Early voting to take place April 20-28
Early voting for local utility district and school board races begins Monday, April 20, and will continue through Tuesday, April 28, ahead of Election Day on Saturday, May 2. Polls will be closed, however, San Jacinto Day, Tuesday, April 21, and Sunday, April 26.
Voters in the South Belt area will see contests in both the Clear Brook City MUD and the Clear Creek ISD board of trustees, while other nearby districts will not hold elections this cycle.
Clear Brook City MUD
Clear Brook City MUD is the only local utility district with contested races this year.
The following two seats will appear on the ballot:
– Position 4: Incumbent Jim Towey faces challenger Karen Richards McMillan.
– Position 5: With incumbent Jim Bishop stepping down, three candidates – Delfina (Fina) Govea, Dawn McDonald and Yen Rabe – are seeking the open seat.
Early voting and Election Day voting for the MUD election will take place at the Clear Brook City MUD office, 11911 Blackhawk.
Sagemeadow MUD and Kirkmont MUD will not hold contested elections. In Sagemeadow, only two incumbents filed for three open seats, meaning the board is expected to appoint someone to fill the vacancy created by the passing of former board member Seth Webb.
Clear Creek ISD
Clear Creek ISD voters will also head to the polls May 2 to decide two trustee positions. Terms are three years.
The following two single‑member districts will appear on the ballot:
– District 2: Incumbent Jamieson Mackay is being challenged by Ernest A. Hallman II.
– District 3: Incumbent Arturo Sanchez faces challenger Gabriel F. Gonzales II.
Because CCISD uses single‑member districts, only residents living within District 2 may vote in the District 2 race, and only residents within District 3 may vote in the District 3 race. Both districts lie east of the Gulf Freeway. Residents can confirm their district using the interactive boundary map at ccisd.net/elections/boundaries.
Early voting for CCISD will be held at the following two locations, and voters may cast a ballot at either site regardless of district or county precinct:
– Clear Creek ISD Education Support Center, 2425 E. Main St., League City
– Clear Creek ISD Learner Support Center, 2903 Falcon Pass
For the latest Clear Creek ISD election updates, visit www.ccisd.net/elections.
Pasadena ISD
Pasadena ISD will not hold an election this spring. Its board elections occur in November of odd‑numbered years, with the next one scheduled for November 2027.
SJC’s 2026 Couture for a Cause Gala set for April 24
San Jacinto College’s 2026 Couture for a Cause Gala is set to take place Friday, April 24, raising funds to help local graduates attend the college at no cost.
The Sinor Family will serve as the title sponsor for this year’s gala, SJC officials said.
Organizers described the event as “where community generosity meets runway-inspired elegance.”
This year’s gala is presented by the Meador and Torrison families and will take place at the LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy & Technology (7901 Fairmont Parkway in Pasadena), which will be transformed for one night into a fashion-forward showcase of community impact.
Hosted by the San Jacinto College Foundation, the black-tie evening blends high-style sophistication with a mission-driven purpose: raising funds for the Promise @ San Jac Scholarship, which provides a debt-free pathway to higher education for eligible high school graduates in the college’s taxing district.
Couture for a Cause
The glamour-filled evening will feature a cocktail hour featuring a punch wall and various student engagement opportunities, a three-course dinner, and a program highlighting Promise Scholars and the transformative impact of community support. Guests will also be able to participate in a live and silent auction for an opportunity to directly impact brighter futures for students.
For more information on the Couture for a Cause Gala, visit sanjac.edu/gala.
Promise @ San Jac
For many local high school graduates, the Promise @ San Jac Scholarship is a vital pathway to higher education. The last-dollar scholarship is open to all high school seniors who live within the San Jacinto College taxing district, regardless of GPA or family income.
Students who complete specific deadlines for applying to the college and completing financial aid application requirements and enroll full time, can earn a certificate or associate degree debt free, including tuition, books and supplies.
“The Promise Scholarship has given me an amazing start and the opportunity to pursue higher education that otherwise would have been too expensive,” said Christopher Soza, current Promise Scholar and biotechnology student. “It allowed me to attend full time and afford the books and supplies I needed to be successful.”
Launched in 2021, the program was originally made possible by a $30 million donation from MacKenzie Scott, former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. (The donor’s identity was not immediately disclosed, but the college later confirmed the gift came from Scott, who has made large, unrestricted donations to communitycolleges nationwide.)
Additional funding from individual donors, industry partners, Foundation gifts and fundraisers such as the Couture for a Cause Gala keep the program alive and well, continuing to provide local students a college education at no charge. Just last month, the program was awarded a $400,000 grant from the Greater Houston Community Foundation.
While the program was initially offered to only Pasadena ISD students, it is now available to all graduating seniors in the college’s taxing district. Participating school districts include Channelview ISD, Deer Park ISD, Galena Park ISD, La Porte ISD, Pasadena ISD and Sheldon ISD.
Homeschool, private school and GED graduates in the district are also eligible.
The majority of Clear Creek ISD is not located in the college’s taxing district.
A few South Belt homes, including some in the Ashley Pointe and Villa Verde subdivisions, are located in the San Jacinto College tax district, despite being zoned to Clear Creek ISD and Pearland ISD schools, respectively. To verify if an address is in San Jac’s taxing district, residents should check their Harris County tax records.
For eligible students, the Promise @ San Jac Scholarship covers 100 percent of tuition and 100 percent of required textbooks, meaning students can attend San Jacinto College with no out‑of‑pocket cost for their core academic expenses.
The scholarship covers up to three years of study, allowing students to complete the following:
– Associate degree
– Workforce certificate
– Transfer‑ready academic coursework
Since 2021, the program has supported more than 11,600 students, providing approximately $10.3 million in tuition support.
For additional information on the Promise @ San Jac Scholarship, visit www.sanjac.edu/admissions/paying-for-college/grants-scholarships/scholarships/promise.
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