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Texas A&M University System’s board of regents officially appointed John Barton as vice chancellor for business affairs. He had been serving as interim vice chancellor since January.

“John has already been doing the job, and doing it exceptionally well,” Chancellor Glenn Hegar said in a news release Sept. 3. “He listens, solves problems and takes care of people and public resources. We are fortunate to have him.”

The gist: In his role, Barton oversees the university system’s offices responsible for facilities and construction, risk management, real estate, and management and system training, according to the system’s news release.

How we got here: The university system said Barton has 39 years of experience in state government, higher education and the private sector. He’s worked on “major construction programs,” partnerships and financial stewardship, among others.

Barton began working at the Texas Department of Transportation in 1986 and moved up in ranks through the decades, eventually overseeing a $10 billion annual budget.

Bryan City Council will consider adopting the city’s fiscal year 2026-27 budget Sept. 8, along with a proposed property tax rate of $0.624000 per $100 of taxable value, which is unchanged from the current rate.

Breaking it down: The council will hold a public hearing on its proposed tax rate of $0.624000 per $100 of valuation. According to city documents, this is an increase for the city’s maintenance and operations but no change from Bryan’s fiscal year 2025-26 tax rate.

• General fund maintenance and operations rate: $0.505878
• Debt obligation rate: $0.118122

Bryan and College Station ISDs are investing in facilities designed to give students more room to grow and opportunities in classrooms, career programs and extracurricular activities through respective bonds.

The big picture: Bryan ISD is moving through design and planning for projects, including:

• Collegiate campus rebuild

• Third Rudder HS gym

• Merrill Green Stadium improvements

Meanwhile, CSISD's 2024 bond projects are nearly all complete, Supt. Tim Harkrider told Community Impact. Consol's first home game of the season at Tigerland Stadium Sept. 18 will bookend the athletics bond.

Sorting out the details: The expansion of College Station ISD's CTE program comes as interest grows. In the past five years, participation grew by nearly 500 students, CSISD said.

Bryan ISD officials told Community Impact 97.5% of its students have taken a CTE course, while 1,142 students earned industry certifications in 2025.

What's new: College Station ISD's CTE center includes facilities for ag mechanics, animal science, automotive technology, construction, veterinary technology and welding.

Cosmetology is a new offering for College Station ISD in the 2026-27 school year.

A new 19-story student housing complex opened in August in the Northgate district, ahead of the start of Texas A&M University's fall semester.

What Aspire Reserve offers: The complex offers various student living set-ups, from studio apartments through six-bedroom units.

Amenities include a two-story fitness and wellness center, study and collaboration spaces, gaming areas, two pools and a penthouse lounge. It also offers ground-floor retail and storage.

About the project: Aspire Reserve is a joint venture between the Dinerstein Companies, Up Campus Student Living and Harrison Street Asset Management. It broke ground in May 2024 and now boasts 873 beds across units on Church Avenue, near A&M's west campus.

State filings list Aspire Reserve with a $108 million price tag to build the 346-unit complex across more than 705,000 square feet.

Before you go: Aspire Reserve bills itself as animal-friendly and is not limited to students.

• Opened Aug. 1
• 100 Church Ave., College Station