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Conroe Montgomery Edition VOLUME 11, ISSUE 6 SEPT. 20 OCT. 22, 2025
Increasing compensation Cities, county boost o cer pay in FY 2025 26 budgets
BY NICHAELA SHAHEEN
Local law enforcement agencies addressed o cer pay during the 2025- 26 budget season, with Montgomery County leading the charge for a more competitive salary to match or exceed what is o ered in the city of Houston. Jonathan Zitzmann, chief deputy with Montgomery County Sheri ’s O ce, on Aug. 12 presented a pay parity plan to Commissioners Court in response to concerns raised in May by Sheri Wesley Doolittle, which commissioners adopted Sept. 5. Zitzmann said Montgomery County will focus on recruiting, retaining and rewarding law enforcement. “A lot of our guys are working a second job,” Judge Mark Keough said. “Doing this … gives them some freedom to choose not to work that second job, and allows them to spend more time with their family.”
From left, O cer Nathan Crenshaw, Sergeant Ralph Horne and Sergeant Kyle Troester work for the Conroe Police Department. The city will give all employees, including o cers, a 6% cost-of-living pay increase, while the county adopted a $9 million pay parity plan.
CONTINUED ON 24
COURTESY CITY OF CONROE
Also in this issue
Impacts: Learn about a new co ee shop now open in Montgomery (Page 6)
Education: Read about new Conroe ISD Superintendent David Vinson (Page 21)
Events: Get information about local events taking place through October (Page 22)
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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.
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CONROE MONTGOMERY EDITION
Impacts
• Opened Aug. 4 • 449 S. Loop 336 W., Ste. 1100, Conroe • www.einsteinbros.com
Willis
Montgomery
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4 Bruster’s Real Ice Cream The shop offers fresh ice cream through a walk-up counter and drive-thru. Flavors range from strawberry matcha to banana pudding and more. • Opened Aug. 8 • 12891 Hwy. 105 W., Conroe • www.brusters.com 5 Daniel’s Barbershop The barbershop expanded with a second location in Willis, and offers men’s haircuts, grooming services, nose and ear wax services and hair designs. • Opened Aug. 12 • 904 W. Montgomery St., Ste. 3, Willis • www.danielsbarbershop.org Amazing Christmas Lights Amazing Window Cleaners launched a new division called Amazing Christmas Lights, which will specialize in full-service Christmas and holiday lighting installations in and around Montgomery County, according to an Aug. 25 news release. Booking for the holiday season will begin Oct. 1. • Launched in August • Serving Montgomery County and the surrounding areas • https://amazingchristmaslights.net
LONE STAR PKWY.
LAKE CONROE
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KEENAN CUT OFF RD.
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PINE MARKET AVE.
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WOODFOREST PKWY.
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MAP NOT TO SCALE
Coming soon
N TM; © 2025 COMMUNITY IMPACT CO. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
6 Blast Swim Academy Woodforest The swim school will offer small class sizes, personalized instruction and a heated indoor teaching pool designed for year-round lessons. Amenities include family changing rooms, on-deck showers and a retail area with swim gear. • Opening this fall • 759 Pine Market Ave., Ste. 300, Montgomery • www.blastswim.com/pages/woodforest 7 Taquizas Tacolicious The business offers authentic Mexican food, including
2 Hanz Diner The breakfast and lunch diner is serving wings, waffles, hash browns and other breakfast classics. • Opened July 9 • 20821 Eva St., Ste. K, Montgomery • www.hanzdiner.com 3 Einstein Bros. Bagels The bagel shop is known for a variety of bagels and double-whipped cream cheese.
Now open
1 Freel Legal Nurse Consultants The business provides legal nurse consulting services to support attorneys in medical-legal cases. The team works to bridge the gap between medicine and the law, offering critical insights, case review and expert witness support, founder Janice Freel said. • Opened Aug. 18 • 3600 FM 1488, Ste. 120, Conroe • 832-642-3958
HIRING A FULL-TIME PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN IN CONROE Join a university-affiliated clinic focused on whole-person care and medical education. SHSU Physicians is seeking a full-time family or internal medicine physician to join our growing clinic in Conroe. This clinical position includes opportunities to teach medical students in an academic setting. Texas license and board certification required.
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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
BY COMMUNITY IMPACT STAFF
tacos. The restaurant also a food truck in Willis. • Opening in September
In the news
Now open
• 609 W. Montgomery St., Willis • Facebook: Taquizas Tacolicious
11 Conroe’s Incredible Pizza Co. The business celebrated 20 years on Aug. 5, Director of Marketing Kim Valadez said. Conroe’s Incredible Pizza Co. offers a range of hosting options, including birthday parties, group events, corporate events, overnight lock- in parties and exclusive use buyouts, Valadez said. • 230 S. Loop 336 W., Conroe • www.ipcconroe.com 12 Lone Star College-Montgomery The campus marked its 30th anniversary with a convocation event welcoming faculty, staff and students for the start of the fall semester, according to an Aug. 25 news release. Opened in 1995, the Montgomery campus has grown, with more than 18,000 students enrolled in fall 2024, per the release.
8 PostNet The business will act as a one-stop shop for all mailing service needs, and offer signage, mailers and stamps along with other services. PostNet will print and ship items with providers such as USPS, UPS, FedEx and DHL. • Opening Nov. 1 • 670 N. FM 3083 Road W., Ste. 202 • www.postnet.com
What’s next PERMITS FILED WITH THE TEXAS
DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING AND REGULATION
13 The Highland Pine Coffee Company The coffee shop offers a variety of items, including matcha, espresso drinks, pastries and some bites, owner Taryn Fiebiger said. The shop will also have a variety of board games in the near future for customers to enjoy. • Opened Aug. 11 • 21123 Eva St., Ste. 110, Montgomery • www.thehighlandpine.com
9 Plato’s Closet The retailer has filed plans for renovations at a site in Conroe, according to a filing with the TDLR. Construction is set to begin in October and wrap up in December. The project has an estimated cost of $100,000. Details are subject to change. • 1108 W. Dallas St., Conroe • www.platoscloset.com 10 Crunch Fitness The gym is opening a new location in Conroe, according to a filing with the TDLR. Construction is set to begin in September and wrap up in February, according to the filing. The project has an estimated cost of $1.5 million.
• 3200 College Park Drive, Conroe • www.lonestar.edu/montgomery
Lone Star College System The community college system appointed retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. David J. Yebra as its inaugural chief veterans officer, effective Sept. 1, according to a news release. Yebra will lead system-wide efforts to support veteran and military-affiliated students at Lone Star College System. • www.lonestar.edu
offers comfort food classics including fried chicken ramen, loaded potatoes and barbecue rice bowls. • Opened Aug. 21 • 9595 Six Pines Drive, Ste. 200, The Woodlands • www.localpubliceatery.com
Worth the trip
Details are subject to change. • 1420 N. Loop 336 W., Conroe • www.crunch.com
Leading Note Studios The music school specializes in private and group music lessons for all ages in piano, voice, guitar, drums, ukulele and more. The studio also offers programs in music theory, rock band and songwriting. • Opened in early August • 32207 Tamina Road, Magnolia • www.leadingnotestudiosmagnolia.com Local Public Eatery The business opened a new location at Market Street in The Woodlands, marking the concept’s first Houston location and second Texas location. Local Public Eatery
Expansions
Closings
Lamplight Ghost Tours The business, which already offers ghost tours in Montgomery, will launch a new tour through downtown Conroe. The tour will combine a walk with local history and stories. • Expanding in October • Downtown Conroe • https://lamplightghosttours.com
14 Panera Bread Several Houston-area locations of the cafe franchise have closed amid a bankruptcy filing and lawsuit,
Community Impact reported. • 1302 W. Davis St., Conroe • www.panerabread.com
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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
Community
BY NICHAELA SHAHEEN
Director Janna Hoglund discusses vision for county library system In March, Janna Hoglund was appointed the new director of the Montgomery County Memorial Library System after previously serving as the director of the Lone Star College-Tomball Commu- nity Library. Community Impact interviewed Hoglund about her new role, priorities and vision for the library system. The following interview has been edited for length and clarity. What drew you to this leadership role, and what are your priorities? Stepping into this role is both a responsibility and a gift. Library readership is first and foremost about service, empowerment, information access, team development and community well-being. Moreover, being in the library leadership role is
about being inspired by the evolving role of libraries today. Public libraries today are community anchors that support everything from digital equity and education, innovation, social interactions, to job readiness, civic engagement, collaboration and welfare. How do you plan to ensure library services continue to evolve with community needs? Ensuring that our library services evolve with community needs starts with listening ... to our library team and the people we serve. The plan is to ensure a continuous cycle of community engage- ment, feedback and responsive planning. What is your vision for the library system? My vision is for the library system to be a truly dynamic, innovative and future-ready resource that meets people where they are—whether that is in our library locations, online or out in the community. With the opening of the new Kevin Brady Library, we will be introducing an Innovation Center that will include a professional podcast studio with audio and video production capabilities as well as a collaborative maker space.
COURTESY MONTGOMERY COUNTY JUDGE MARK KEOUGH’S OFFICE
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. For a longer version, visit communityimpact.com.
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Government
BY NICHAELA SHAHEEN
Starting Sept. 1, a new state law changed how and when cities and counties must post public notices for meetings. House Bill 1522 changes the previous 72- hour notice requirement to three business days, meaning weekends and holidays no longer count toward the minimum posting period. The new law is intended to give residents more time to review meeting agendas and participate in local government decisions, according to the bill analysis. In preparation for HB 1522’s implementation, some local government entities in the area shifted their meeting schedules. The city of Conroe and Montgomery County Commissioners Court have changed their meeting dates to make it easier to comply with the law. Public notice rules change e ective Sept. 1 HB 1522 requirements Notice of a meeting of a governmental body must: Be readily accessible to the general public at all times for at least three business days before the scheduled date Meetings including budget discussion or adoption must also include:
What they’re saying
The change will also a ect other boards, committees and departments that post public meetings, County Clerk Brandon Steinmann said July 15. Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R Brenham, sponsored the bill, which was authored by Rep. Stan Gerdes, R Smithville. The stated goal of the bill is to allow for more transparency and accessibility for citizen participation; however, it is also to ensure fairness, according to the bill analysis. “While [the original law] is meant to provide for government transparency and citizen participa- tion, the bill author has informed the committee that the language of the current law can be used to the advantage of a local government whereby the intended transparency is infringed upon,” Gerdes stated in the bill analysis.
Montgomery County o cials discussed how they will update policies to comply with the law during the July 15 Commissioners Court meeting. They voted to hold Tuesday meetings through the end of the year to avoid disrupting existing schedules. Agendas will be posted earlier to meet the new requirement until the permanent switch to Thursday meetings is made in January. “We adopted a county calendar at the beginning of the year, not just the ve of us, but all of y’all also set your calendars based on that,” Precinct 3 Commissioner Ritch Wheeler said. “This law goes into e ect Sept. 1. Rather than changing for the rest of the year, we’ll just change our agenda process for the rest of the year, which will be a little bit of a pain for sta , and I apologize to sta . ... We can manage that for three or four months.”
2P
What’s next
Montgomery city o cials considered moving council meetings to Thursdays instead of Tuesdays, which was on council’s Aug. 12 meeting agenda, but ultimately tabled the item, keeping meetings on Tuesdays for the time being. On Aug. 28, Conroe City Council voted to change its meeting structure, with agenda items now being discussed and voted on at the same time rather than holding a separate workshop meeting as the council has done previously. Conroe City Council’s next meeting is set for Sept. 25.
“It’s going to take a couple of meetings to adjust and for people to understand that they can’t just come in on Friday and
get things on an agenda. But once they understand and learn that, like anything, it’ll take care of itself.” CASEY OLSEN, PLACE 2 COUNCIL MEMBER, MONTGOMERY CITY COUNCIL
A physical copy of the budget A taxpayer impact statement
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The prices of our homes, included features, plans, specifications, promotions/incentives, neighborhood build-out and available locations are subject to change without notice. Stated dimensions, square footage and acreage are approximate and should not be used as a representation of any home’s or homesite’s precise or actual size, location or orientation. There is no guarantee that any particular homesite or home will be available. A Broker/Agent must register their client in person on client’s first visit at each community for a Broker/Agent to receive a commission or referral fee, if available. Not all features and options are available in all homes. Unless otherwise expressly stated, homes do not come with hardscape, landscape, or other decorator items. Any photographs or renderings used herein reflect artists’ conceptions and are for illustrative purposes only. Community maps, illustrations, plans and/or amenities reflect our current vision and are subject to change without notice. Photographs or renderings of people do not depict or indicate any preference regarding race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, familial status, or national origin. Our name and the logos contained herein are registered trademarks of Tri Pointe Homes, Inc. © 2025 Tri Pointe Homes Texas, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Government
BY NICHAELA SHAHEEN
Conroe’s development moratorium lifted Conroe’s temporary development moratorium in the northern portion of the city will come to an end after City Council’s vote to extend it failed during an Aug. 14 meeting. What this means After nearly a year, the city will end its develop- ment moratorium. The moratorium, rst enacted Aug. 29, 2024, paused certain development approvals while city sta worked on increasing water and sewer infrastructure projects. Also of note On Aug. 14, City Administrator Gary Scott said the city’s May 2025 request to change the autho- rized water capacity requirement from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality—which was expedited with support from Sen. Brandon Creighton and Rep. Cecil Bell—was successful.
Local government news 3 stories we’re following online
"We have a lot of possibilities out there. We’re constantly addressing
this moratorium issue and water challenges within the city. We’ve been very aggressive on it." NORMAN MCGUIRE, ASSISTANT CITY ADMINISTRATOR AND PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
1 Conroe City Council approves name change for Oscar Johnson Jr. center Conroe City Council voted Aug. 28 to rename the Oscar Johnson Jr. Community Center as the Oscar Johnson Jr. Enrichment & Recreation Center. 2 State Sen. Brandon Creighton named sole nalist for Texas Tech University System chancellor State Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, was named the sole nalist for the position of chancellor and CEO for the Texas Tech University System at a Sept. 4 board of regents meeting. 3 Montgomery City Council approves $10K rearms range contract Montgomery City Council approved a contract for the police department’s use of a rearms training range for $10,000 with Valhalla Trust, giving o cers a facility for training and certi cation.
Scott said the new authorized water capacity requirement is lower at 0.46 gallons per minute per connection, compared to the state baseline of 0.6 gpm. What’s next Scott said the following projects are set to come online over the next 15 months: • Water Plant No. 30: September 2025 • Well Nos. 6 & 14 replacements: April 2026 • Well No. 32: October 2026
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CONROE MONTGOMERY EDITION
Education
BY ANGELA BONILLA
Robyn Hughes, CISD’s child nutrition director, talks school meals Robyn Hughes, Conroe ISD’s director of child nutrition, spoke July 28 with Community Impact about her role in the district and its Child Nutrition Department. How do you decide what’s on the menu at CISD campuses? We have a menu planning team, and we work together [to] develop the menus, and they have to meet the USDA guidelines [and] student pref- erences. We have to make sure the menu items are available and that we can prepare them. So we have to think about the logistics, and we use student feedback; we look at participation trends and the nutrition of the items, and then we create the menus. ... They have to be both appealing to students as well as comply with the federal school
meal regulations, and we also have to consider cultural diversity and how cost-e ective the menu items are. What would readers be surprised to learn about that goes into meal planning? I think they would be surprised at how many regulations we have, and that every menu has to meet speci c nutrition requirements. So we look at calories and sodium and fat, and we have to plan months in advance to make sure we have enough food to prepare the menus and that we get the food on time, and we work with limited budgets. We have to look at nutrition and food safety regula- tions, and we have to please students and parents. How do the demands of the child nutrition department change as the district grows? Well, we have to increase our food produc- tion, [and] our sta ng. [We] have to look at our equipment, and we have to maintain quality and compliance, and we also have to look at when we grow, there are more diverse student needs and preferences.
Robyn Hughes is Conroe ISD’s director of child nutrition.
COURTESY CONROE ISD
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. For a longer version, visit communityimpact.com .
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Education
BY ANGELA BONILLA, HANNAH NORTON & JULIANNA WASHBURN
Montgomery County-area districts receive TEA accountability ratings
Digging deeper
Elementary and middle school ratings are largely based on the State of Texas Assess- ments of Academic Readiness, which students begin taking in third grade. High school ratings are based on the STAAR and how well students are prepared for success after graduation. Districts and campuses that scored a D or F may receive extra resources and support from the state, per the TEA. Under state law, if at least one campus in a school district receives a failing grade for five consecutive years, the commissioner is required to close that campus or appoint a board of managers. “We’re particularly proud that Conroe ISD maintains zero ‘F’ rated campuses, while con- tinuing to elevate student achievement across all schools,” Stewart said. In all three districts for 2024-25, no cam- puses scored an F. For 2023-24, one campus— WISD’s Lynn Lucas Middle School—scored an F. State law requires that annual A-F ratings be issued by Aug. 15 of each year; however, the 2024 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 and waited too long to notify districts about changes to the state accountability system. Texas’ 15th Court of Appeals ruled in July that the 2024 ratings could be released, and the TEA later announced they would be issued alongside the 2025 ratings. “Millions of dollars and thousands of hours ... have been invested in creating the A-F ratings system; courts can decide only whether it is legal, not whether it is wise or fair, much less commandeer the job of running it,” Chief Justice Scott Brister wrote in the ruling.
New data shows Conroe ISD earned a B rating, or a score of 85 out of 100, for both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years, per the Texas Education Agency’s A-F ratings released Aug. 15. Meanwhile, Montgomery ISD received a B for 2023-24 with an 86 and a B with an 87 for 2024-25; and Willis ISD received a C for 2023-24 with a 73, and a C with a 77 for 2024-25. Schools are rated by the TEA on an A-F scale based on three criteria: student achievement, school progress and closing the gaps. In a statement, Andrew Stewart, executive director of communications for CISD, said many campuses saw improvement in 2024-25. “Several campuses advanced from a ‘C’ rating or below to an ‘A’ or ‘B’ rating, which is a testament to effective teaching and targeted Superintendent Mark Ruffin said the district is “encouraged that ... our overall rating has improved each year.” WISD Superintendent Kimberley James said in an Aug. 15 news release that “the data confirms that our district’s focus, commitment and collaboration are delivering results.” In all three districts, more campuses received an A rating in 2024-25 than in 2023-24. In CISD, 28 campuses received an A rating in 2024-25, which is seven more than in 2023-24. For 2024-25, WISD saw two campuses achieve A ratings, versus none in 2023-24; and three MISD campuses received an A rating in 2024- 25, compared to one in 2023-24. support strategies,” Stewart said. In an Aug. 15 news release, MISD
Local districts’ accountability ratings
2023-24 2024-25
Conroe ISD A-F ratings
30 25 20 15 10 5 0
Rating B C D F
A
Montgomery ISD A-F ratings
10 8 6 4 2 0
A
Rating B C D F
Willis ISD A-F ratings
4 3 2 1 0
Rating B C D F
A
SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Put in perspective
Statewide campus performance
2024-25
2023-24
“Telling a parent today how well their school did in 2024 doesn’t help them with the supports they need to provide their kid [now],” Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath told reporters Aug. 14. “It is great now to have this tool back to help support our families [and] also support our educators.”
Across the state, most school districts and 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. Of the state’s 9,084 campuses, 15% received a lower grade, according to the data.
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 AGENCY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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CONROE - MONTGOMERY EDITION
Education
The number of students requiring special education services more than doubled in Conroe, Montgomery and Willis ISDs, rising 87%, 135% and 111%, respectively, between the 2018-19 and 2023- 24 school years, per Texas Education Agency data. With the growth in special education students, some districts came face-to-face with a gap in how much the services cost and the actual money they had on hand. In a 2023 report, advocacy group Disabilities Rights Texas noted a $2.3 billion shortfall in local educational agencies’ budgets for special education programs in 2020-21. Schools could see relief after Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 2, which spends $850 million on overhauling special education funding to allocate resources based on students’ individual needs, rather than instructional setting. The new funding will be allocated in 2026-27, per the TEA. WISD Communications Director Sarah Blakelock said any funding increase will go to closing that gap. MISD o cials said that while the district doesn’t have its funding estimates yet, priorities include expanded dyslexia services. Special education growth outpaces expected HB 2 aid
Special education student enrollment
Conroe ISD Montgomery ISD Willis ISD
11,236
12,000
9,192
10,000
7,230
8,000
6,356
5,857
5,808
5,314
6,000
1334 1551
1142 1330
970 1101
4,000
788 865
869 959
632 658
757 773
2,000
0
2018-19
2019-20 2020-21
2021-22
2022-23
2023-24
2024-25*
Special education teacher positions
Conroe ISD Montgomery ISD Willis ISD
1,000
694
800
641
603
574
550
501
600
400
35 98
33 94
30 85
37 75
31 81
27 70
200
0
2018-19
2019-20
2020-21
2021-22
2022-23
2023-24
*2024 25 VALUE PROVIDED BY CONROE ISD. DISTRICT NUMBERS MAY DIFFER FROM TEA REPORTS.
NOTE: TEACHER POSITION NUMBERS HAVE BEEN ROUNDED TO THE NEAREST WHOLE NUMBER.
SOURCES: CONROE ISD, TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY COMMUNITY IMPACT
What they’re saying
Diving deeper
Wrapped up in the HB 2 special education fund- ing is $1,000 set aside for each child’s initial special education evaluation, according to the TEA. Per a June 24 presentation, CISD said this allotment alone could save about $2.5 million. Michael Holland, executive director of the Region 6 Education Service Center, which pro- vides services for school districts including CISD, MISD and WISD, said full and individual evalua- tions for students can range from $1,000-$4,000 depending on the type of evaluation. He said the additional $1,000 reimbursement will help o set that cost, but many other expenses remain for districts to contend with, such as overtime and part-time work. “The cost of providing special education ser- vices for the [local education agencies] in Region 6 can be extensive,” Holland said. “[Districts] struggle with the cost of having to contract many of the services for the students they teach.” However, other funding provided by HB 2 may
HB 2’s special education provisions HB 2 outlines new funding and provisions for special education. $850 million in new funding allocated to districts $1,000 for each child’s initial special education evaluation Allocates resources based on students’ individual needs, rather than where they receive services
“The legislature did make some meaningful progress, ... although not to the extent that we had hoped.” KAREN GARZA,
CONROE ISD CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY COMMUNITY IMPACT
help to o set costs in other ways, Holland said. HB 2 will provide permanent raises for educators and support sta and set aside money for schools to spend on xed costs, such as utilities. CISD’s Chief Financial O cer Karen Garza said while HB 2 funding will help address some of the district’s funding challenges, it is not comprehen- sive in its scope.
"The transition to an intensity of services model represents a critical step forward.”
MARK RUFFIN, MISD SUPERINTENDENT
16
COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
BY ANGELA BONILLA & JULIANNA WASHBURN
What comes next
Number of special education students statewide
Zooming out
MISD said to prepare for the future, it monitors enrollment and service trends, conducts needs assessments across campuses and is exploring ways to expand support programs to make sure the district has the right tools as it continues to grow. WISD o cials said they’re monitoring student and academic data to strategically assign sta members. Additionally, the district said professional development will continue to be o ered to address areas of growth for special education teachers and other sta members. CISD o cials declined to comment further on the possible e ects of HB 2 as of press time. “Conroe ISD is continuing to review HB 2 and its e ects,” district o cials said in a statement.
CISD, MISD and WISD aren’t alone, as TEA data shows that the number of students receiving special education services across the entire state nearly doubled in the last decade. Since removing the cap on the number of students a district could classify as needing special education in 2017, the number of special education students has increased statewide, according to previous reporting. For the 2023-24 school year, 14% of Texas’ total public school and public charter school students received special education services. All 28 districts across the Houston area also saw a rise in students receiving special education services from 2020-25, per prior reporting. While the rising need for special education services re ects broader state and national trends, MISD said it’s also due to local population growth. The district said other factors have in uenced the rise, including:
+71.07%
2017- 18
2018- 19
2019- 20
2020- 21
2021- 22
2022- 23
2023- 24
2024- 25
SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY COMMUNITY IMPACT
• Increase in dyslexia identi cation and addition of dyslexia services to be provided • Early childhood referrals on the rise • Increase in evaluations for students in private and home school settings • High number of special education transfers into the district
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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 arti cial 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 de ne 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 e ectively in education. How might AI a ect 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 di erent 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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Education
BY ANGELA BONILLA & JULIANNA WASHBURN
Conroe ISD announces superintendent nalist The Conroe ISD board of trustees named David Vinson as the lone nalist for CISD’s superintendent of schools in a unanimous vote during a special board meeting Aug. 27. The decision follows a three-month
"I met [CISD’s school board] and ... it was just this laser focus on kids, on character. ... That is vital and essential because if we have shared values, things are going to go well."
DAVID VINSON, CONROE ISD SUPERINTENDENT FINALIST
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Vinson has been the superintendent for Wylie ISD since 2011, which has over 19,300 students and 20 campuses. In comparison, CISD serves over 73,000 students across 71 campuses. According to an Aug. 27 news release, under Vinson, WISD received A’s for the district and each individual campus as part of the TEA’s 2024-25 accountability ratings. Vinson also expanded dual-credit enrollment at WISD by 600% and grew the district’s fund balance from $9 million to more than $85 million, according to the release. The CISD board of trustees can o cially vote to hire Conroe ISD adopts scal year 2025 26 budget Conroe ISD has approved a balanced budget for scal year 2025-26, including a tax rate that will remain the same as scal year 2024-25, according to discussion at the Aug. 19 meeting. How we got here The FY 2025-26 budget includes $761.06 million in both projected estimated revenues and expenditures. The tax rate of $0.9496 per $100 valuation is the same as FY 2024-25. CISD Chief Financial O cer Karen Garza said 89% of the budget goes to payroll services, totaling approxi- mately $679.5 million.
Vinson as CISD’s superintendent after a 21-day waiting period, according to the news release. The backstory Vinson attended Texas Tech University, and he has a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in character education, according to the release. “Throughout this process, we were united in our commitment to nd the very best leader for our students, sta and community,” board President Misty Odenweller said.
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MISD approves FY 2025 26 tax rate
Montgomery ISD’s board of trustees approved its tax rate for scal year 2025-26 at its regular board meeting Aug. 19. In a nutshell The approved tax rate for FY 2025-26 is $1.0912 per $100 valuation, which is the same rate as in FY 2024-25. The FY 2025-26 tax rate approval comes almost a year after voters approved MISD’s voter-ap- proval tax rate election, which secured $5.5 million in additional revenue for the district. MISD’s board of trustees also approved a $104.9 million balanced budget for FY 2025-26 at its June 24 meeting. “Thanks to the support of our community in passing Proposition A, we’ve been able to directly invest those funds into maintaining a balanced budget, supporting our people and strengthening support for students in our class- rooms,” MISD Superintendent Mark Ru n said in an Aug. 19 news release. “Keeping the tax rate stable while providing the resources our schools need demonstrates our commitment to both scal responsibility and student success.”
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SOURCE: CONROE ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT
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