Dog daycare franchise Hounds Town opened a new location in Northwest Austin in March.

The details: The center offers a variety of pet services including dog daycare and overnight boarding for dogs and cats. The center also offers dog spa and grooming services such as baths, fur dematting, nail trims and oral care.

• 10700 Anderson Mill Road, Ste. 207, Austin

Austin ISD is planning to hold off on future school closures while moving forward with adopting new attendance boundaries.

What's happening: District officials discussed potential changes for the 2027-28 school year as AISD faces a $181 million budget shortfall and considers potential staff layoffs for fiscal year 2026-27. AISD Superintendent Matias Segura confirmed his decision to pause additional school closures in a letter posted to the district's website April 26.

“I am very much committed to moving forward the boundary process but have concerns around taking on consolidations,” Segura said at an April 23 board meeting.

The update: AISD will begin discussing districtwide rezoning at community meetings in May and June.

What else? AISD is weighing $117 million-$132 million in budget cuts for next fiscal year, which could include laying off staff and reducing academic programming. The district’s projected budget shortfall has increased from $49 million in FY 2025-26 to $181 million in FY 2026-27 due to a decrease in property values, drop in enrollment and the delay of a $26 million property sale.

The average market value of homes in Williamson County declined about 3.8% in the last year, according to the Williamson Central Appraisal District. This slight decrease in value reflects continued market stabilization, Deputy Chief Appraiser Chris Connelly said.

By the numbers: Across Williamson County as a whole, the average market value for a home dropped from $473,876 in 2025 to $455,812 in 2026, as of Jan. 1. The market value is the amount a property would sell for in the current housing market.

Homes in the city of Hutto saw the largest decrease, falling 6.08% to an average of $338,519. The city of Leander saw the smallest decline in home values, dropping 2.85% to an average of $465,503.

Something to note: Despite the decrease in average market value for individual homes, Williamson County as a whole saw an increase in its total market value, rising 2.28%. This is because the county’s total market value includes residential, commercial, multifamily and land properties, as well as their improvements, Connelly said.

Check out the latest Austin metro transportation updates. 

Upcoming projects
Roundabout at Sam Bass Road, Hairy Man Road Intersection
Project: A roundabout will be added to the intersection of Sam Bass and Hairy Man Roads in Round Rock to improve traffic flow and safety.
Update: Project design is 60% complete, per Round Rock city officials.

• Timeline: TBD
• Cost: TBD
• Funding source: TBD

• Timeline: total project completion expected in 2026
• Cost: $500,000 for design
• Funding source: Hutto Economic Development Corporation funding

• Timeline: summer 2024-spring 2026
• Cost: $6.9 million
• Funding source: Austin 2016 Mobility Bond