three years of classroom experience, with larger raises for teachers in small districts. In districts with 5,000 students or less, teachers with three to four years of experience will receive a $4,000 raise , while those with at least ve years of experience will receive an $8,000 boost . In districts with over 5,000 students, educators with three to four years of experience will get a $2,500 raise , and more experienced teachers will earn a $5,000 raise . “For the rst time in Texas history, that pay raise will continue beyond this biennium,” Creighton

Over the next two years, Texas’ nearly 9,000 public schools will receive about $8.4 billion in new funding after Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 2 in June. Nearly half of that funding will be spent on raises for educators and support staff, such as bus drivers, janitors and librarians. State lawmakers estimated in May that schools will receive “north of $17,700” per student under the school funding package—up from about $15,502 in the 2022-23 school year, according to Texas Education Agency data. The funding increase comes as some school Texas districts across Community Impact’s coverage areas grapple with growing budget shortfalls, leading some districts to consider closing campuses, cutting staff and slashing elective courses. Over a dozen school associations and advocacy groups praised lawmakers’ work on HB 2 after it was sent to the governor in late May, noting that the legislation would provide a “lifeline” to cash-strapped schools.

The breakdown

HB 2 gives schools approximately:

$3.7B for teacher pay raises

$430M for school safety

$1.3B for xed costs, such as transportation and insurance $850M for special education resources and evaluations

$243M for state-owned instructional materials $200M for teacher preparation and certication

“Texas is No. 1 in so many categories. Texas should be No. 1 in educating our children.” GOV. GREG ABBOTT

$500M for raises for support stu, including bus drivers and librarians

$153M for career and technical education

The bill also includes a $55 increase to the base per- student funding schools receive, known as the basic allotment.

$433M for early literacy and numeracy

SOURCES: TEXAS LEGISLATURE ONLINE, RAISE YOUR HAND TEXASCOMMUNITY IMPACT

One more thing

Texas’ school funding system

create these guardrails around this money,” Rombado told Community Impact on July 18. He said a larger basic allotment increase would have given Texas public schools “the most exible funding” because that money can be used for a variety of purposes. “Having the autonomy to pivot and invest money that [districts] have been given allows them to adapt to changing times a little more eciently,” Rombado said.

Max Rombado, the legislative director for the public school advocacy organization Raise Your Hand Texas, said creating targeted funding allotments can be complicated in a state as large and diverse as Texas. “While the impact may generally be positive, there are a variety of complexities and dierences between school districts that might create challenges when you

Federal funding: $2,688

State funding: $5,021 Local property tax revenue: $7,793

The average school district received about $15,502 in the 2022-23 school year.

SOURCES: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY, RAISE YOUR HAND TEXASCOMMUNITY IMPACT

LAKE HOUSTON HUMBLE KINGWOOD EDITION

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