City and county officials marked the completion of a project to widen Sam Bass Road between RM 1431 and Wyoming Springs Drive in Round Rock in April. 

What you need to know: The Sam Bass Road widening enhances mobility and safety to meet current and future needs of drivers in the area, according to Williamson County. 

Local officials celebrated the project's conclusion with a ribbon-cutting April 24. 

What they're saying: “To finally be cutting the ribbon on Sam Bass Road is a testament to Williamson County's commitment to the Long-Range Transportation Plan and the safety and mobility it provides to the motorists using our roadways,” Precinct 3 Commissioner Valerie Covey said. “Sam Bass is a heavily traveled roadway that was in need of improvements for many years. With the help of Commissioners Lisa Birkman and Terry Cook, I am excited to see these improvements cross the finish line.”

A decline in enrollment is on the horizon for Round Rock ISD, demographers said in April.

The situation: A demographic update presented at the April 16 meeting shows that the population of Round Rock is generally becoming younger, combined with a trend of delayed parenthood. 

Rocky Gardner, a demographer with Zonda Education, said the district captures around 81% of students born in its district. However, 64% of the population within the bounds of RRISD is made up of people born between 1981 and 2017—millennials, Generation Z and Generation Alpha. 

Presently, he said, the majority of parents with school-aged children are millennials, born between 1981 and 1998, per the report. 

The projections: Projections shared at the meeting show student enrollment could decrease by nearly 5,000 students from 45,952 in the 2025-26 school year to 41,015 in the 2035-36 school year. This represents a roughly 10.7% decrease in projected enrollment. 

Round Rock is home to dozens of Homeowners Associations, which Austin-area HOA management expert Peggi Brannon said play a role in a homeowner's personal investment in their property value and shared what current and prospective homeowners should know about living in a neighborhood with an HOA.

The big picture: In any HOA there will be provisions surrounding things such as trash can visibility, landscaping, exterior house maintenance and parking, Bannon said. However, most of the HOA declarations, which bind homeowners to these rules, are in line with code compliance of city ordinances.

Diving in deeper: Several factors go into determining HOA fees such as the association’s “cost of doing business” including pool or landscaping costs, legal fees for violations, and maintaining roads.

In other news: A few HOA governance changes were made during the 2025 Texas Legislative session, including expanded protections for the installation of solar energy devices, prohibiting fines related to lawn maintenance during water restrictions, and requiring electronic ballots, absentee ballots or voting by proxy to be allowed at membership meetings. 

From road construction in Georgetown to a skatepark in Kyle, here are five of the most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Ronald Regan Boulevard Widening ($29.7 million): This project includes the construction of new lanes and intersection improvements on Ronald Reagan Boulevard, including drainage structures, bridges, retaining walls, lighting, signals and more.

2. Expo Center Park and Ride ($17.3 million): This project involves construction of a new park-and-ride. It will include bus bays and electric vehicle charging stations.

3. Round Rock ISD Hartfield PAC Renovation ($6 million): Construction will begin next year on a total roof replacement, mechanical equipment replacement, public address system upgrade, and interior other work, including replacement of flooring and wall finishes in the lobby and green room.

4. Gregg-Clarke Skatepark ($3.1 million): The Kyle skatepark will include approximately 34,000 square feet of concrete skatepark and pump track.

5. Creekview Vet Clinic ($2 million): Construction will begin in June on a vet clinic in New Braunfels.

Over 130 Central Texas residents and visitors died over the July 4 weekend as an intense rainstorm and flooding swept through the region. Among them were 28 deaths at Camp Mystic: 25 young campers, two 18-year-old counselors and Richard "Dick" Eastland, the camp's executive director.

The private Christian girls camp has been under scrutiny for the actions camp leaders took to attempt to save campers in cabins near the Guadalupe River.

What's happening: During the second day of public hearings April 28, a panel of lawmakers investigating the July 4 flood was scheduled to hear testimony from:

• The Eastland family, which owns and operates Camp Mystic

• The head of the Texas Division of Emergency Management

• Leaders from the Texas Department of State Health Services

• Flood victims' families

• The parents of some campers who survived the flood

Keep reading for details about the marathon hearing April 28.