Almost two dozen candidates have filed to run in Austin's five City Council races this fall, four of which may include incumbents seeking reelection.

The big picture: Half of Austin's council seats are on the November general election ballot, with candidates in districts 1, 3, 5, 8 and 9 seeking four-year terms starting in January. Residents can look up their council district online.

District 1 is the only open seat race as two-term council member Natasha Harper-Madison reached her term limit and will leave office at the end of the year. Incumbent District 3 council member José Velásquez, District 5 council member Ryan Alter, District 8 council member Paige Ellis and District 9 council member Zo Qadri are all seeking to hold their seats.

All Austin voters will also be considering two bond propositions and multiple charter amendments on the Nov. 3 election ballot.

The Texas Education Agency released 2026 A-F accountability ratings Aug. 14, giving Austin ISD a 'B' districtwide, with a score of 81—the district's highest mark in four years. Burnet and Webb Middle Schools each earned a fifth consecutive 'F', triggering state action, while Dobie Middle School, which had four consecutive 'F' ratings, scored a 'D', per TEA data.

The details: Austin ISD is the only district that may be subject to state intervention based on the 2026 ratings, according to Community Impact reporting.

Under state law, a fifth consecutive failing rating at a single campus requires the education commissioner to either close that campus or replace the district's elected board of trustees with a state-appointed board of managers.

Round Rock ISD received a “B” for the 2025-26 school year in the Texas Education Agency’s school accountability ratings, scoring 89 out of a possible 100 points.

Diving in deeper: The ratings released Aug. 14 mark RRISD’s fourth consecutive “B” rating, data shows. Twelve of the district’s 53 rated campuses saw ratings improve by one or more letter grade, while eight campuses saw ratings decrease by one or more letter grade.

Overall, RRISD’s rating distribution is:

• 27 “A”-rated campuses

• 14 “B”-rated campuses

• 10 “C”-rated campuses

• 2 “D”-rated campuses

What they’re saying: The district’s overall accountability rating is an 89, due to a rule capping the maximum score for any district with a campus receiving a “D” rating.

RRISD Senior Chief of Schools Natalie Nichols said if this rule were not in place, the district would have scored a 91, or an “A.”

A Logistics Park in Georgetown, a hotel in Austin and a Scooter’s Coffee 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. Northland Project ($60 million): This project involves the interior finish-out of an existing shell building.

2. Green Point Building 3 ($42 million): This project is part of the 231-acre GTX Logistics Park in Georgetown, and involves the construction of a 753,481 square foot concrete tiltwall warehouse shell.

3. East Austin 7th Street Hotel ($34 million): This project includes the construction of a new, 5-story commercial hotel.

4. Scooter's Coffee ($400,000): A new Scooter’s Coffee location is coming to Cedar Park, with construction set to wrap up in the spring.

5. Starbucks ($400,000): A new Starbucks location is coming to Bastrop, with construction set to wrap up in April.