Three days of barbecue, horseback trail rides and a downtown parade lead into the 2027 Houston Rodeo's milestone 95th run.

A new Pathways 2 Independence fund has already raised $34 million, as the city's East Downtown center works through long waits.

Births plunged in Aldine, Alief and Houston ISDs over the past decade, while Montgomery County districts boomed. Money worries top the list of reasons why.