City and state officials gathered Dec. 12 to mark Southwest Airlines' planned expansion at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, a day after City Council signed off on a $5.5 million economic incentive deal with the airline.

What's happening: Southwest will add 2,000 local jobs and establish a new crew base at the airport by mid-2027 through the expansion that's also expected to support thousands more related jobs throughout the community. The initiative comes amid ABIA's own facility expansion project, including a second concourse, where Southwest is expected to lease a majority of the new gates to be added.

In addition to Austin's local incentive deal approved Dec. 11, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Texas will be contributing $14 million to the project at ABIA.

Austin ISD may select charter schools to operate Burnet, Dobie and Webb middle schools next school year.

The big picture: This summer, AISD restarted the campuses by hiring new principals and staff to improve academic outcomes for students amid multiple failed state ratings. This fall, the campuses have seen a decline in test scores while enrollment has dropped, according to district data shared at a Dec. 11 board meeting.

The update: Across all three campuses, student test scores declined in reading and math from last school year to the beginning of this school year, according to data from MAP Growth testing administered Sept. 2. The MAP Growth test is intended to project how well students will perform on the upcoming State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, in the spring, said Mary Ann Maxwell, assistant superintendent of academics.

What else? This school year, Burnet lost the greatest number of students at 143 followed by 110 students who left Dobie and a loss of 88 students at Webb.

Another brainchild from James Beard award-winning chef Paul Qui launched in South Austin this week.

The details: Kitsu Nori opened its doors on Dec. 13 with a sushi and handroll experience. As stated in a news release, the concept is designed with the Japanese philosophy of ikebana, or the art of floral arrangement, in mind.

On the menu: Diners can look forward to a menu focused on crispy nori, warm rice, dry-aged fish, premium shellfish and farm-fresh vegetables. Some menu items include chip-and-dip pairings, tuna sashimi, a wagyu aburi handroll and more.

The atmosphere: The space features 30 seats with a 14-seat counter and a 16-seat dining room, designed by Qui himself. The space is inspired by kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold.

The restaurant plans to launch its to-go services in early 2026 where customers can order signature handrolls and crudos.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick unveiled a plan Dec. 9 to further raise property tax exemptions for Texas homeowners and lower the age at which Texans qualify for additional tax relief during the 2027 state legislative session.

The details: Deemed “Operation Double Nickel,” Patrick’s three-part plan asks state lawmakers to:

• Raise the property tax exemption on a Texas homeowner’s main residence, known as a homestead exemption, by $40,000
• Allow homeowners who are at least 55 years old to qualify for a larger exemption reserved for seniors and people with disabilities
• Pass legislation to drive down property taxes charged by local governments

Check out the top trending Community Impact stories Dec. 8-11. 

1. Dozens of Lake Austin properties move to disannex; city to lose nearly $300M value

2. Buffalo Wild Wings closes its doors in Cedar Park

3. New development to bring almost 400 homes to Georgetown

4. Kudos convenience store heads to Adelton in Bastrop

5. Local police coordination concerns arise for EISD following September incidents

6. $210M state library and archives building underway in Pflugerville