New Braunfels ISD officials have identified 11 possible scenarios for consolidating two elementary schools for the 2027-28 school year, after projecting a $7 million budget shortfall for the next two fiscal years, according to a district news release.

Latest update: All 11 scenarios involve closing at least two elementary schools from the following:

• Carl Schurz Elementary

• County Line Elementary

• Seele Elementary

• Memorial Elementary

• Walnut Springs Elementary

The district will hold several community engagement events before making any final decisions in January. The community engagement events will happen at the following:

• Long Creek High School

  • Oct. 20, 6-7:30 p.m.

• Oak Run Middle School

  • Oct. 21, 6-7:30 p.m.

• Carl Schurz Elementary

  • Oct. 22, 5-6 p.m.

• Seele Elementary

  • Oct. 22, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

• Walnut Springs Elementary

  • Oct. 26, 5-6 p.m.

• Memorial Elementary

  • Oct. 26, 6:15-7:15 p.m.

• CREATE at County Line Elementary

  • Oct. 26, 7:30-8:30 p.m.

• Klein Road Elementary

  • Nov. 5, 5-6 p.m.

• Voss Farms Elementary

  • Nov. 5, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Crunch Fitness will open in New Braunfels on Oct. 21, Community Impact confirmed with Crunch representatives.

The features

According to its website and social media, the New Braunfels Crunch Fitness will have:

• Dumbbells and weight racks

• Cardio machines

• Reformer Pilates

• Heated workouts

• Massage beds

• Contrast therapy (sauna and cold room)

• Red light therapy

The membership-based gym will offer various group workout classes such as yoga, high-intensity interval training, Zumba and cycling. Crunch Fitness will also have a kids' playroom where employees watch children while parents work out.

• 651 N. Business I-35, Ste. 900, New Braunfels

New Braunfels City Council approved updates to the city’s drought contingency plan during a regular council meeting on Sept. 28.

The overview: The updates—which took effect Oct. 1—include stricter outdoor watering limits only as drought conditions worsen and clearer water-use reduction goals for each drought stage, according to a news release. 

The plan includes an update to drought surcharges in Conservation Stages 3, 4 and 5 for New Braunfels Utilities, or NBU, customers using water above the applicable threshold, according to the release.

However, the drought surcharge is not new. The update aligns the surcharge thresholds with NBU's existing water-use tiers and aims to strengthen the conservation signal for customers using significant amounts of water, like for irrigation, during more severe drought conditions, according to an email from NBU Director of Enterprise Communications Reagan Peña.

About 73% of NBU customers would not be subject to drought surcharges under the updated plan. The drought surcharges are also not an increase to NBU's regular water rates, the release states.

The Texas comptroller's office is reviewing the finances and spending decisions of four public school districts: Austin, El Paso, Prosper and Barbers Hill ISDs.

The overview: The review was requested by Gov. Greg Abbott in August and will identify whether schools are directing taxpayer dollars toward students, teachers and classrooms over administrative costs, according to information from the two state agencies.

Zooming in: For the 2024-25 school year, the Texas Education Agency gave the selected districts the following financial ratings:

• Austin ISD: B rating; score of 88 (about 69,000 students)

• El Paso ISD: A rating; score of 92 (about 46,000 students)

• Prosper ISD: A rating; score of 94 (about 33,000 students)

• Barbers Hill ISD: A rating; score of 100 (about 8,000 students)

More details: Austin and Prosper ISDs are in Community Impact's coverage areas. According to previous reporting, Austin ISD passed an $887 million general fund budget for fiscal year 2026-27 after making $205 million in gross cuts this summer. Prosper ISD adopted a budget with an expected $42.2 million shortfall.