Austin ISD will provide free breakfast and lunch to every student at 69 campuses during the 2026-27 school year through the federally funded Community Eligibility Provision program, the district announced Aug. 7. The CEP allows schools in qualifying low-income areas to serve free meals to all enrolled students without an application.

The details: The 69 participating campuses include pre-K centers, elementary, middle and high schools, plus several alternative and child development campuses.

At non-CEP schools, meal costs still depend on a student's status, but thanks to new state funding from the Texas Legislature, students approved for reduced-price meals will now receive both breakfast and lunch at no cost.

Paid meal prices range from $1.90 to $3.65 depending on grade level and meal type.

What parents should know: Families can qualify through direct certification via state benefits programs, enrollment in foster care or homeless programs, or by submitting an application through the district website or on paper. Students with low account balances can charge a limited number of meals, and courtesy lunches remain uncapped after that.

City Council is set to adopt Austin's fiscal year 2026-27 budget and property tax rate as soon as Aug. 12. The decision will cap off weeks of review that largely centered on the anticipated loss of social services funding, and various strategies to fill those gaps.

The details: Much of the public focus on the FY 2026-27 budget has been on the anticipated loss of millions of dollars for services from housing to public health. Some residents have also spoken out against a tax rate increase and other rising city costs, and many have asked to specifically hold Austin Police funding flat.

Most city departments will likely see budget increases to address annual cost drivers like employee raises and rising expenses due to broader economic trends. Council members also floated several budget amendments, and will have to decide which to include in their final spending plan and how they'll be funded. Those changes cover added resident services, new city equipment, and a plan to separate 911 call-taking from the police department.

The interior renovation of IBC Bank in Austin, a Walmart renovation in Round Rock and a new 7 Brew in Leander are among the five most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. IBC Bank Plaza interior renovations ($6 million): This project involves the partial interior finish-out of four levels in the building, including renovations of shared core spaces, elevator lobbies and common corridors on floors 6-13.

2. Pease Community Campus Phase 1 ($2.1 million): Pease Elementary School in downtown Austin is being transformed into the Pease Community Campus.

3. Walmart renovation ($1.3 million): This project includes an interior and exterior remodel of an existing Walmart in Round Rock.

4. Tim Hortons ($750,000): This project involves the renovation of an existing 3,107 square foot space to a Tim Hortons.

5. 7 Brew ($400,000): A new 7 Brew location is coming to Leander. The drive-thru coffee shop will be 510 square feet, with construction set to wrap up this fall.

St. David’s HealthCare announced it acquired 14 Texas MedClinic Urgent Care centers in August.

Latest update: The urgent care centers will be rebranded as St. David’s CareNow Urgent Care clinics, per an Aug. 3 news release.

This brings the number of urgent care facilities under the St. David’s system to 39 in Central Texas alone, according to the company.

In their own words: “Access to convenient, high-quality urgent care is essential for the health and well-being of our growing community,” David Huffstutler, president and CEO of St. David’s HealthCare, said in the release. “Adding these urgent care facilities significantly expands the St. David’s CareNow footprint into new Central Texas communities, including Burnet, Liberty Hill, Jarrell, Lockhart and Dripping Springs, connecting more patients to the trusted care and resources of St. David’s HealthCare.”