SCUCISD board changes cell phone policy following state mandate
Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD is keeping in line with a new state mandate by prohibiting student-use of communication devices throughout the school day.
On Aug. 7, the SCUCISD board of trustees amended the district's student code of conduct policy on personal communication devices and electronic devices. The board approval falls in line with House Bill 1481, which requires all Texas school districts to prohibit device use by students.
Current situation: According to the updated policy provided to Community Impact by SCUCISD communications staff, students shall store away personal communication devices during the school day, and any student violating the policy shall be subject to disciplinary action.
The policy states that an authorized district employee "shall confiscate a student's personal communication device" in violation of the policy.
A local gymnastics studio has recently shut its doors in Selma.
In case you missed it: Aim High Gymnastics, situated at 4358 FM 1518, closed its doors in August.
Bruce Kowal, the owner of the nearby San Antonio Gymnastics Academy in Converse, said he’s had students and coaches from Aim High Gymnastics transfer to his gym following an “abrupt” closure sometime last month.
The details: Coaches at Aim High Gymnastics taught lessons for all skill levels in addition to leading competitive teams on a regular practice schedule, according to their website.
There was also an open gym that hosted public events in the community.
FOODIE FRIDAY Check out these new restaurants and bars opening across the San Antonio area.
There aren’t many places in San Antonio that offer sit-down Filipino dining and an Asian grocery market all-in-one.
At M.Y. Chockdee Oriental Market & Restaurant, located at 115 E. Lindbergh Blvd., Owner and Chef Merle Ramirez said they have both—along with catering options and more.
Ramirez said she wanted to bring her love of cooking to the United States, so she moved from the Philippines to Texas in 1985. During that process, she met her husband, Yong—who trained her to become a professional cook.
“Eventually, we wanted to open our dream,” Ramirez said. “So we started extremely small.”
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Bahamian cuisine and Texas barbecue have found the perfect match at a local eatery in New Braunfels.
Cool Vibes Smoke & Flame—tucked away inside a gas station at 486 Landa St.,—opened in 2024 and is owned by brothers-in-law Nate Levin and Shawn Dean.
Cool Vibes Smoke & Flame fuses together authentic Bahamian flavors with Southern-style barbecue—which makes them stand out amongst other "hole-in-the-wall" eateries, Dean said.
“We try to incorporate flavors from both of our backgrounds,” he said.
Salad and Go set to close all San Antonio locations
Salad and Go, a fast casual salad chain, is shutting down all locations in the Alamo City.
In case you missed it: In a news release, the company’s CEO Mike Tattersfield announced the closure of all San Antonio locations “by the end of the day” on Sept. 19.
Salad and Go has four locations across San Antonio.
Additionally, a location in Cibolo at 2432 FM 1103 that opened in June 2024 has already closed.
The context: Aside from San Antonio, Salad and Go is also closing 14 locations in the Houston area, as previously reported by Community Impact.
“This change will allow us to focus on strengthening the brand and invest more in improving quality, driving innovation and building connections with the communities we serve,” Tattersfield said in the news release.
The chain offered specialty salads, breakfast burritos, coffee, tea and more, according to their menu.
Bexar County adopts $2.8 billion FY 2025-26 budget
Bexar County Commissioners Court adopted its fiscal year 2025-26 budget during its Sept. 8 meeting.
The overview: The total adopted budget for all funds is $2.8 billion and includes a $1 billion general fund, which is $138 million more than FY 2024-25’s general fund budget of $901 million. Other budgets include a $560 million capital projects budget, $992 million operating appropriations budget, $174 million for debt service and $270 million in carry forward funding.
Sorting out details: County officials have also adopted the tax rate of $0.299999, which is the same tax rate the county has adopted since FY 2019-20. According to county documents, the adopted tax rate is below the state-calculated no new revenue rate and represents a continued reduction in taxes.
The commissioners court has continually lowered the property tax rate over the years and has implemented other saving measures, such as a senior citizen tax freeze. According to county documents, these measures have netted $2.8 billion in cumulative savings to county taxpayers.
