Tomball - Magnolia Edition | May 2025

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Tomball Magnolia Edition VOLUME 15, ISSUE 8 JUNE 4JULY 2, 2025

Magnolia prepares to lift development moratorium

City invests $30.2M in water infrastructure to accommodate growth

INSIDE

Water Plant No. 4

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Also in this issue

149

SPUR 149

Water Plant No. 4 is one of two new water plants in Magnolia. Since 2022, the city has been working on infrastructure to increase capacity.

Impacts Page 6 Get information on Lowe’s now open in Magnolia

Development Page 15 Read about a proposed $1B mixed-use project

COURTESY CITY OF MAGNOLIA

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Big discoveries begin by looking a little closer.

The Primrose Schools® Balanced Learning® approach combines the best early education wisdom with modern research — because when we focus on the science of learning, it’s easy to help your child learn science. Now enrolling ages 0–5.

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Thanks to the voter-approved 2022 Bond, we are opening Magnolia Parkway Intermediate and Magnolia Parkway Junior High to support our growing community! As Magnolia continues to grow, we’re committed to staying ahead to ensure our students have the space and resources they need.

Stay in the know of all that’s happening in Magnolia ISD!

INTERMEDIATE

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About Community Impact

Owners John and Jennifer Garrett launched Community Impact in 2005, and the company is still locally owned today with editions across Texas. Our mission is to provide trusted news and local information that everyone gets. Our vision is to build communities of informed citizens and thriving businesses through the collaboration of a passionate team. Our purpose is to be a light for our readers, customers, partners and each other by living out our core values of Faith, Passion, Quality, Innovation and Integrity.

Market leaders & metro team

Reporters Jovanna Aguilar Angela Bonilla Melissa Enaje Valeria Escobar Wesley Gardner Rachel Leland Emily Lincke Nichaela Shaheen Jessica Shorten Julianna Washburn Graphic Designers Richard Galvan Ellen Jackson Matt Mills Haley Velasco Aubrey Vogel Kevin Vu

Chrissy Leggett General Manager cleggett@ communityimpact.com

Martha Risinger Jesus Verastegui Taylor White Ronald Winters Houston Market President Jason Culpepper Senior Managing Editor Matt Stephens Senior Product Manager Kaitlin Schmidt Quality Desk Editor Sierra Rozen

Lizzy Spangler Editor lspangler@ communityimpact.com

April Halpin Account Executive ahalpin@ communityimpact.com

16300 Northwest Freeway Jersey Village, TX 77040 • 2814696181 CI careers

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Impacts

cream, cookie cakes and more. • Opened in April • 33108 Magnolia Circle, Ste. 200, Magnolia, • www.greatamericancookies.com 3 Playa Bowls The business offers acai, pitaya, coconut bowls and smoothies along with juices and coffee brews, as previously reported by Community Impact. • Opened April 26 • 32822 FM 2978, Ste. 1400, Magnolia • www.playabowls.com 4 Professional Choice Construction The business offers flooring materials alongside services such as interior and exterior finishes, roofing services, remodeling or new construction services. • Opened May 8 • 38009 FM 1774, Ste. A, Magnolia • https://professionalchoiceconstruction.my.canva.site 5 Indigo Hills RV Park and Resort The gated private RV park and resort has 50 feet by 75 feet spaces with concrete pads and asphalt roads. • Opened in March

CORPORATE WOODS DR.

MAGNOLIA CIR.

1486

1488

MAGNOLIA VILLAGE DR.

Magnolia

249 TOLL

1774

2978

149

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2978

249

BUTERA RD.

STAGECOACH RD.

HUFSMITH KUYKENDAHL RD.

VIRGIE COMMUNITY RD.

DECKER PRAIRIE ROSEHILL RD.

Tomball

NICHOLS SAWMILL ROAD

2920

MAIN ST.

2920

99 TOLL

PARK DR.

HOLDERRIETH RD.

GRAND PKWY.

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249

6 TeamLogic IT The business, owned by Jamie Jones, offers IT services and technology support for businesses. • Opened in March

ALICE RD.

COSSEY RD.

• 14011 Park Drive, Ste. 103, Tomball • www.teamlogicit.com/tomballtx345

VINTAGE PRESERVE PKWY.

MAP NOT TO SCALE

7 7 Brew The drive-thru coffee stand offers a variety of drinks including lattes, cold brews, energy drinks, teas and lemonades. • Opened May 19 • 28435 Hwy. 249, Tomball • www.7brew.com

• 29025 FM 2978, Magnolia • www.sonicdrivein.com

Now open

1 Sonic The restaurant is known for its carhops while offering breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack and drink options. • Opened April 11

2 Great American Cookies and Marble Slab Creamery The business, which opened in April, offers cookies, ice

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8 The Walsh & Albert Company and Metal Zinc The new office and heating, ventilation and air conditioning manufacturing facility is 194,500 square feet, according to an April 23 news release. • Opened May 20 • 2401 S. Persimmon St., Tomball • www.metalzincmfg.com; Facebook: Walsh & Albert

• Opening June 30 • 35502 FM 149, Bldg. D, Ste. 103, Pinehurst • www.shipleydonuts.com

Now open

14 ISI Elite Training-Creekside ISI offers 50-minute certified coach-led sessions along with comprehensive training programs. • Opening this summer • 25131 FM 2978, Ste. E, Tomball • www.isielitetraining.com/locations/creekside-tx

Coming soon

What’s next

9 The Heights of Magnolia The residential living home will offer specialized care while providing home-cooked meals, outdoor activities and a therapy gym for residents. • Opening in June • 150 Corporate Woods Drive, Magnolia • www.touchstone-communities.com/heights-magnolia 10 Party Mini Golf The family-friendly business will feature a 19-hole mini golf course, music from across the decades, TVs and drinks. • Opening this summer • 14443 Vintage Preserve Parkway, Houston • www.partyminigolf.com 11 Heal Wellness Lounge The business will offer services including whole-body cryotherapy, red light therapy, an infrared sauna, and

15 Sam’s Club The membership-based warehouse retailer is anticipated to open at the corner of Hwy. 249 and the Grand Parkway, per a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Construction is estimated to begin in September and wrap up in late June. All information, including costs and timelines, is subject to change. • 13255 N. Grand Parkway W., Tomball • www.samsclub.com

19 Lowe’s The retailer officially opened its doors in Magnolia after hosting a grand opening ceremony on May 9. Those in attendance celebrated the opening with free food and performances, and Lowe’s donated $1,000 each to Camp Hope, MISD and Magnolia

Fire Department. • Opened May 9 • 4427 Magnolia Village Drive, Magnolia • www.lowes.com

In the news

16 Buzzard Hill The business celebrated its one-year anniversary May 4, owner Larrissa Roberts confirmed. The full-service bar is open 365 days a year.

Tomball in 2017, served craft beers, hosted trivia nights and brought in food trucks. • Closed March 13 • 11729 Spring Cypress Road, Ste. R, Tomball • www.facebook.com/beardedfoxbrewing 20 Pinebrook Farms The business closed in May, owner Jorine Seale confirmed. Pinebrook Farms offered horseback riding lessons, training and summer horsemanship camp for riders of all ages and levels. • Closed May 4 • 611 Virgie Community Road, Magnolia • www.pinebrook-farms.com

sound and light therapy. • Opening this summer

• 23713 Nichols Sawmill Road, Hockley • www.facebook.com/buzzardhilltx

• 25131 FM 2978, Ste. C, Tomball • www.healwellnesslounge.com

17 Wired The electrical services company is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Wired offers a variety of residential and commercial services. • 13910 Alice Road, Tomball • www.wiredes.com

12 Willow Creek Manor The new affordable housing complex will add 264 units in the Kohrville neighborhood in northwest Houston. • Opening in 2027

• 10621 Cossey Road, Houston • www.pedcorcompanies.com

Closings

13 Shipley Do-Nuts The business will offer a variety of doughnut and kolache options, according to its website.

18 Bearded Fox Brewing Company The brewing company, which opened its doors in

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Government

BY JESSICA SHORTEN

Montgomery County Jail facing inmate capacity issues

What they’re saying

“A new or expanded facility isn’t just a building project. It’s an investment in public safety, scal responsibility and long-term preparedness.” WESLEY DOOLITTLE, SHERIFF, MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Montgomery County commissioners approved an interlocal agreement April 8 for Waller County to house inmates as overcrowding becomes a more pressing issue at the Montgomery County jail. “The jail is frequently over capacity, and the strain is becoming increasingly dicult,” Montgomery County Sheri Wesley Doolittle said in an interview with Community Impact . “Overcrowding impacts everything, from the safety of our sta and inmates to access to rehabilitation programs and day-to-day operations. It increases the potential for incidents, adds to overtime demands, and contributes to burnout and turnover among our deputies and jail sta.” Doolittle said the Texas Commission on Jail Standards requires county jails to keep their occupancy at around 90% of the total available space within the jail, and the county has been operating between 94%-116% capacity since January. Doolittle said the jail could be subjected to administrative nes and potential closure if the state determines the county is not adequately housing inmates. A 64-bed expansion using existing space was authorized by the TCJS in February, but Doolittle said there is no space left for an expansion within the existing jail. “Temporary xes will not adequately address our problem eectively. We can’t continue down this road with temporary xes,” Doolittle said. “We need a facility that can meet the demands of today and the challenges of tomorrow.”

Montgomery County Jail average daily inmate totals The number of inmates at the Montgomery County Jail was exceeding state requirements as of late April.

Capacity

Average daily inmates

1,500

1,235

1,000

“The quicker we get [inmates] out to [the Texas Department of Criminal

Justice], the better o we’re going to be. So if we get the state to cooperate with us, that would relieve some of that tension.”

500

2022

2023

2024

2025

MARK KEOUGH, JUDGE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY

SOURCES: TEXAS COMMISSION ON JAIL STANDARDS, MONTGOMERY COUNTY JAILCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Montgomery County Jail

“We’re completely done now. There is nothing else we can do without a building.”

336

CHARLIE RILEY, COMMISSIONER, MONTGOMERY COUNTY PRECINCT 2

CRIMINAL JUSTICE DR.

What’s next?

the average daily population of the jail. On May 13, Doolittle told Commissioners Court a 2,400-capacity jail will be needed to keep up with growth. “This can’t be solved by one oce alone,” Doolittle said. “I’ve been working to keep those conversations moving because it’s going to take all of us— elected ocials, public safety leaders and the community— working together to nd the right path forward.”

Waller County at a rate of $75 per day, per inmate. Commissioners also agreed to work with Doolittle and the sheri’s oce to look at potential jail expansion options. Doolittle said he would work with the state and federal government to move U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees and Texas Department of Criminal Justice inmates to their nal housing locations, which will also assist in lowering

Doolittle said there are still nearly 2,700 unserved warrants from the sheri’s oce which could further grow the issue of jail overcrowding. “We don’t have another contingency,” Doolittle said. “At this point, we’re working to try to move people through that criminal justice process in our community and to nd ways to house inmates safely.” Commissioners approved the contract with

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Government

BY JESSICA SHORTEN

Q&A: Sherry Hunter, Montgomery County chief appraiser, discusses property taxes Sherry Hunter, chief appraiser with Montgomery Central Appraisal District, sat down for an interview with Community Impact on April 10 to talk about her role and what challenges are being faced by the appraisal district as the property value protest process has been underway since April 1. What were the big changes you made upon becoming chief appraiser? For tax year 2025, our budget is now for 107 employees, but it is because for a long time we were limited as far as our appraisal staff as well as technol- ogy. But the county has grown substantially. It’s a lit- tle daunting to do this, but ... with the new software that we have, they do have a mobile application.

What are some of the big misconceptions that you see year over year when it comes to property taxes? That we are politically motivated when we are actually a neutral party. We are tasked with having an accurate listing of all properties within the boundaries of the county and valuing them at 100% of market value each year as of Jan. 1. To do this, we utilize prior year sales information. Why can residents see a year-to-year increase in their appraisal value, even if local taxing entities do not raise their tax rate? Our values are set first, and so we have to value as of Jan. 1. Because we have to value as of Jan. 1, we’re looking at all of the prior year sales. So for tax year 2025 or appraisal year 2025, we’re looking at all the sales that took place in 2024 in order to deter- mine what a property owner could actually sell their home for as of Jan. 1. So that can change every year, and it’s just depending on what the market is saying there. ... So there are times when we have an increase in the market, but then there are times when we have a decrease in the market.

COURTESY SHERRY HUNTER/MONTGOMERY CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. For a longer version, visit communityimpact.com .

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Government

BY NICHAELA SHAHEEN & JESSICA SHORTEN

Magnolia re station reopens after closure Magnolia Fire Station No. 186 reopened after a temporary closure due to safety concerns, the Magnolia Fire Department announced in a May 1 news release. What you need to know While normal response operations at Station No. 186 have resumed, crew will have temporary dierent on-site housing, per the release. Magnolia Fire Department ocials said via news release that opera- tions were maintained without interrup- tion while the station was oine.

Dams proposed

KEY

Spring Creek watershed

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BIRCH CREEK

The Woodlands

Two detention dams totaling $298 million are proposed to address downstream ooding in the Spring Creek watershed.

Birch Creek proposed dam location Walnut Creek proposed dam location

WALNUT CREEK

SPRING CREEK

1488

Magnolia

Creeks

SOURCE: SAN JACINTO RIVER AUTHORITYCOMMUNITY IMPACT

SJRA considers $298M for 2 Spring Creek dams San Jacinto River Authority ocials revealed the rst project recommendations on April 28 to address ooding along the Spring Creek water- shed, seeking two new dams at Birch and Walnut creeks in Waller County. Two-minute impact

Montgomery County dedicates Magnolia Annex to Tommy Gage Montgomery County Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley and Montgomery County Sheri Wesley Doolittle announced the dedication of the MCSO Magnolia Annex to former Sheri Tommy Gage on April 29. The backstory The annex was opened in 2022 at 19038 Unity Park Drive in Magnolia as a new substation for the sheri’s oce, and includes a 13-person capacity holding facility on-site. Previously known simply as the Magnolia Annex, the station was renamed as the Sheri Tommy Gage Magnolia Annex in a ceremony with county ocials and ocers. Gage served as Montgomery County sheri from 2005-2017, announcing his retirement in 2016 after 35 years with the Montgomery County Sheri’s Oce in various positions. Prior to his Matt Barrett and Andrew Moore, the location of the two dams is set to prevent between 4 inches and 3 feet of downstream ooding for 8,762 structures along the Spring Creek watershed. Barrett said the majority of local municipal- ities do not have any dedicated funds to move forward on the construction of the two dams. However, Barrett also said local municipalities would likely not be able to fund the project without state and federal funding. A nal report will be sent to the Texas Water Development Board by June 30 for ocial consideration for funding.

Magnolia names new city administrator During its May 13 meeting, Magnolia City Council approved hiring Christopher Whittaker as the city administrator, subject to signing a professional services agreement to be negotiated by Mayor Matthew “Doc” Dantzer. What we know The search for a new city administrator started after previous City Administrator Don Doering retired, eective in November, according to prior reporting. Whittaker joins the city after experiences as city manager in Angleton, Texas, and Rockdale, Texas, according to his resume. He also served in the U.S. Army in various positions, including director of Industrial Base Maintenance Branch, chief executive ocer in Fort Hood, Texas, and Iraq, and a director of logistics and in supply and maintenance operations. The locations were selected due to calculated water ows downstream, SJRA ocials said. The Birch Creek dam will cost $105 million, and the Walnut Creek dam is set to cost $193 million. Diving in deeper Per the report presented by SJRA engineers

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Montgomery County ocials honored Tommy Gage during an April 29 ceremony.

RACHELLE LN.

HANKSRD.

UNITY PARK

MCSO Magnolia Annex

RACHELLE LN.

Y P A R K D R .

time in Montgomery County, Gage spent 12 years with the Houston Police Department. “I see so many people that I worked with that have been friends for years and will continue to be my friend until I take my last breath,” Gage said during the ceremony.

TOMBALL MAGNOLIA EDITION

Transportation

BY JESSICA SHORTEN & LIZZY SPANGLER

Tomball Tollway revenue increases 56% from 2019-23

County requests barriers on Hwy. 242 Following a petition which gained over 14,000 signatures as of press time, Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough announced a request to the Texas Depart- ment of Transportation to install pedestrian fencing along the Hwy. 242 flyovers at I-45 to provide additional barriers for those struggling with mental health issues. Two-minute impact After losing two classmates to suicide less than one year apart, College Park High School senior Lacy Tinnell began a petition on Change.org for local officials to install some form of preventative barriers. On May 6, Keough confirmed that TxDOT had received the request and is looking into potential funding options to include the project on the 2025 project letting schedule.

The revenue the Harris County Toll Road Authority collected from drivers along the Tomball Tollway increased 56% between 2019-23, accord- ing to HCTRA data. In fiscal year 2018-19, $28.3 million in reve- nue was collected from tolls along the Tomball Tollway, which increased to $44.2 million in FY 2022-23, according to HCTRA data. How we got here The Tomball Tollway spans from Coons Road to Spring Creek, per HCTRA’s system map. The first phase of the tollway opened in 2015, and the second phase opened in 2019, per prior reporting. Also of note Senate Bill 2722 aims to change how HCTRA funds are distributed by having excess revenue distributed to precincts based on the percentage of roads maintained. Harris County Precinct 3 oversees 47% of

Harris County Toll Road Authority collections, Tomball Tollway $50M

$44.2M

$40M

$28.3M

$30M

$20M

$10M

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY TOLL ROAD AUTHORITY/COMMUNITY IMPACT

unincorporated county roads, Commissioner Tom Ramsey said, while Precincts 1 and 2 each oversee 15%. Precinct 4 oversees 23%. As of May 23, SB 2722 passed the Senate, and was voted out of the House Transportation Com- mittee, per Texas Legislature Online.

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Development

BY NICHAELA SHAHEEN

Developer hopes to bring $1B town center to Magnolia

A 200-acre mixed-use development, Magnolia Town Center, is undergoing review by the city’s planning and engineering departments. The project is being proposed by Tannos Development Group, LLC, CEO and President Louis Tannos said. The estimated total value at full build-out is set to be near $1 billion, Tannos said. What we know The project is still early in the city’s standard development process, Tannos confirmed. Mayor Matthew “Doc” Dantzer said the proposed town center has not yet been brought to the Planning & Zoning Commission or Magnolia City Council. “Magnolia is a place with strong community roots; any development that wants to contribute to that vision is welcome to bring forward their plans,” Dantzer said. “We have development codes and plans in place to guide this growth, and all plans are reviewed in a public forum for the public to attend.”

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Magnolia Town Center

MAGNOLIA BEND TERRACE

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A closer look Tannos said about $55 million in land sales are already under letters of intent, many involving national brands. Tannos also said he hopes to break ground as early as the first quarter of 2026, pending city approval, with completion 12 to 14 months after. “That’s a huge influx of new property taxes for the city,” Tannos said.

Tannos said the proposed site plan includes: • 187 single-family homesites • Multifamily spaces • Condominium spaces • Retail spaces • Two parking garages • A potential convention center • Three public-access lakes • Office buildings • Hospitality, public green space to be donated back to the city entertainment and walkable waterfront shopping areas • Over 30 acres of

SOURCE: TANNOS DEVELOPMENT GROUP, LLC/COMMUNITY IMPACT

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Magnolia prepares to lift development moratorium From the cover

How we got here

The overview

Magnolia enacted its water moratorium in December 2022 after nearing state-mandated limits for water system capacity, Robertson said. He said the city was approaching the threshold where infrastructure such as wells, booster pumps and storage tanks could no longer reliably serve the growing number of water connections. “The [Texas Commission on Environmental Quality] has regulations about what capacities you have to have on water infrastructure … to serve the number of connections that we have. And that’s why we went into a moratorium—because we were bumping up against that,” Robertson said. “We said we need to put ourselves in a position where we build infrastructure to get ahead.” At the time the moratorium was enacted, Magnolia had only two operational water plants and limited storage space. Since then, city sta have worked to expand capacity through phased improvements, Robertson said. Without proper infrastructure before the morato- rium was in place, even routine maintenance could have left residents underserved, Robertson said.

moratorium as early as September, Dantzer said. “All of our [key performance indicators] are saying that by October, we will be in the clear,” Dantzer said. City Engineer Tim Robertson conrmed that several improvements—from new elevated and ground storage tanks to two soon-to-be- completed wells—will bring Magnolia’s system capacity in line with state standards. Once complete and in service, Robertson said he believes the additions will expand redundancy and future-proof the city’s water infrastructure for growth.

Magnolia’s development moratorium, rst enacted in December 2022, has restricted new water connections due to limited infrastructure capacity. In turn, the moratorium halted many large-scale residential and commercial projects while the city worked to boost its water supply, Mayor Matthew “Doc” Dantzer said. Now, with several infrastructure additions and maintenance projects nearing completion— costing $30.2 million—including new wells, tanks and booster pumps, the city will begin operating with a lifted development

Magnolia’s new and updated

ATER PLANTS

149

Magnolia

1488

Magnolia has added two water plants to its water infrastructure,

and undergone maintenance and rehabilitation of existing water storage tanks at two existing plants since the development moratorium was enacted.

249

1774

Combined water well capacity

KEY:

Cost

WATER PLANT NO. 1

WATER PLANT NO. 3

“Moving forward, I think that we’ll do a much better job of when we make commitments [for water connections] that we are putting the infrastructure to

Underwent tank rehabilitation work

New plant (completion within next 4-6 months)

700 gallons per minute

2,500 gallons per minute

$275,000

$12.7M

WATER PLANT NO. 2

WATER PLANT NO. 4

maintain those commitments.” MATTHEW “DOC” DANTZER, MAGNOLIA MAYOR

Added 189K gallons of ground storage tank capacity and 700 gpm of water well capacity

New plant (completion within next 4-6 months)

1,500 gallons per minute

$11.5M

2,000 gallons per minute

$5.8M

SOURCE: CITY OF MAGNOLIACOMMUNITY IMPACT

Commercial and residential PERMITS APPROVED Prior to the moratorium, commercial and residential permits saw a spike before declining once enacted. Single-family permits Commercial permits

What they’re saying

are necessary for scalable growth,” said Skip Col- vin, chair of the Southwest Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce’s economic development committee. Dantzer said the city worked with developers to maintain trust, and agreements were made for limited monthly connections to allow for some residential properties to come online that were grandfathered in from the moratorium. “They gave us numbers, and we abided by them,” Dantzer said.

With the moratorium nearly lifted, builders and developers are preparing for a new wave of opportunity. Cody Miller, director of government aairs with the Greater Houston Builders Associa- tion, said he believes lifting the moratorium opens doors across the industry. “You’re creating economic opportunity not just for builders, but for tradespeople, lenders, realtors. … Everyone re-engages,” Miller said. The pause slowed new development, but indus- try professionals said they understood the need. “Most developers understand temporary pauses

0 100 200 300 400 500

415

366

303

226 16

2021

2022*

2023

2024

*MORATORIUM ENACTED IN DECEMBER 2022 SOURCE: CITY OF MAGNOLIACOMMUNITY IMPACT

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

BY NICHAELA SHAHEEN

Diving deeper

Looking ahead

and what the needs were, we were then given some exibility in that time frame,” she said. “But then afterwards, we probably put another $200,000 into infrastructure planning on our own to help support the city in commercial infrastruc- ture expansion and what that’s going to look like.” Steele said the city is expecting to see a spike in development once the moratorium is lifted. Colvin said he also expects a strong return to growth. “Magnolia’s leadership has laid the groundwork for expanded water infrastructure, and as that capacity comes online, it will open doors for renewed activity,” Colvin said. Colvin also said the chamber committee is working with both the city and county to ensure the workforce and infrastructure are in place to support new opportunities. “Our goal is to help facilitate growth that enhances quality of life and reinforces Magnolia’s identity as a great place to live and work,” Colvin said.

Magnolia’s moratorium may have paused development, but it also gave city leaders space to rethink how growth is supported, and what that growth should look like, said Rachel Steele, executive director of Magnolia Economic Develop- ment Corp. “Just because the moratorium is lifting doesn’t mean we stop planning and putting safeguards in place so that we don’t repeat what we experi- enced,” Steele said. Since the moratorium began, the city has expanded from three to ve operational water wells, with two more nearing completion. Once all are online, the city’s total well capacity will exceed 5,500 gallons per minute, enough to support about 9,200 customers, Robertson said. The MEDC has also played a role, investing nearly $1 million in a temporary water system during the early months of the moratorium to help keep key commercial projects moving, Steele said. “Then once the city could assess where it was

Robertson said the city has already secured land for a fth water plant and is currently looking for land to acquire to accommodate a sixth water plant in the future to support growth and avoid water capacity setbacks. Robertson also said that the city is looking to start and nish construction on Water Plants No. 5 and 6 within the next three years.

Magnolia’s growth

Lowe's opened May 9 Texas Roadhouse anticipated to open in the fall 2 new water plants are expected to be added by 2027 46.3% population increase in the city between 2018-23

SOURCES: CITY OF MAGNOLIA, U.S. CENSUS BUREAU COMMUNITY IMPACT

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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

Education

BY LIZZY SPANGLER & JULIANNA WASHBURN CONTRIBUTIONS BY HANNAH NORTON

Area districts receive ‘A,’ ‘B’ for 2022-23

In a nutshell

dedication of our teachers, campus administra- tors, and students.” “We also extend our sincere appreciation to our parents for their continued support and partner- ship. This collective accomplishment reflects our shared commitment to providing an exceptional educational experience for every child in Tomball ISD,” Salazar-Zamora said. In an emailed statement, MISD Chief Academic Officer Brandon Garza said the ratings repre- sented both a benchmark and an opportunity for growth. “With the new system, most districts across the state showed a decline in student achievement. However, we are pleased with our ability to main- tain performance and outscore peer districts. Standardized tests offer a snapshot, but the true measure of our progress is the incredible work our teachers do every day,” Garza said.

A-F ratings for school districts were first issued in 2018, according to an April 24 TEA news release. The method for calculating the 2022-23 ratings was refreshed, as is required every five years. The ratings are based on factors such as the annual State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness; academic growth; high school graduation rates; and how prepared students are for college, a career or the military, Community Impact previously reported. Across Texas, nearly 11% of school districts received an “A” rating for the 2022-23 school year. Forty percent of districts earned a “B,” while about 32% scored a “C,” 14% received a “D” and about 3% received an “F,” according to the TEA. In an April 25 news release, TISD Superinten- dent Martha Salazar-Zamora said the district’s ratings were a “testament to the hard work and

Tomball ISD received an “A” for the 2022- 23 school year with 91 out of 100 possible points in the Texas Education Agency’s 2022-23 accountability ratings for school districts statewide. The ratings were released April 24 after a two-year delay due to lawsuits, TEA officials said. Magnolia ISD received a “B” for the 2022- 23 school year with 85 out of 100 possible points, according to the TEA. The announcement follows an April 3 ruling by Texas’ 15th Court of Appeals, which overturned a lower court’s injunction that blocked the 2023 ratings for over a year. In August 2023, over 100 school districts sued TEA Commissioner Mike Morath, arguing the agency’s revamped accountability system was “unlawful” and would unfairly harm school districts, Community Impact previously reported.

The breakdown

received a rating of “A,” with nine campuses earning a “B” and one campus earning a “C.”

On a campus level, 15 TISD campuses received an “A” rating while six campuses received a “B” rating, according to the TEA. Five MISD campuses

Accountability ratings

Year

TISD

MISD

District snapshot

Campus rating breakdown

2018-19

A (92)

B (87)

A B C

C (1)

TISD

MISD

2019-20

Not rated due to pandemic

21,335 students enrolled in 2022-23 31.5% economically disadvantaged 9.9% special education 13.7% emergent bilingual

13,984 students enrolled in 2022-23 47.9% economically disadvantaged 14% special education 19% emergent bilingual

2020-21

Not rated due to pandemic

B (6)

A (5)

TISD

MISD

2021-22

A (95)

A (91)

A (15)

2022-23

A (91)

B (85)

B (9)

SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY/COMMUNITY IMPACT

What’s next

with the highest degree of transparency to deliver the best outcomes that we can for our kids,” Morath said April 22.

“A-F ratings are very public, and so that is a leadership challenge that our leaders bear, but this is the cross that we bear for being publicly funded and having the public’s children in our schools. It’s up to us to operate

The TEA remains blocked from issuing ratings for the 2023-24 school year due to a separate lawsuit, which is pending in the state appeals court. Morath also said the TEA intends to release ratings for 2024-25 on Aug. 15.

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Education

BY JULIANNA WASHBURN

Tomball ISD voters approve $429.1M bond package

Tomball ISD voters approved a $429.1 million bond package during the May 3 election. In a nutshell The funds will go to projects such as school and technology upgrades, land and site development for a new elementary school, updates to the Tomball High School stadium and multiprogram activity centers at three high schools, according to prior reporting. “These developments are poised to positively impact student learning environments and the overall quality of education within our commu- nity, all without increasing the total district tax rate,” TISD Superintendent Martha Salazar-Zamora said in a May 8 email to Community Impact. Work on the district’s second pre-K campus, the new Tomball Intermediate School campus and multiprogram activity centers are projected to begin this year, according to a TISD presentation on the 2025 bond projects.

In response to when bond funds would be received, TISD Chief Financial Officer Zack Boles the district is working with its financial advisor to determine the best time to issue bond funds, given market conditions. How we got here The TISD school board began talking about the bond package during a Jan. 13 workshop meeting. At the time, the recommendation from the bond steering committee included five propositions, or potentially $529.68 million in projects. That price of the originally proposed bond package was cut down by $100 million in a Feb. 3 workshop. By prioritizing certain projects, the school board was able to bring the total of the bond package down to $429.9 million. At the trimmed-down price, the school board avoided the potential of a tax rate increase. During its Feb. 11 meeting, the school board voted unanimously to call for the bond election.

TISD bond election results

Proposition A: $331.6M for campus renovations

For: 63%

Against: 37%

Proposition B: $18M for technology

For: 64%

Against: 36%

Proposition C: $2.8M for athletic upgrades

For: 56%

Against: 44%

Proposition D: $76.7M for activity centers

For: 55%

Against: 45%

SOURCES: HARRIS COUNTY CLERK’S OFFICE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY ELECTIONS CENTRAL/COMMUNITY IMPACT

What’s next Boles said the final timeline is still in the works, but for now, the work is expected to last through 2030.

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