An Aug. 11 update from the city of Round Rock shows crews have built frames and walls as part of the ongoing expansion to a city training facility, with interior and exterior finish out planned through the end of the year.

The details: Over the summer, crews began paving the new high-speed driving track at the city of Round Rock’s training center for fire, police and other public safety-related departments, according to the city. An additional concrete training pad, where first responders can practice extricating people from car accidents, is also in the process of being paved with concrete poured in sections.

About the project: Funded by a 2023 voter-approved bond package, the $44 million project will increase the center's classroom space and keep officers and firefighters in town for training, reducing local competition for training space, and avoiding travel and lodging expenses.

Bed Rock Breakfast & Bar, a new locally owned restaurant, is targeting an August opening in downtown Round Rock.

What’s on the menu: The restaurant is owned by Brian Hernandez, who recently took over ownership at Pecan Street Station in Pflugerville.

Hernandez said the restaurant will include retro design elements and have an Americana-inspired menu offering breakfast, lunch and dinner.

• 114 E. Main St., Round Rock

Williamson County commissioners set the maximum tax rate for fiscal year 2026-27 at the no-new-revenue rate of $0.421547 per $100, saying that residents could see a decrease on their county tax line next year.

By capping the proposed rate at this level, no public hearing is required.

What it means: The no-new-revenue rate calculates the property tax rate that would generate the exact same amount of revenue as last year from existing properties. Williamson County’s current tax rate is $0.413776 per $100.

Because of adjustments in overall home values, residents could experience a reduction in their county property tax bills if the proposed rate is finalized.

Digging deeper: The proposed tax rate supports the county’s recommended general fund budget of $411.6 million. For the road and bridge budget, the budget department recommends a $74.94 million budget, and the recommended budget for the county’s debt service comes out to $232.3 million.

What’s next: Commissioners and county officials will continue finalizing the budget through August, with final adoption votes scheduled for September.

Ahead of the 2026-27 school year, public school leaders in Community Impact’s coverage areas shuttered at least nine individual schools to respond to repeated state accountability issues and stave off state intervention. A new Texas Education Agency rule may make it harder for districts to do so in the future.

The details: Beginning Aug. 16, if a district closes a D- or F-rated campus and transfers the largest share of students from the closed campus to a school with a C, D or F rating, the closed campus’ rating will be assigned to the new campus. 

Districts will only avoid transferring a shuttered school’s rating history if they relocate a plurality of students to an A- or B-rated campus.

Stay tuned: The TEA is scheduled to release A-F ratings for the 2025-26 school year on Aug. 14. If a school receives five failing ratings in a row, the TEA is required under state law to close that campus or replace the district’s board of trustees with a state-appointed board of managers.