Two candidates will be on the ballot for the Leander ISD board of trustees Place 1 seat. Serenity Coats and Gerald Prater are running for Place 1. Incumbent Trish Bode did not seek reelection.

What you need to know: Candidates were asked to answer the questions provided, limit their answers to 50 words and not attack other opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to these guidelines or for style and clarity. Candidates were informed that "questionnaire not returned by deadline" would be published if Community Impact did not receive the candidate information and answers by the deadline provided.

Voter deadline registration is Oct. 5. Early voting will be held Oct. 19-30, and election day is Nov. 3.

LISD trustees are elected at-large, meaning all registered voters living within LISD boundaries can vote for each place.

Austin is moving to enact a new regulatory framework covering how and where data centers can be built in the city, and block the development of the largest and most resource-intensive facilities.

“We’re looking to have a complete, legally viable means of regulation, prevention and protection," Mayor Kirk Watson said.

What's happening: Today, data centers are generally allowed in Austin's commercial and industrial areas and there are no specific rules in place to control or monitor their development. City staff identified targeted land-use policy as the most effective way to enact local oversight of data centers, and to mitigate any negative effects on residents and public resources.

After a unanimous City Council vote to pursue those regulations on Aug. 27, some could go into effect by the end of the year after code updates are drafted and considered through public reviews.

Check out six trending Austin-area stories from Aug. 24-27. 

1. Bad Habits Card Company now open in Georgetown

2. Tejas Meat Supply closes Round Rock restaurant, butcher shop

3. COTALAND Theme Park to host grand opening event in late September

4. Scheels holds ribbon cutting ahead of Aug. 29 opening

5. Amazon picks East Austin for multi-billion dollar robotics facility

6. Hutto, Williamson County poised for $674M Blue Origin facility

Two candidates are listed on the Nov. 3 ballot for Williamson County clerk. Nancy Rister has held the position since 1998, and is not seeking reelection.  

The details: Responsibilities of this elected position include issuing marriage licenses, acting as a recorder of deeds, taking depositions and maintaining county records. Clerks serve four-year terms.

Early voting for the Nov. 3 election runs from Oct. 19-30.

Read Q&As with each candidate below. Community Impact reached out to all candidates who will appear on the Williamson County clerk ballot. Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents.

Community Impact compiled compensation for superintendents, teachers, and staff at 15 public school districts in the Austin area to compare trends across the metro as budgeting season wraps up for most districts.

According to the 2025-26 school year data from the Texas Education Agency, Lake Travis ISD had the highest-paid superintendent at $483,116, while Pflugerville ISD had the highest average teacher pay at $69,917.

Some context: The highest student enrollments for the 2025-26 school year were:

• Austin ISD

• Round Rock ISD

• Leander ISD

The lowest student enrollments were:

• Eanes ISD

• San Marcos ISD

• Dripping Springs ISD

The big picture: According to the 2025-26 school year data from the Texas Education Agency, Lake Travis ISD had the highest-paid superintendent at $483,116, while Pflugerville ISD had the highest average teacher pay at $69,917.