Education briefs for Sept. 8, 2022. more

To receive a high school diploma is a lifetime achievement. At Katy ISD, 106 students will have not one, but two diplomas after earning the AP Capstone Diploma. Eleven additional students have earned the AP Seminar and Research Certificate during the 2021-22 school year. The AP Capstone diploma program helps students develop the critical thinking, research, collaboration and presentation skills that are critical for academic success. more

Citizens, along with business and community leaders of unincorporated areas of Fort Bend County, are invited to join their neighbors and meet with Fort Bend County sheriff’s deputies during the 38th Annual Texas National Night Out, the nation's night out against crime. more

Katy Christian Ministries is one of 20 organizations that accepted grant money from the Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans’ Assistance for providing services to Gulf Coast area veterans and their families. more

Ivybrook Academy, an award-winning half day pre-school that is growing rapidly across the nation, has expanded its footprint in Texas with the opening of its first campus in the metro Houston area. The newly constructed school is located at 3120 Peek Road in Katy. more

Robertson Elementary School, 7400 Innovation Drive, is Katy ISD’s newest school. It opened last month, and is one of several designed by VLK Architects of Fort Worth. more

Sponsorship and volunteer roles remain open as Katy Rice Festival organizers finalize preparations for the festival, which will be Oct. 7-9 in Downtown Katy. more

Community briefs for Sept. 8, 2022. more

I have a unique perspective on Cane Island. more

After years of sharp rises in home prices and stiff competition to buy a home amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Texas housing market is starting to cool off. more

Last month, Katy school trustees set a tax ratification election, called a TRE, for placement on the November ballot. If approved by voters, the district would make up for lost revenues, and that money would go towards educator salaries. But a state senator warned Thursday that the TRE, if approved, would “wipe out” the property tax relief state legislators intended. more

The Katy City Council will later this month consider adopting a $54.8 million budget and a $0.44 per $100 property valuation rate to help pay for it. more

The Katy Area Economic Development Council is pursuing economic leads representing $22 billion worth of projects, its president said. more

Tickets and sponsorships remain available for the annual Katy Christian Ministries Transforming Lives Gala, set for 6:30 p.m. Sept. 15 at Safari Texas Ranch in Richmond. more

Midway BBQ, 6025 Highway Blvd., is still preparing to reopen, but a company spokesman said Thursday that a gas line remained to be installed and the restaurant still had to undergo some inspections. No official reopening date has been set. more

Katy city officials Thursday honored U.S. Rep. Mike McCaul, R-Austin, for his service to the city. more

Houston’s own Reid Ryan will headline Katy ISD’s KEYS kickoff event, an annual salute to those who mentor Katy ISD students through the district’s KEYS Mentoring Program. more

Royal ISD bond committee members toured the five district campuses Aug. 25. Campuses included Royal High School, Royal Junior High School, Royal Elementary School, Royal STEM Academy, and Royal Early Childhood Center. more

Construction has started on the second phase of Katy Boardwalk District’s 2.3-mile outer loop trail, one of the project’s four trail experiences, while work nears completion on the first of three roadways into the property with the second starting in September. more

Donald Meisenheimer, a former Katy ISD police officer and current substitute teacher, was among the graduates of the inaugural Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) #41505 School-Based Law Enforcement Master Training Class. more