Round Rock ISD is working to open a new talent pipeline for aspiring educators within the district. 

Current situation: Administrators are putting together a teacher apprenticeship program for the fall 2026 semester. Designed as a grow-your-own program, the apprenticeships will provide a route into the classroom for district paraprofessionals and others without a four-year degree. 

RRISD Chief Human Resources Officer Eddie Curran presented the program to the board of trustees in March and said the program would provide a "financially sustainable" option to become a teacher without taking on a large amount of debt to pursue a four-year degree. 

The details: Curran said the program will help paraprofessionals earn from scratch or complete a college degree in progress. He said the district will focus on educational assistants performing at high levels; professionals in complementary industries looking to change careers; and students participating in the district's Future Educators program and dual-credit courses who can start with college credit already earned. 

Austin Transit Partnership continues to hit more Light Rail milestones, approving an operations and maintenance building contract and a resolution to acquire parcels of land for the project at its April 15 meeting.

The details: The agency approved a contract in an amount not to exceed $25 million for the construction of an operations and maintenance facility for the project, which will serve as a base for the trains to be cleaned, serviced and maintained. The agency also approved a resolution not to exceed $230 million to acquire up to 18 parcels of property to use as part of Phase 1, with nine being used for the O&M facility and nine being used for the light rail alignment. 

In other news: The board postponed three agenda items that would have executed a $32 million contract for ATP to lease 51,600 square feet of administrative office space at the 100 Congress building for 90 months, as well as a $15 million contract for building finish-out and improvement services of the leased space. 

Check out some of the most read stories in the Austin area April 13-16.

1. Significant traffic shifts at New Hope, 183A intersection in Cedar Park

2. The Lodge Card Club closes in Round Rock, lays off 114 employees

3. Check out 17 events happening in the Pflugerville, Hutto area

4. Lake Georgetown under drought watch

5. New housing development coming to Leander near Bar W Ranch and Larkspur

6. Wendy's opening soon off Hwy. 46 in New Braunfels

Texas is home to the nation’s fastest-growing data center market, with one January report projecting that the state will see a 142% increase in its share of the data center industry by the end of 2028.

During a wide-ranging Texas House hearing April 9, lawmakers questioned data center developers, energy companies and state grid officials about the amount of water the large facilities use; how they impact noise levels and air quality; and whether residents can expect higher costs when data centers come to their communities.

What they're saying: “Water is a really scarce resource in this state, and so we have to have a clear picture of what these facilities use on the water side,” said Thomas Gleeson, chair of the Public Utility Commission of Texas.

More details: Data centers use water to cool their computer servers and prevent overheating. The facilities have historically used a water-intensive process known as "evaporative cooling," but data center executives said April 9 that they have transitioned to “closed-loop” systems where water is continuously reused.