During a Sept. 10 meeting, Round Rock ISD officials extended the district's good-cause exemption from House Bill 3, a legislative mandate requiring armed guards at all public schools in the state, for at least one more year.

What's new: District counsel Cindy Hill said the district is opting to extend the measure, as the district still can't afford to staff to the level required by HB 3.

In their own words: "At this time, we need to look at extending our good cause exception for at least another year to allow us to not only get a handle on the financial conditions of the district as well as identify other sources of officers," Hill said.

Diving deeper: Per the district, staffing each of its 56 schools with an armed officer would require hiring 27 additional full-time employees and cost $4 million, at a time when the district is running a deficit budget.

Guidepost Montessori schools officially rebranded as Illuminate Montessori in September, following their parent company, GGE, filing for bankruptcy in 2025.

The background: In fall of 2025, TNC Schools acquired 18 Guidepost Montessori schools, including five in the Austin area.

At the time of the acquisition, TNC Schools had plans to rebrand the schools as Illuminate Montessori, yet the schools were contractually required to continue using the Guidepost name for a number of months, Mongoshua Ball, head of school at Illuminate Montessori in Westlake said in an email.

There are no changes to the Montessori philosophy or teaching approaches, Ball said.

The details: As of Sept. 1, the following schools officially rebranded to Illuminate Montessori:

• 14058 Bee Cave Parkway, Bldg. C, Austin

• 4613-B Bee Cave Road, West Lake Hills

• 7210 Wyoming Springs Drive, Round Rock

• 2006 Sun Chase Blvd, Cedar Park

• 3017 Polar Lane, Cedar Park

Williamson County commissioners approved the allocation of $10.4 million for capital improvement projects for the next fiscal year during a Commissioners Court meeting Sept. 15.

The projects include facility repairs, public safety upgrades and long-term infrastructure needs.

The setup: The county had $23.45 million available for capital projects in fiscal year 2026-27. This includes $16.9 million in new funding with the recently passed budget and about $6.5 million left over from previous projects, County Auditor Julie Kiley said.

About the projects: Projects and funding amounts for the FY 2026-27 CIP include:

• $2.5 million for civil infrastructure improvements at the North Campus

• $2 million for internal asset management software

• $1.39 million for infrastructure improvements at the Northeast Inner Loop Yard

• $1.2 million to replace jail HVAC systems

• $1.2 million for building dehumidification

• $1.2 million to replace soil and stabilize ground around the Emergency Services Operations Center

A senior living facility in Leander, a LongHorn Steakhouse in Kyle and a drive-thru coffee shop in Cedar Park are among the five most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Hayden Grove Northline ($50 million): This project involves the construction of a senior independent living, assisted living and memory care facility with associated common-use spaces.

2. 901 E. Fifth St. refresh ($39 million): This project involves the renovation of the first through fourth floors of 901 E. Fifth St. in Austin. Renovations include the Level 1 lobby area and the addition of amenities to Level 2, including a conference center, fitness center and tenant lounge.

3. LongHorn Steakhouse ($3.5 million): A new LongHorn Steakhouse location is coming to Kyle, with construction set to begin in December. 

4. LaundroLab ($1.5 million): This project involves the demolition of the interior of a former restaurant to build a laundromat. 

5. 7 Brew ($400,000): A new 7 Brew location is coming to Cedar Park. Construction on the drive-thru coffee shop is set to wrap up in December.

To cast votes for a U.S. senator, governor, state attorney general and dozens of other races during the Nov. 3 midterm election, Texans must ensure they are registered to vote or have submitted an application by Oct. 5.

How it works: To be eligible to register to vote, an individual must:

• Be a U.S. citizen

• Reside in the county they apply to vote in

• Be at least 18 years old by Election Day

• Not have been declared mentally incapacitated without the right to vote by a court

Getting registered: Eligible Texans must submit a paper voter registration application by Oct. 5. The online form must be printed, signed and mailed to the applicant's local elections office.

One more thing: Voters who are already registered have through Oct. 5 to update their name or address, if needed.

Some voters may appear on the state "suspense" list if local officials cannot confirm their address, although they will still be able to vote in the election.