As Leander ISD heads into the 2026-27 school year with a projected budget shortfall of $9.9 million, district leaders are looking at ways to generate additional revenue while still addressing district-wide campus and facility needs.

The big picture: The board of trustees voted Aug. 17 to place a voter-approval tax rate election, or VATRE, on the Nov. 3 ballot, which would increase LISD’s current maintenance and operations tax rate of $1.0869 by three cents. This would garner about $6.7 million in additional local funding, Superintendent Chris Clark said.

The breakdown: Passing a $0.03 VATRE would generate an additional $12 million in local taxes. However, a portion of the additional revenue would be subject to state recapture. About $5.3 million of the VATRE-generated revenue would be recaptured.

What to expect: Early voting will take place between Oct. 19-30, and election day is Nov. 3.

The district will offer in-person, virtual community meetings and a financial literacy website with frequently asked questions ahead of the VATRE.

The Liberty Hill location of Impact Family Wellness has moved west into a new space along 183A Toll. While the business is now located in Leander, it will continue to serve clients in both cities.

The details: The Leander clinic provides primary care services, urgent care, chronic disease management, sports physicals and well-woman exams.

Impact Family Wellness will celebrate the move during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Sept. 24. The business will offer an office tour and discuss its services during the event.

To strengthen consumer protections, the Texas Department of Insurance is asking state lawmakers to consider adjusting when new home and auto insurance rates are implemented.

What's happening: Texas currently operates under a "file-and-use" system, allowing insurance companies to begin using new rates immediately after they are filed, regardless of whether the TDI has reviewed them.

In a Sept. 14 letter detailing actions the department is taking to address Texas' high home insurance costs, Insurance Commissioner Amanda Crawford suggested that the legislature look into "adding a delay between a rate filing and its use in the market." Under the current system, if the TDI finds an issue with a new insurance rate, there is "limited" redress for affected policyholders if that rate is already in effect.

The background: Crawford's letter comes after Gov. Greg Abbott directed the TDI to take affordability-focused actions in an Aug. 24 letter.

Texans paid the nation's fourth-highest home insurance premiums at the end of 2025, according to previous Community Impact reporting.