ATX-GEO: Impact 10/8/2025

The Georgetown ISD board of trustees is expected to vote on the acquisition of more than 200 new library books later this month.

The big picture: In August, the district updated its library policy to comply with Senate Bill 13, which became effective this school year following the 2025 legislative session. Under the new policy, the GISD board must vote on new library material purchases and donations after they have been made publicly available to community members on the district’s website.

What you need to know: SB 13 requires Texas public school boards to vote on the approval of all new library materials before they are purchased by or donated to the district.

GISD adopted a new library policy to comply with the law at its Aug. 18 meeting. The GISD board is expected to vote on a list of over 200 books at its Oct. 20 board meeting, Executive Director of Technology Kim Garcia said.

Community members may review and comment on proposed library materials posted to the Library Services webpage.

Chisholm Trail Communities Foundation will transition back to its original name, Georgetown Area Community Foundation, beginning Nov. 10. 

The details: The non-profit, which aims to connect donors to philanthropic causes in Georgetown and surrounding cities, will not see any other changes associated with the rebrand besides the name change, Interim Managing Director David Clark said. 

The history: Georgetown Area Community Foundation began its operations in 1998 and changed its name to Chisholm Trail Communities Foundation in 2008. It celebrated its 25th anniversary fostering philanthropy in 2023. 

• 116 W. Eighth St., Ste. 203-204, Georgetown

A portion of the South San Gabriel River Trail from Chautauqua Park to Ninth Street temporarily closed in Georgetown on Oct. 2 for continued debris removal due to the July 4 flooding.

What residents need to know: Georgetown, utilizing a state debris removal contract, is continuing cleanup along the South San Gabriel River. Heavy equipment work began in the area Sept. 29, continuing through the next couple of weeks, according to a city notice.

Visitors should avoid work zones and remain cautious in the area.

The river trail will reopen in “several weeks.”

The cause: Heavy rainfall over the July 4 weekend led to a flooding event that resulted in the deaths of three people in Williamson County, as well as destroyed buildings, overturned mobile homes and uprooted trees.

Those seeking resources can find the application for debris removal, small-business disaster assistance, legal assistance and an emotional support hotline on Williamson County’s flood recovery page.

Odyssey, a New York-based tech company, has been selected to manage Texas’ $1 billion education savings account program, the state comptroller’s office announced Oct. 6.

The overview: Odyssey will work with the comptroller to launch the program, deemed “Texas Education Freedom Accounts,” ahead of the 2026-27 school year. Families can begin applying for the program early next year, and those accepted will receive thousands of dollars in state funds to send their children to private school or homeschool them.

Zooming in: Odyssey will develop and manage an online platform to administer Texas’ education savings account program. State law also tasks the company with:

• Collecting applications and determining which families are accepted to the program
• Approving vendors for education-related materials and services, such as textbooks, transportation and tutoring
• Reviewing inquiries and complaints about the program
• Advertising the program and communicating with interested families