After an "anomaly" resulted in Hutto ISD's enrollment being significantly lower than projected for the start of the 2026-27 school year, demographic firm Zonda Education is now predicting slowed growth in the district.

The overview: Paul Cash, a consultant for Zonda Education, said HISD only grew by 80 students for the 2026-27 school year that started in August.

The context: In April, Cash's spring enrollment report showed the district was anticipated to grow by 382 students for this school year. He said the primary driver of this lowered enrollment is a recent cooling in the housing market, as young families with school-aged children cannot afford to live in the area.

In their own words: "The reason kindergarten numbers are down is it's harder for families that have kindergarteners to buy a house," Cash said.

Snooze is coming to a new development off SH 130 in Pflugerville, officials with the breakfast restaurant told Community Impact.

Read all about it: The eatery, which serves a variety of breakfast and brunch classics as well as seasonal menu items, is targeting a May or June opening.

The announcement marks the Denver-based restaurant's second attempt to come to the area. In early 2025, the business scrapped a plan to come to the same retail center.

Snooze has three Austin locations and one in Cedar Park.

Quote of note: "We can’t wait to open our doors, get to know Pflugerville and give the community a new reason to look forward to mornings," a representative with the company said in an email.

Check out six trending stories in the Austin area from Sept. 21-24.

1. Event center slated for site of old pharmacy at Parmer and Whitestone

2. Nana B's Country Kitchen showcases slow-cooked family recipes near Round Rock, Hutto border

3. Texas Roadhouse to open in November in Georgetown

4. Tacodeli plans new Dripping Springs location

5. ARA Diagnostic Imaging opens Leander location

6. Fritz Park holds grand opening in Hutto

Austin Community College trustees unanimously approved a tax rate of $0.103643 per $100 of valuation, up from $0.1034 last year. Because property values fell, the average bill will drop about 2.2%, and the average homestead bill will drop about 1%. The owner of an average home will pay about $557, down from $562 last year.

The details: The new rate is below the college's no-new-revenue rate, meaning it will collect less from existing property. District officials said the slight rate increase is tied to debt on a $770 million bond voters approved in 2022. Property taxes fund about 67% of the college's $583 million budget.

What's next: Tax bills typically go out in the fall. They are due Feb. 1, 2027, because Jan. 31 falls on a Sunday.

The Hill Country draws people to its rolling landscape, clear waterways and live music scene. But as development grows throughout the Hill Country, attempts to build large entertainment destinations have increasingly collided with concerns over traffic, noise and environmental impacts.

The overview: White Rocks, a proposed 71-acre mixed-use development located near Hwy. 71 between Bee Cave and Austin, is the latest project to face this tension.

The site would include a 10,000-seat amphitheater, residential units and a hotel with amenities including two restaurants, three bars, a spa, an onsite distillery, a 1,500-seat indoor performance venue and professional recording studios.

While developers stated in a press release that the project is designed with “environmental stewardship” in mind, opponents are raising concerns about the development’s proposed wastewater system and its potential effects on Barton Creek and the surrounding land.