Tomball News
Schools
Jordanian athlete competing in Genuine Cup missing from Rice University, school says
Rabe’e Ata Juma’a Alqaq, 24, was last seen walking around the Rice University campus late Saturday night or early Sunday.
HISD counselor highlights impact of HFB school supply program
A box of crayons and a stack of paper. Sometimes it's the simplest supplies that make the biggest impact, and the Houston Food Bank's school supply program is helping deliver essential supplies to those who need them most....
Limiting student AI use (July 27, 2026)
On Monday's show: Katy ISD is banning the use of AI by some students and limiting its use by others. We learn more about the decision and how it differs from HISD....
HISD teacher charged with improper relationship with a student
A high school teacher is facing charges tonight that he had an sexual relationship with an 18-year-old female student. According to court documents Jesse David Sifuentes is charged with 2 counts of improper relationship with a student. Sifuentes was an English teacher at the High...
HISD teacher facing charges for improper relationship with student, court documents show
Records allege the High School for Law and Justice student and 40-year-old teacher started the sexual relationship shortly after she turned 18 years old....
Katy ISD restricts the use of AI in elementary school classrooms
The Houston-area district, which serves nearly 100,000 students, is banning the use of generative artificial intelligence chat tools in kindergarten through sixth grade while gradually introducing its use for older students....
The legal fight over ‘Robin Hood’ renews Texas’ public school funding debate. Here’s what to know
Property-wealthy districts say recapture gives the state too much control over local finances. But advocates warn that without it, underserved students could end up worse off....
Texas’ longstanding ‘Robin Hood’ school finance system will face a new legal challenge
Midland school trustees argue they have minimal control over local taxes and can’t properly serve students as a recapture system redistributes millions of the district’s revenue....
Fort Bend County, Harris County constables ask school districts to ban e-motorcycles
Ahead of the new school year, some constables and the city of Fulshear are taking a closer look at e-scooters and e-motorcycles.
Constable Mark Herman urges six school districts to ban unregistered electric motorcycles on campus
Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman has asked Klein ISD, Tomball ISD, Spring ISD, Aldine ISD, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD and Humble ISD to adopt policies prohibiting unregistered electric motorcycles on school property....
TEA finds HISD to be out of compliance after some parents launch complaints
The Texas Education Agency has found HISD to be out of compliance after some parents filed complaints with the state over the district's special education changes....
Parents urge HISD to pause special education restructuring after TEA findings
With the first day of school just weeks away, some Houston ISD parents of students receiving special education services say they are still unsure where their children will attend class this fall as the district moves forward with its Student Success Program.HISD moving forward wi...
HISD moving forward with special education restructuring as TEA investigation into complaints continues
HISD says it will continue moving forward with its Student Success Program for the 2026-27 school year, while state officials continue investigating complaints surrounding the district’s special education changes. The program is part of the district’s restructuring of some of its...
Where to find free school supplies in Houston
Although it may feel like summer just started, back to school season is right around the corner.School supplies can get expensive, so we’ve made a list of places where you can find either free or cheap supplies for your family.Braeswood Church Community Health FairWhen: Saturday,...
Back to school events near me: 2026 ABC13 Loves Teachers supply drive to collect donations for Houston-area educators
The ABC13 Loves Teachers School Supply Drive on Friday, July 31, 2026, will collect donations to help educators who spend out of pocket to stock their classrooms....
Lamar CISD to open new Career and Technical Education Center, preparing students for workforce
Lamar Consolidated ISD will open its new Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center in Rosenberg next month, designed to help prepare students for careers after high school....
Students abducted in May by Islamic militants in Nigeria are rescued, government says
Students abducted in May by Islamic militants in Nigeria's southwestern Oyo state have been rescued, the government said Friday.Government spokesman Bayo Onanuga did not specify the total number of students rescued, but authorities said at the time of the abductions on May 15 tha...
Typhoon Bavi takes aim at China as Taiwan's capital shuts schools
A powerful typhoon was heading toward China's east coast Friday, the latest in a series of deadly storms that have already claimed 50 lives this week in two other parts of the country.Typhoon Bavi, with maximum sustained winds of 155 kph (96 mph), was first expected to pass north...
Piano Vibes makes music lessons accessible to all
A music school at Project Row Houses is striking a chord in the community through free and reduced-cost lessons.
Student pilot lands safely after instructor jumps out of plane mid-flight
A 22-year-old student pilot safely landed a plane Saturday after her instructor jumped out of the aircraft and died mid-flight over Argentina.
Houston City College: College that fits your schedule
For many adults, returning to school feels impossible when you’re juggling work, family and life. Houston City College’s Global Online program is changing that by offering flexible, fully online options that let students earn credentials on their own time. HCC’s Todd Duplantis sh...
Houston’s Ensemble Theatre marks 50th anniversary with premieres, revivals and, honoring the past
The Ensemble Theatre, one of the nation’s leading professional African American theaters that owns and operates its own facility, is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a season of six productions, special events and expanded education programming.Artistic director Eileen J. Mo...
Flight school pilot jumps to his death midair, leaving student to land plane
A pilot jumped out of the door of a moving plane to his death, leaving the student he was teaching to fly to land the aircraft by herself.
Klein Oak junior begins journey to raise first show heifer after winning Houston Rodeo calf scramble
For most fans at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the calf scramble lasts only a few exciting moments. For Klein Oak High School junior Andrew Marks, it marked the beginning of a months-long journey.After winning the 2026 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo calf scramble, Marks...
Behind Christopher Nolan’s 6-country epic undertaking to bring ‘The Odyssey’ to the big screen
Christopher Nolan has never been afraid to dream a little bigger. It’s almost a calling. With every film, he’s pushed himself and the medium further — playing with form, storytelling, visuals and audience expectations to create lasting cinematic spectacles. A student of Hollywood...
New 'Little House' series explores complicated history but keeps heart, community at the center
It's a story with covered wagons and one room schoolhouses, but showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine says the “Little House on the Prairie” remake for Netflix still speaks to today's American dream.The show, premiering Thursday and set in the late 1800s, follows the Ingalls family led ...
Duke MBA student with Leukemia seeks blood stem cell donor as minority patients face lower match rates
Doctors told Chizoma Ekechukwu something no one wants to hear. She has leukemia.
Texas Tech University facing lawsuit over "unconstitutional" course review rules
Professors at Texas Tech University are suing the school over mandatory course reviews they say are discriminatory and censor instruction.
Houston ISD to implement new rules for athletic events
Starting Aug. 1, there will be new rules for minors attending UIL athletic events at HISD district facilities.
NCAA sends letter of inquiry to Cincinnati about Brendan Sorsby, according to reports
The NCAA wants to know what the University of Cincinnati knew about former quarterback Brendan Sorsby and his gambling issues during his two seasons with the program.According to reports by multiple media outlets, the NCAA has sent an official letter of inquiry to the school rega...
Justin Bieber and more join World Cup final halftime show featuring Madonna, Shakira and BTS
Justin Bieber will bring his swag to the World Cup's star-studded, Super Bowl-style halftime show, joining fellow headliners Madonna, Shakira and BTS, FIFA announced Wednesday. Afrobeats star Burna Boy, Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the PS22 Chorus — a choir of element...
Houston-Area Back-to-School Drive: Catholic Charities collecting school supplies for students in need through Aug. 7
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston has kicked off its annual back-to-school supply drive to help children in need start the school year with the essentials. Community members can support the effort by dropping off items at designated collection sites, buyi...
Chinese men in Germany used Telegram groups to share rape videos and drugging tips, prosecutors say
They called themselves the “German driving school for experts," but prosecutors say the true purpose of their Telegram chats was to brag about the women they raped and share tips about how to drug them.In posts that sometimes included photos and videos of their attacks on unconsc...
Shepherd ISD still struggling academically despite years of state intervention
In 2019, the Texas Education Agency took over Shepherd ISD, citing academic failure. When the state takes over a district, they promise to improve the district, but that hasn't been the case for Shepherd....
From chicken, waffles to luxury hotels: FIFA World Cup 2026 boosts Houston businesses
A Grambling State University student working at a Houston café and a century-old downtown hotel are among the local businesses feeling the financial impact of FIFA World Cup 2026 and the numbers tell the story.Mia Gordwin works at Day and Night Wall Street Café, located on the co...
Houston-area home prices drop for the first time in 15 years. Here’s where buyers can find the best deals
For many families, summer marks the busiest time of the year to buy a home as they try to get settled before the start of a new school year.The good news for buyers? After years of rapidly rising home prices, the Houston-area housing market is beginning to shift.According to real...
Jalen Pitre roots: How Texans’ hometown guy became one of NFL’s hardest hitters
For Jalen Pitre, his roots as the Texans’ hometown guy are truly unique. His high school, the hallways, the classrooms and the football field of the Stafford Spartans, are practically sacred ground for him and his family.This is the community where he met his future wife, Juliann...
Texas community colleges showing small signs of recovery after enrollment decline, report finds
Texas community colleges have struggled with enrollment over the past 15 years as many high school graduates opted to go straight into the workforce, but a new report points to signs of the campuses pivoting to stay relevant.More students are graduating from Texas high schools, y...
From Braids to Backpacks: Houston foundation hosts a one-stop back-to-school boost for families
As families across Houston start preparing for the 2026–2027 school year, one local effort is again stepping in to help students begin the semester with confidence. The Boykins Youth Foundations is teaming up with community partners Rock-In-Hood Foundation and Madlineman Foundati...
Measles vaccination rate for Texas kindergarteners increased slightly after 2025 outbreak
While more than 92% of Texas kindergarteners and 7th graders were fully vaccinated in the 2025-26 school year for each vaccine required to attend school, the coverage rates remained lower than before the COVID-19 pandemic, state data released Wednesday shows. Of note in the lates...
Vaccination rates in Texas schools have been dropping. Look up the latest vaccination rates in your district.
The rates of students exempt from required immunizations for conscientious or religious reasons increased statewide this past school year. Meanwhile, the percentage of students up to date on vaccinations — also known as coverage rates — varied by vaccine.Kindergarten vaccination ...
Students with disabilities approved for school vouchers, only awarded around $16K, data shows
On Thursday, thousands of families across Texas are starting to get the funding for the state's billion-dollar school voucher program.
Nearly 73,000 Texas students to receive first Education Freedom Account funding July 1
Thousands of Texas families participating in the state’s new school choice program will receive their first round of funding Tuesday as the Texas Education Freedom Account program officially launches.Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock announced that nearly 73,000 Texas Educat...
73,000 Texas school choice accounts get funded today, comptroller says
The first funding for Texas school choice accounts will be disbursed Wednesday, according to the state comptroller’s office.
New York elementary school music teacher charged in disturbing murder of sister-in-law
An elementary school music teacher allegedly strangled his sister-in-law to death in a home where they had separate apartments.
Trump's actions signal a move toward institutionalizing people with disabilities, advocates warn
For decades, disabled people have fought for their rights to go to school and live alongside peers without disabilities — rights that some fear could be losing ground under the Trump administration. Last month, the Education Department announced it would offload oversight of spec...
A US missile killed Iranian schoolchildren four months ago. We still don’t know the full story
It was the deadliest reported strike in the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. Most of the victims were children.In almost any other conflict, these haunting truths would be seared into national memory. Yet more than 120 days since at least one U.S. missile struck an Iranian primary ...
California bans 'sell by' food labels to cut food waste and confusion
In Kimberley Kausen’s home, a passed “sell by” date on a jug of milk means different things to different family members. For her daughter, it means the jug belongs in the trash. For her husband, it means the milk is still good for a few more days.Kausen, a chef and cooking teache...
Steelers assistant, former Willowridge coach Ramon Chinyoung holds youth football camp: ‘No greater feeling’
Standing in front of a large group of football players, Ramon Chinyoung reminded them about what’s possible when you dream big and work hard.Chinyoung is rising on the NFL coaching ladder. His roots are in Houston, though, at the high school football level as the head coach at Wi...
Harris County grand jury returns 'no-bill' against teenager for alleged school shooting plot
A Harris County grand jury has decided not to indict a teenager for an alleged school shooting plot.
Judges strike down Trump administration's overhaul of student loan forgiveness program
A pair of federal judges struck down a Trump administration overhaul to a public service forgiveness program for student loans, ruling Tuesday in separate cases in favor of advocates who said the program risked becoming a tool for political retribution.U.S. District Judge Myong J...
Construction work halted after workers discover evidence of possible historic cemetery in Tomball
Work at an active construction site in Tomball has been halted after workers discovered what appeared to be headstones and evidence of a possible historic cemetery at the site.The discovery was made at the location in the 110 block of N. Walnut Street. Major federal student loan ...