Applicant Qing Chen requested a special use permit to create a permanent mobile food park off of I-35 in Georgetown, with plans for six vendors, parking and restrooms.

Georgetown City Council gave preliminary approval for the food truck park, with restrictions to ensure code compliance.

Learn more: SUPs allow for developments outside typical proposals, and also let council members shape the project to the city’s preferred specifications, according to city documents.

The permit request has specific requirements for it to move forward, including hiring a mobile food park manager, code compliance and utility connection, restrooms with potable water and electricity, and ensuring driver safety.

What they’re saying: Michael Price, an advocate for the applicant, said he hopes the food truck park will enhance the surrounding area and allow for a new tenant to move into the vacant building as a brick-and-mortar restaurant or a community gathering space.

Perky Beans Coffee opened a new Georgetown location in July. Owners Ron and Angie Diaz operate the Leander-based coffee shop.

Learn more: The full-service coffee shop offers coffees, teas, smoothies and grab-and-go food options. Mixed alcohol beverages will also be available in the evenings. 

Perky Beans currently has two storefronts—a coffee shop and a cafe—in Leander. The Diazes operated a mobile coffee truck in San Diego before establishing their brick-and-mortar location in Texas in 2019.

• 2651 E. University Ave., Georgetown

As the summer winds to a close, Georgetown ISD will be hosting two events in August to help families prepare for the upcoming school year.

The details: Georgetown ISD schools will begin classes Aug. 19. Ahead of the start of the school year, the district is partnering with the Texas Vaccine Institute to hold a vaccine clinic for students not up to date on required vaccinations Aug. 1. The following week, free backpacks and supplies will be available at the Carver Center on Aug. 8 to provide resources for families during back-to-school shopping. 

Vaccination clinic:

• Aug. 1, 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
• Hammerlun Center for Leadership and Learning, 507 E. University Ave.

• Aug. 8, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
• Carver Center for Families, 1200 W. 17th St.

Across Texas, public school districts have approved at least 150 campus closures in the last three years as they grapple with declining enrollment, state accountability issues and hefty budget shortfalls.

What's happening: Among the closures are 56 schools in Community Impact’s coverage areas. Some districts have said that additional closures are not off the table.

Roughly 76,000 fewer students were enrolled in Texas public schools during the 2025-26 school year than the year prior. This marks the first non-pandemic enrollment drop in recorded history, according to Texas Education Agency data collected annually since 1987.

Analysts warn that this year’s enrollment decline is not a one-off, with demographics expert Bob Templeton predicting that enrollment could “drop over 100,000 kids” next year.

What they're saying: “This was a decision that I made, even knowing some of the challenges our students are going to face, because I think the alternative is untenable,” Fort Bend ISD board President Kristin Tassin said as the district voted to close seven elementary schools ahead of the 2026-27 school year.