On Aug. 17, the Spring ISD board of trustees unanimously voted to place a voter-approval tax rate election, or VATRE, on the Nov. 3 ballot., per an Aug. 19 release. 

Some context: The VATRE will be on the ballot as Proposition A and could help the day-to-day needs of Spring ISD, including:

• Protect programs and services that support student success

• Support teacher and staff compensation

• Address the district’s budget shortfall

Quote of note: “We have worked hard to change the trajectory of Spring ISD, and our students and staff are showing us what is possible when we stay focused and work together,” Superintendent Kregg Cuellar said. “Proposition A is about protecting that progress and making sure we have the resources to continue moving forward."

Harris County commissioners are slated to discuss debt service payments, planning studies and capital improvements at its Aug. 25 business court meeting.

At a glance: The court will consider about $235.6 million in debt service payments for September and October, per the agenda. The payments will cover Harris County road bonds, permanent improvement bonds, Harris County Flood Control District bonds and Flood Contract Tax bonds. 

In other news: Three planning studies will also be up for discussion during the Aug. 25 meeting. Harris County Housing and Community Development is requesting $150,000 for the Resilience Hubs study, which will evaluate the creation of community spaces to provide daily and disaster response services.

The other two studies, which the agenda does not provide details on, will look at projects in Precinct 4 and cost $1.4 million.

Motorists traveling to and from George Bush Intercontinental Airport this week should allow extra travel time due to nearby road construction, Houston Airport System officials announced in an Aug. 24 news release.

What you need to know: Beginning with prep work Aug. 24, HAS will repair concrete in the westbound lanes of Will Clayton Parkway between Kenswick Drive and Lee Road. Per the release, major demolition and concrete work will occur Aug. 25-28.

Officials noted motorists should anticipate lane closures, especially overnight, when two of three lanes will be closed for construction. Motorists can take John F. Kennedy Boulevard as an alternate route during construction. 

Stay tuned: All three lanes are expected to reopen by the afternoon of Aug. 28, per the release. 

Texas’ audit of hundreds of proposed data centers will likely wrap up by the end of the year, grid officials said Aug. 20.

The overview: Up to 300 proposals will be audited to ensure they meet certain criteria before the data centers can begin connecting to the state electric grid. If all the plans are approved, these facilities alone could use about 200 gigawatts of electricity—more than twice Texas’ 91-gigawatt peak demand record, which was set on July 22.

How we got here: On Aug. 3, Gov. Greg Abbott directed ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission of Texas to audit proposed data centers regarding their water and electricity use; tax exemptions; impacts on residents; and facility ownership.

More details: Only large loads, or facilities that are expected to use at least 75 megawatts of electricity, will be fully audited. However, ERCOT will also survey proposed data centers that would use 25 megawatts of electricity or more.

ERCOT plans to release reports detailing the results of the audit and surveys on Dec. 10, officials said.