Guidepost Montessori schools officially rebranded as Illuminate Montessori in September 2026, following their parent company, GGE, filing for bankruptcy in 2025.

The background: In fall of 2025, TNC Schools acquired 18 Guidepost Montessori schools including five in the Austin area.

At the time of the acquisition, TNC Schools had plans to rebrand the schools as Illuminate Montessori, yet the schools were contractually required to continue using the Guidepost name for a number of months, Mongoshua Ball, head of school at Illuminate Montessori in Westlake said in an email.

• Rebranded September 2026

• Bee Cave: 14058 Bee Cave Parkway, Bldg. C, Austin

• Westlake: 4613-B Bee Cave Road, West Lake Hills

• Round Rock: 7210 Wyoming Springs Drive, Round Rock

• Cedar Park: 2006 Sun Chase Blvd, Cedar Park and 3017 Polar Lane, Cedar Park

• www.illuminatemontessori.com

Incumbent state representative Democrat Donna Howard will face Republican challenger Anthony Gupta in the District 48 race for the Texas House of Representatives.

The district covers parts of South Austin, North Austin, West Lake Hills and Rollingwood.

Community Impact reached out to the candidates running in the State Representative District 48 race. Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents.

What else

Voter registration ends Oct. 5.

Early voting in several local and state races runs from Oct. 19-30, and Election Day is Nov. 3.

Circuit of the Americas is gearing up to go beyond racing with the opening of COTALAND Theme Park later this month.

A closer look: Officials said the park will offer everything from extreme-thrill coasters to children’s rides and family-friendly attractions.

Learn more: The roughly 30-acre park will feature 33 attractions, with a compact layout designed in part to help keep guests and employees cooler during hot Central Texas summers.

Bobby Epstein, chairman and founder of COTA, discussed the approach with Community Impact before construction began.

“Most parks would spread this many rides out over a wider space, but what we’ve tried to do with this park is actually condense it a little bit so that we have more shade,” Epstein said.

What's next? Beyond COTALAND, officials said they are planning a water park and, longer term, an on-site resort to expand the venue's year-round entertainment offerings.

Community Impact will provide more details as plans develop.

• Opening Sept. 26

• 9111 Circuit of the Americas Blvd., Del Valle

Check out the latest Austin metro transportation project updates.

Completed projects

I-35 Capital Express Central: MLK Jr. Boulevard Bridge Segment

Project: The project included reconstruction and widening of the MLK Jr. Boulevard bridge over I-35 in Austin, adding sidewalks, shade structures, a safety barrier, and rebuilt I-35 entrance and exit ramps in both directions.

Update: The bridge is now fully operational, as two lanes reopened in each direction in early August. Crews are finishing shared-use paths and wider sidewalks.

• Timeline: 2024-26

• Cost: $34.4 million

• Funding source: TxDOT and CAMPO

Ongoing projects

Spicewood Springs Road Regional Mobility Project

Project: The project includes widening the two-lane road in Austin into a four-lane road with left-turn bays, pedestrian and bicycle shared-use paths, and improving the storm drain system.

Update: An August update stated that weather-related delays pushed the project's substantial completion from late 2026 to summer 2027. Starting in September, work will be underway on shared-use pathways on both sides of Spicewood Springs Road.

• Timeline: 2023-27

• Cost: $31 million

• Funding source: city of Austin 2016 Mobility Bond