Spring ISD families and community members had an opportunity to join with State Rep. Senfronia Thompson as she held a community meeting on Sept. 5 at Spring ISD’s Community Engagement Center. 

The session was a collaborative effort in conjunction with the Spring ISD Board of Trustees’ Community Engagement Committee to provide legislative updates regarding topics that directly affect families and their households.

Thompson began the meeting by introducing Hunter Thompson, Director of Governmental Relations with the Texas Education Agency (TEA). He provided an overview of the education bills that most recently passed. Immediately afterward, a question-and-answer period took place and he responded to the many queries that came from the audience. Parents were pleased to gain first-hand knowledge about the education updates that affect their children’s learning.

Additionally, representatives from the state’s Health and Human Services Department, Harris County’s Tax Assessor-Collector’s office, Reliant Energy, CenterPoint Energy, and ERCOT were all on hand to share information and educate the public on laws that went into effect on Sept. 1.

ERCOT, Reliant Energy, and CenterPoint Energy representatives discussed the energy bill legislation and the current state of the electric grid that provides electricity across the state. They gave assurances that the infrastructure was capable of handling the current high demands for energy. They also informed attendees that measures have been put in place to avoid any interruptions to service while also encouraging everyone to practice conserving energy and to have hurricane preparedness measures in place.

Harris County officials discussed the passing of bills relating to the reduction of property taxes, vehicle inspections and paper tags, homestead exemptions, and changes to mail-in ballots for future elections. Representatives from the Health and Human Services department shared updates and provided assistance for families who qualify for SNAP and WIC benefits.