Three candidates will be on the ballot for the Leander ISD board of trustees Place 2 seat. Meg Dean, Perla Muñoz Hopkins and Chitra Nedun are running for Place 2. Incumbent Gloria Gonzales-Dholakia 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 registration deadline 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.

 Hopdoddy Burger Bar, an iconic Austin-based restaurant, opened its newest location in Leander along Hwy. 29. The Leander location opened Sept. 1 with promotional giveaways.

The details: Hopdoddy is most known for its specialty burgers, which include the Cadillac Wagyu. The restaurant’s menu also includes salads, fried chicken and milkshakes.

The first 20 guests served during the business’s Sept. 1 opening were offered free swag bags, according to a company representative. The representative added that more promotional events are planned for the month.

• 19389 Ronald Reagan Blvd., Ste. 100, Leander

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.

Additions and renovations to Deerpark Middle School in Round Rock ISD, a refresh of the Yeti headquarters building and a new donut shop in Austin are among the five most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the metro this week.

1. Aalo Advanced Manufacturing ($25 million): This project involves the renovation of an existing 204,350 square-foot one-story warehouse building to provide lab, machine shop and production floor space for Aalo Atomics Advanced Manufacturing.

2. Deerpark Middle School additions and renovations ($20 million): Renovations will be taking place at Deerpark Middle School, including a fine arts and classroom addition at the main building.

3. Yeti HQ refresh ($2.1 million): The Yeti headquarters building in Austin will undergo a renovation. 

4. UT Austin President's Office renovation ($1 million): This project involves the renovation of the main suite to serve as the temporary President’s Office during the main building restoration.

5. Smiling Donuts ($120,000): A new Smiling Donuts location is coming to Austin.

For the first time in over a decade, there is no incumbent in the Texas attorney general's race as Republican Ken Paxton runs for U.S. Senate.

Democrat Nathan Johnson, a state senator from Dallas; Republican Mayes Middleton, a state senator from Galveston; and Libertarian Tom Oxford, an attorney from Nederland, are running to replace him this November. Community Impact asked the candidates for their perspectives on Texas' open records laws, state litigation and other topics.

How we got here: Johnson and Middleton each won their primary runoff elections in May, Community Impact reported, while Oxford was selected as the Texas Libertarian Party's candidate during an April nominating convention.

Looking ahead: Early voting in eight statewide races and dozens of local elections runs from Oct. 19-30. Election Day is Nov. 3.